Harry A Barbier Memorial Park
Nature preserve
642 acres16.8 mi of trail
CanaryGold Hill GradeJT HowellQuercus IV+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Marin County Civic Center · Photo: Fizbin at en.wikipedia · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in San Rafael
San Rafael has 62 miles of mapped trails, 3.8 for every square mile of land
35% of San Rafael’s land is conserved, about 3,710 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2,891 acres are parks and preserves, 48 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #40 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
3,710 acres · of 16.6 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
3.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,891 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
35 mi
18 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
1,070 ft
San Pedro Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is San Rafael?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does San Rafael have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, San Rafael is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #40 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of San Rafael’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (62 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,891 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 95%
Water is 26% of San Rafael’s area (6 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 26%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Harry A Barbier Memorial Park, with 16.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Terra Linda - Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve
Managed by Marin County Parks and Open Space District
876 acres12 mi of trail
Eagle Rock TrailWintergreen TrailMontecillo TrailEagle Rock trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
China Camp State Park
Managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation
429 acres6.6 mi of trail
Ridge Fire TrailMcNears Fire TrailMaytagReach Around+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
West End San Rafael Open Space
Managed by City of San Rafael
43 acres1.4 mi of trail
Clorinda TrailSentinel Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Jerry Russom Memorial Park
Park
63 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Boyd Memorial Park
Nature preserve
36 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 28 parks & preserves
Harry A Barbier Memorial Park642 acres · 16.8 mi of trail
DirectionsTerra Linda - Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve876 acres · 12 mi of trail · Marin County Parks and Open Space District
DirectionsChina Camp State Park429 acres · 6.6 mi of trail · California Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWest End San Rafael Open Space43 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of San Rafael
Lagoon Park31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsJerry Russom Memorial Park63 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Boyd Memorial Park36 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsGerstle Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Mountain Park31 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDominican Nature Preserve20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Western Alliance for Nature
Hartzell Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAlbert Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSanta Margarita Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Freitas Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMcNears Beach County Park30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Marin County Parks
DirectionsSan Rafael Open Space13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBernard Hoffman Field3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oleander Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTerra Linda Community Center2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSun Valley Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Marin Islands Ecological Reserve299 acres · California Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsMarin Islands National Wildlife Refuge124 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Pickleweed Park14 acres
DirectionsSentinel Nature Preserve (WAN)6 acres · Western Alliance for Nature
Los Ranchitos Park3 acres
DirectionsSan Pedro Mountain Open Space Preserve1 acres · Marin County Parks
Munson Park1 acres
DirectionsBret Harte Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,710 conserved acres
35% of San Rafael’s land. Water is left out: San Rafael has 16.6 square miles of land and 6.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages San Rafael’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,287 ac
Town or city1,267 ac
County543 ac
State parks423 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service213 ac
State fish & wildlife180 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits107 ac
Local Park · 1,469 acLocal Conservation Area · 834 acLocal Other or Unknown · 634 acState Park · 423 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 213 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Divide Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 834 | Open |
| Harry A Barbier Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 624 | Open |
| China Camp State Park State Park | State parks | 423 | Open |
| John F. McInnis County Park Local Park | County | 339 | Open |
| Water Lots Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 236 | Open |
| Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 213 | Restricted |
| Marin Islands Ecological Reserve State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 180 | Open |
| Civic Center Lagoon Park Local Park | County | 135 | Open |
| Boyd Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| San Rafael Lands 013 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 74 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
44 places to go in San Rafael
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in San Rafael
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in San Rafael
Marin Academy Pool
DirectionsMarin Diving Center Pool
DirectionsMcNears Beach Park PoolIn McNears Beach County Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in San Rafael
Albert Park PlaygroundIn Albert Park
DirectionsLagoon Park PlaygroundIn Lagoon Park
DirectionsPickleweed Park PlaygroundIn Pickleweed Park
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in San Rafael
Field of Dogs Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in San Rafael
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in San Rafael
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in San Rafael
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in San Rafael
San Pedro Mountain1,070 ft elevation · In Harry A Barbier Memorial Park
DirectionsSan Rafael Hill669 ft elevation
DirectionsGrove Hill410 ft elevation
DirectionsMoore Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in San Rafael
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in San Rafael
Canal Community GardenCity of San Rafael
DirectionsTerra Linda Community GardenCity of San Rafael
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.3 miHorses · 0.8 miUnpaved · 30.0 mi
San Francisco Bay Trail2.1 mi
Canary1.5 mi
Gold Hill Grade1.4 mi
Ridge Fire Trail1.3 mi
JT Howell1.2 mi
Wood Rat1.0 mi
Eagle Rock Trail1.0 mi
McNears Fire Trail0.9 mi
Quercus IV0.8 mi
Quercus III0.8 mi
15 more trails
Quercus I
0.7 miTower
0.6 miM&M
0.6 miHummingbird
0.6 miMeadow
0.5 miWintergreen Trail
0.5 miMaytag
0.4 miReach Around
0.4 miMontecillo Trail
0.4 miBunny
0.4 miEagle Rock trail
0.4 miClorinda Trail
0.3 miJameson trail
0.3 miQuercus II
0.3 miCrestwood Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
35 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
18 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
5.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
San Francisco Bay TrailBike route
3.1 miCourts & fields
60Tennis
39Basketball
20Baseball
10Soccer
3Beach volleyball
1Football
1Multi-sport
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Robert Dollar EstateBuilding · listed 1972
About itBoyd HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itChina CampDistrict · listed 1979
About itBradford HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itErskine McNear B. HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itSan Rafael Improvement ClubBuilding · listed 1984
About itRobert Dollar HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in San Rafael: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 56 | 59 | 61 | 64 | 67 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 70 | 62 | 56 |
| Rain (in) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 7.1 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and September the warmest (highs of 73 °F). 7.1 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in San Rafael →
Next door
San Rafael and its neighbors
San Rafael has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
San Rafael62 miSanta Venetia27 miSleepy Hollow25 miLucas Valley-Marinwood25 miLarkspur11 miKentfield9.9 miSan Anselmo6.5 miRoss2.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael | 35% | 3.8 | 48 | 97% | A+ |
| Santa Venetia | 62% | 7.5 | 368 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Ross | 6% | 1.6 | 24 | 99%+ | A |
| Larkspur | 26% | 3.5 | 38 | 99%+ | A+ |
| San Anselmo | 10% | 2.4 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Kentfield | 21% | 3.3 | 44 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood | 64% | 4.3 | 251 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Sleepy Hollow | 28% | 8.4 | 97 | 64% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in San Rafael
Where can I hike in San Rafael?
The longest trail networks: Harry A Barbier Memorial Park, 16.8 miles; Terra Linda - Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve, 12 miles; China Camp State Park, 6.6 miles; West End San Rafael Open Space, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of San Rafael is conserved land?
35% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on San Rafael’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Terra Linda - Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve and Jerry Russom Memorial Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in San Rafael?
35 miles of bike routes are on the map: 18 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 5.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: San Francisco Bay Trail.
Is there public land near San Rafael?
105,470 acres of parks and open public land lie inside San Rafael or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,891 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does San Rafael have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #40 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from San Rafael neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →