Mt Tamalpais is a large well developed park with innumerable trails criss-crossing each other. There are many different kind of trails. In the west, Steep Ravine Trail meanders next to a creek that flows with water for several months after rains. In the east, trails leading to East Peak climb up quickly and offer majestic views of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific. In the south, trails leading to Muir Woods go through cool, dense redwoods. In the north, trails lead to waterfalls like Cataract Falls and lakes like Lake Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lake. In a nutshell, Mt Tamalpais is a hiker's paradise.

Redwood hikes in Mt Tamalpais are listed below.

Big Basin is a popular park with tall old growth redwoods. In Big Basin, the hike to Berry Creek Falls is one of the classic hikes in the bay area. After rains, creeks are flowing and the falls are pretty impressive. At 70 ft, Berry Creek is the tallest waterfall in the bay area.

Forest of Nisene Marks is a gem of a park in Santa Cruz. Cool shaded hikes, creeks flowing with water and a seasonal waterfall make it one of the best parks in Santa Cruz for hiking.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is in two sections. The northern section is called Fall Creek Unit. It is less developed and gives a feeling of wilderness. The southern section is much more developed, with picnic areas and many more visitors. Fall Creek Trail goes for 2.5 miles all along Fall Creek. The trail keeps to the edge of the creek at all times. From winter through spring, there is plenty of water in the creek. So any route that includes Fall Creek Trail is pretty awesome.

Portola Redwoods is a gem of a park in the bay area. Less visited than other redwood parks, it has fantastic trails through cool redwoods and next to creeks.

Henry Cowell is a well developed park in Felton, near Santa Cruz. Most trails are shaded by tall trees. An intriguing aspect of Henry Cowell is that trails near the Observation Deck, a high point within the park, are sandy.

A few routes in Henry Cowell Redwoods involve river crossings without bridges. The water level recedes sufficiently by late summer (July — August) that San Lorenzo River may be crossed on foot.

Purisima Creek Redwoods is a popular park in the bay area for hiking amid redwoods. With three different trailheads and trails on either side of Purisima Creek, there are many loops one may form for fantastic hikes. For optimal experience, visit when the creek has a lot of water, which is from late winters to early spring.

Uvas Canyon is a hidden gem in the bay area. It is a gorgeous park in Morgan Hill with cascades of water in two creeks amid thick forest. The best time to visit is February and March, soon after rains. The waterfalls are small sized but quite a spectacle. Trails are shaded throughout and meander next to creeks for several miles.

Castle Rock is a popular park near Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35) and Big Basin Way (Hwy 9). Most visitors park at Park HQ and hike. There are many other trail heads along Skyline Blvd and along Big Basin Way.

Los Trancos Trail in Foothills Park is really gorgeous after rains. It goes over 21 wooden bridges at various locations. These are marked as LT1, LT2, LT3 and so on in the trail map. For about a mile, between LT11 and LT13, the trail meanders next to Los Trancos Creek. This is the most beautiful section of the trail.

Soberanes Canyon in Garrapata State Park goes through a redwood forest. Loops involving Soberanes Canyon Trail are pretty awesome, especially when Soberanes Creek is full of water.

Joaquin Miller Park is a surprisingly beautiful park right in the middle of Oakland. Palos Colorados Trail is a gorgeous trail that meanders next to Palo Seco Creek. There are other trails next to creeks in Joaquin Miller. Interesting loops may be formed by combining these trails together. Palos Colorados Trail remains cool and shaded even in summers.

Phleger Estate is a hidden gem in the bay area with beautiful redwood trails. Raymundo Trail and Miramontes Trail are along West Union Creek for a combined distance of over a mile.

Huddart Park is a well developed park in Woodside, CA with shaded trails through second growth redwoods. Longer hikes may be planned by combining trails in the adjoining Phleger Estate.

Wunderlich Park in San Mateo County is a quiet park with shaded trails amid second growth redwoods.

Redwood Regional Park is in a surprising location: Oakland. Stream Trail is a three mile long trail that goes all along Redwood Creek. Parallel to Stream Trail are three other trails: East Ridge Trail, Fern Trail and West Ridge Trail. The two ridge trails are fire roads high up along ridges, allowing cyclists. Many sections of these trails are in the open, so avoid them in summers. In constrast, Fern Trail goes through a shaded forest full of redwoods. There are several other trails connecting these four trails with each other. So one may form many different loops. For a loop that includes walking along a creek and going through cool redwood forests, combine Stream Trail and Fern Trail with other trails that connects these two trails.

Sanborn Skyline is only 3 miles away from the intersection of Hwy 9 and Saratoga Ave in Saratoga. Hikes in Sanborn go through cool shaded redwoods.

Memorial Park is a small park in San Mateo that offers a hike to Mount Ellen, a hill along a ridge trail.