Parks, trails and outdoor places in San Rafael

In San Rafael, open land is often at the end of the street. Oak-covered ridges rise behind Terra Linda and the Civic Center, a state park runs along San Pablo Bay just east of the city, and shoreline paths trace the bay side of town. Some of it belongs to the city, more to Marin County Parks and California State Parks, and almost all of it is reachable from a neighborhood trailhead.

China Camp and the bay shore

China Camp State Park covers about 1,500 acres along the San Pablo Bay shoreline, out along North San Pedro Road. It holds oak woodland, more than a hundred acres of tidal salt marsh and about fifteen miles of trails shared by hikers, mountain bikers and riders. China Camp Village, at the water's edge, has a small museum about the early Chinese settlement that once stood there, a beach and picnic tables, and the Back Ranch Meadows campground sits in an oak and bay forest inland. The Friends of China Camp maintain the short, accessible Turtle Back trail for walkers and lead nature walks and birding outings. Dogs are allowed only in developed areas, not on trails or beaches, and the park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Closer to town, McNears Beach Park is a 55-acre county park in a sheltered cove off Point San Pedro Road, with a fishing pier that needs no license, carry-in kayak access on the Bay Area Water Trail, tennis and pickleball courts and lawns. Dogs are not allowed there. Part of its shoreline path is temporarily closed for seawall work.

Off Francisco Boulevard East, Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline Park follows the bay with a level, accessible path, benches and picnic tables, open early morning to evening.

Ridges and open space preserves

The county's open space preserves wrap around much of the city. San Pedro Mountain Preserve is the forested ridge behind the Civic Center: steep climbs through oak, bay and madrone, with a few redwoods in the upper canyons, and connections to the city's Harry A. Barbier Park and to China Camp. Its main trailhead is at the end of Woodoaks Drive, with limited street parking. Dogs must stay leashed.

North of Freitas Parkway, the Terra Linda / Sleepy Hollow Preserve is a 1,172-acre horseshoe of ridges above Santa Margarita Valley. Rangers point walkers to the Eagle Rock Trail for its footbridges and lookouts, and to Terra Linda Ridge Fire Road for views of Mount Tamalpais and Big Rock Ridge on clear days. It has several neighborhood entrances, including the end of Freitas Parkway, and connects to the Mission Pass bike path. The city's Jerry Russom Memorial Park, off Canyon Oak Drive, is another way in.

For something smaller, Santa Margarita Island Preserve in Santa Venetia is the only true island in the county's open space district: a nine-acre preserve, reached at the end of Meadow Drive, where cement canal walls and an old lamp post survive from a never-built subdivision modeled on Venice. No dogs or horses are allowed.

Flat paths, parks and McInnis

If you prefer level ground, McInnis Park, at the end of Smith Ranch Road, packs a lot into 450 acres: a marsh-edge trail along Gallinas Creek where binoculars come in handy, a kayak and canoe launch, a pond for fishing, ball fields, reservable tennis and pickleball courts, a skatepark, and a nine-hole golf course with a driving range and miniature golf. Access to its levee trails is limited during work hours while improvements are under way.

Among the city's own parks, Peacock Gap Park adds a par course and hiking trails to its playground and fields, and Boyd Memorial Park, on Laurel Place near downtown, gives you a tree-shaded lawn a short walk from Fourth Street.

The city is also planning for more walking and riding. On October 19, 2026 the City Council approved an update to its Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, a five-to-ten-year roadmap for new paths, sidewalks, bike lanes and safer crossings, with a list of twenty priority projects. Along the Canal, the city won an $800,000 regional grant in June 2026 to plan and design a new waterfront park on a former boatyard at 620 Canal Street, and the City Council was asked on November 2 to accept it.

Birders heading out to China Camp or McInnis can stop first at Buteo Books in the West End, a family-owned shop specializing in birding and nature books, which also shares tips on local birding spots.

Staying safe through the seasons

San Rafael's outdoors has two seasons of risk, and the city publishes guidance for both.

• Fire season: when a Red Flag Warning is in effect, the city's fire department asks people to avoid open flames and outdoor grilling, keep an emergency kit ready and review evacuation plans. Check the current status on the city's fire weather page before heading into the hills, and sign up for AlertMarin.
• Winter storms: on October 5, 2026 the City Council declared a local emergency ahead of an El Niño winter, citing higher tides and heavy rain. Parts of the city lie near or below the level of the bay, and its advice is simple: never walk, swim or drive through floodwater.
• Mud and closures: county preserves warn that trails can be muddy in the rainy season, and seasonal streams run on San Pedro Mountain in wet winters. Respect closure signs, stay on trails, watch for poison oak and check for ticks afterwards. Most preserves have no restrooms, so bring water.
• On the water: at McInnis and McNears, rangers remind paddlers to watch the tides, because currents can be strong.

Maps and trail conditions

Marin County Parks posts a location list with a map for every preserve and an alerts and closures page that it updates as conditions change. California State Parks lists current restrictions for China Camp on its park page, and the Friends of China Camp post advisories, including recent high-tide warnings. The city's parks page has a map of its own parks and their amenities.

Pick a trailhead near home, check the alerts, and go.