Phoenix Rising

Mount Tam has an impressive outdoor resume: sweeping vistas, whispering redwoods groves, cascading waterfalls and plentiful wildlife. Lesser known yet equally impressive is its series of five lakes connected by a network of trails and managed by the Marin Municipal Water District. Phoenix Lake is the easiest oasis to access, and the most popular (trail runners love the 2.7-mile loop around its shore). Start your 4.5-mile reservoir reconnaissance on a wide fire road skirting the lake's deep-blue north shore. Within minutes, veer onto Yolanda Trail to get farther into terrain that's delightfully reminiscent of the Sierra foothills. Burnt-yellow and forest-green foliage roll on for miles, and orange sticky monkey flowers currently festoon the trail. The path winds upward, bringing into view the aptly named Bald Hill and the summit of Mount Tam. No buildings can be seen, no freeways heard. Loop back down via Hidden Meadow Trail, bisecting a quiet grassy meadow strewn with oak trees. Finish along the southern shore of the lake, crossing gentle creeks. Water you doing this weekend?!

UPDATE: We just heard from the good folks at MMWD who informed us that many trails, including the ones we recommended here, will be closed from June 14 until the fall 2010 to replace a water transmission line. It's worth the wait!

To reach the reservoir: From Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross, turn left on Lagunitas Rd. (Lagunitas Rd. may be closed for construction. If so, head back .5 mile on Sir Francis Drake. Turn onto College Ave., then make a hairpin right on Kent Ave and take it all the way to Lagunitas Rd. and turn left.) Follow Lagunitas Rd. about 1 mile to the small parking lot at the end. It fills up fast, there's no overflow parking, and the nearby residential neighborhood is riddled with no-parking signs. The best bet is to wait a few minutes as cars seem to come and go frequently. Alternatively, extend your outing by about a mile and park back at Lagunitas Rd. and Shady Lane. Dog-friendly!