Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino named the area Punta de los Reyes, or Point of the Kings while sailing past the peninsula on Jan. 6, 1603, today a youthful, rural spirit sweeps rustic Point Reyes. The unincorporated town is at the south end of Tomales Bay. Families who have lived here for generations have resisted development and the community retains a romantic, small-town atmosphere.

This lush park, featuring old growth redwood trees, is a 560-acre site where one can experience the grandeur and natural cycles of a redwood forest. The Park offers six miles of trails including leisurely walks and strenuous hikes. Unpaved trails lead hikers out of the canyon and connect with trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/muwo/.

Mount Tamalpais is one of the most beautiful sights in Marin, attracting 1.3 million visitors annually. Mount Tamalpais stretches 2,571 feet above sea level, giving visitors on the mountain spectacular views of the ocean, San Francisco and the bay. Hiking and biking are the two most popular activities for visitors. Additionally, there are ample picnic grounds, a hillside amphitheater and campsites through out the 6,400-acre park. For more information on all California state parks, visit www.parks.ca.gov.

Painted a cheery International orange, the Golden Gate Bridge spans one of the most famous harbor entrances in the world. A tourist hot-spot, this is considered to be the most photographed sites in San Francisco. The bridge connects Marin County with San Francisco.

The quaint town of Mill Valley stands in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, and has a charm all its own. Besides the cozy downtown, home to antique stores, bookstores, a theater, nightclub, art gallery, coffee shops, and the Depot Bookstore cafe, Mill Valley offers hiking and biking trails, a dog run, a nine-hole public golf course.

Just a short ferry ride from downtown San Francisco, this charming and historic nautical town is a tourist’s delight and home to some of the best views of the city. Angel Island, a historic landmark, is accessible only by ferry from Tiburon. Unique shops and al fresco dining invite you to spend the afternoon exploring the quaint downtown. For more information, visit www.tiburon.org.

Angel Island, a national park, is hilly, grassy and a heavily forested haven in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. With more than 740 acres, this state park provides spectacular views of Marin County, San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

The island is approximately one mile off the shores of the Tiburon waterfront and ferries dock directly off Angel Island in Ayala Cove. For more than six thousand years, Miwok Indians used the land as a fishing and hunting site. Afterwards, for almost 100 years - stretching from the Civil War to the Cold War - the island housed a variety of military installations. It also played a major role in the settlement of the West, serving both as a Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and an Immigration Station.

Transportation is easy via ferry from the Tiburon waterfront. For more information and hours visit www.angelisland.org.

The Marin Headlands was a former military reservation that is now an urban national park. Some of the most dramatic views of San Francisco can be seen from its hillsides. This 12,000-acre protected area situated north of the Golden Gate Bridge is a great spot for hiking, biking and camping enthusiasts. At the turn of the century, American Armed Forces built 33 coastal defense batteries to defend the San Francisco Bay Area. Today visitors can take docent-led tours of Point Bonita Lighthouse in addition to self-guided tours on the trails to campsites, Rodeo Beach and several look-out points. With so many historical, recreational and nature activities, there's truly something for everyone. For complete park information, visit, www.nps.gov/goga.