When people think of the main Marin County attractions, they likely think of Bolinas Ridge, Stinson Beach or the San Rafael restaurant, Sol Food. However, this amazing county has plenty of hidden gems that are waiting to be explored. There are many places off the beaten path in Marin, providing many more opportunities to see what this beautiful region has has to offer.

On the topic of great Marin views, there are plenty of hidden spots to see the beauty of the Bay. 

Tiburon is a fantastic place to watch the city lights and enjoy the night. One of these Tiburon spots is known as Strawberry dock. Located beyond the first right turn off of Tiburon Boulevard, this location is fairly convenient for the rest of Marin and not too far from the highway. Strawberry dock has a clear view of the city, with a walking path and benches, making it a perfect place to look at the city’s lights at night.

Not far away from Strawberry dock, you can find another similar view of San Francisco at the end of Heron Drive. This area offers a spectacular lookout and features an expanded view of the water and Sausalito. 

Nestled in a Larkspur neighborhood near Tamalpais Drive is Top of the World. This memorable location is found at the end of Summit Drive, right off the side of a fire road in an open section of the trees. It could be easy to walk right past it, so be sure to keep your eye out for that open section and narrow trail on the right. After a short walk off the fire road, you can find yourself at a couple big rocks that you can rest on to enjoy the view. The view looks out over Marin and the Richmond Bridge, and you can see even further on a clear day.

Drake High School senior Sam Gregoire shared about his experience here.

“Top of the World is this super sweet spot where the entry way is super narrow, so you kinda feel like you’re going to some magical type of place,” Gregoire explained. 

Not only is the view alone beautiful, but the way up is an experience in itself.

The last but certainly not least hidden gem on the list is China Camp State Park. This park is big and not hard to find, yet it doesn’t truly get the credit it deserves. 

North San Pedro Road goes right along the shoreline of the park, creating a very enjoyable drive along the water. Throughout this road, there are plenty of areas to stop and enjoy the view of San Pablo bay. Because the park is facing towards the east it makes it a great place to watch the sunrise.

The park itself is full of great hiking and mountain biking trails that seemingly weave through the hills endlessly. China camp is full of beautiful wildlife and is not a far drive from Novato, making it a prime spot to escape into nature.

Novato senior Riley Colyer talked about mountain biking at China Camp.

“It’s pretty fun,” said Colyer. “It’s not super hard so a lot of people can go there.”  

For the outdoor and adventure lover, these memorable Marin spots add to the list of classic and can’t-miss experiences.