Old Saint Hilary's Preserve

A 232-acre preserve offering world-class views over the San Francisco Bay

Rangers Recommend

Enjoy the views from Tiburon Ridge. These 110 acres were acquired in 2024 after decades of community advocacy.
The northern part of this 232-acre preserve is rolling grassland with rare serpentine soil. The southern section leads to the church.
Hike Heathcliff Fire Road to view a scenic panorama that includes the San Francisco skyline, the Golden Gate, Angel Island, Marin headlands, San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay, Richardson Bay, and more.
A babbling creek runs through the lush grasslands.
The historic white chapel, opened in 1888, and was designated as a historic landmark in 1955.
Travel through to adjoining Tiburon Uplands.
Dogs welcome and must be leashed on trail, and under voice command on fire roads, with leash readily available.

Naturalist Notes

Look for the rare Tiburon jewelflower. It grows mid-May to mid-June in shallow, rocky, serpentine soil along Vistazo Fire Road.
A wide variety of wildflowers blanket the hills in spring, especially in the area surrounding the church.
Stands of horsetail grow here. This resilient, primitive plant dates back to the time of dinosaurs.
American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, and northern harriers are ever present, hunting the hillsides.
Devoted community volunteers have pulled invasive plants here for years, saving the native flora.
Check out the iNaturalist field guide [External]. Add your own observations.

Activities

Bike

Dogs Voice Control

Dogs On Leash

Hike

Horseback Riding

Know Before You Go

Stay on roads and trails to preserve sensitive ecosystems and to avoid trespassing on private property.
Be courteous and safety conscious when sharing roads and trails. Go slow and say hello [External].
Do not pick or disturb wildflowers. Rare and sensitive species grow here.
Dress appropriately for the weather. Trails can be muddy during rainy season.
Bring water.
There are no restrooms at this location.
Steer clear of poison oak.
After an outing, check for ticks.

Explore Tiburon's exceptional natural beauty

Directions

North access: from Hwy 101 in Mill Valley, take the exit for Tiburon Blvd (Hwy 131) east 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Lyford Dr, MCOSD gate is at the end..

South access: from Hwy 101 in Mill Valley, take the exit for Tiburon Blvd (Hwy 131) east 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Lyford Dr, right onto Vistazo West St, and follow to the end (dead end).

Parking

Very limited street parking only. Please be respectful of local residents. Do not block streets, gates, or driveways.

Public Transit

You can also dial 511 to find out about transit options from your location.

Map

Enter your location

37.880062

-122.456073

All visitors must respect rules to keep the preserves safe and sustainable.

Tab 3 Content

ALL VISITORS

No smoking or fires.
Weapons and hunting prohibited.
Motorized vehicles prohibited. (Individuals with qualified disabilities may operate certain kinds of zero-emission mobility devices on some roads,multiuse trails, and certain other facilities.)
Everyone must yield the right-of-way to horses. Bikes must also yield to pedestrians.
No model airplanes, drones, or other self-propelled crafts.
Dispose of waste properly. Pack it out.
Permit required for commercial use and groups of more than 15 people.
All resources are protected. Do not follow, approach, or feed wildlife.

DOGS

Dogs may be off-leash on fire roads only if kept under voice control. Leash must always be readily available.
Dogs are allowed on signed trails and must be leashed. Leash must not exceed 6 feet in length.
Off-fire road and off-trail use prohibited.
Individuals accompanying dogs are required to clean up and remove pet waste.
A maximum of 3 dogs per person is permitted with exception granted through commercial use permit.

BIKES

Permitted on signed fire roads and trails designated for multiuse and hikers/bikes.
Off-fire road and off-trail use prohibited.
Speed limit is 15 mph or less. Must slow to 5 mph when passing others or around blind turns.
Electric bicycles are not permitted.

HORSES

Permitted on signed fire roads and trails designated for multiuse and hikers/horses.
Off-fire road and off-trail use prohibited except when watering or resting the horse.

In an emergency, call 911. To report an incident or suspicious activity, call the Ranger Field Office at 415-473-2816 or submit an Incident Report.

Visitors are responsible for knowing and obeying all Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) regulations. Citations will be issued for violations. Read the official regulations: Marin County Municipal Code Appendix A.

Call 415-473-6387 for more information regarding allowable types and use of mobility devices for people with qualified disabilities.

The MCOSD is a special district pursuant to the California Public Resources Code. Marin County Parks oversees the management of the county parks system and provides public information on behalf of the MCOSD.

At the center of Marin's grassroots conservation movement

Tab 4 Content

MIWOK SETTLEMENTS

For thousands of years, Miwok tribes thrived on the natural richness of the Marin's lands and waters.

MEXICAN LAND GRANT

Irishman John Reed arrived in California decades before the gold rush. The governor of Alta California granted Reed the Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio in 1834–over 7,000 acres including much of present day central Tiburon, Corte Madera, and Strawberry. In 1836, John Reed married Hilaria Sánchez (1817–1872), daughter of the commandant of the Presidio.

DAUGHTER'S LEGACY

Reed's daughter, Hilarita, inherited 1,020 acres across Tiburon, Strawberry, and Belvedere. In 1872 she married a Canadian doctor who managed dairies on her land. In 1888, the family deeded one quarter acre to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, to build a church for railroad workers and local farmers. After 66 years, services moved to a larger parish facility and the original church was deconsecrated in 1954.

THE LANDMARKS SOCIETY

Seeing the Carpenter Gothic structure fall into ruin, local residents formed the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society. They raised the money needed to buy the church, and later saved surrounding property slated for development–five acres total. Grounds near the church became the John Thomas Howell Botanical Garden, after the author of Marin Flora and a charter member of the Landmarks Society. He was among the first to catalog the stunning variety of flowers and ferns that thrive here–some exceptionally rare. Dedicated as a historic monument in 1960, the church has become a treasured venue for weddings and other life ceremonies.

A TANGLED TALE

The grasslands above Old Saint Hilary's–the 101-acre Harroman property and 15.8 acre Jay property–had become some of the most desirable parcels in the country for residential development. Their eventual acquisition as public land took a circuitous route, involving litigation, foreclosures, IRS disputes and the impact of current events like the national savings and loan collapse and overthrow of the Philippine government, where Harroman interests held investments. To save the open space, citizens of Tiburon and Belvedere overwhelmingly passed two bond measures–one in 1993 and another in 1997–to acquire the property. The Last Chance Committee, a group of local residents, some of them members of the Landmarks Society, were influential in galvanizing their communities. With additional funds from Tiburon, Marin Community Foundation, and Marin County, the lands were secured for $7.9 million, at that time the most expensive Marin County Open Space purchase.

TIBURON RIDGE ACQUISITION

For 30 years, the local community, including Tiburon Open Space [External], advocated for conservation of this land. In 2022, the non-profit Trust for Public Land [External] kicked off a collaborative two-year fundraising initiative. The acquisition was completed in 2024. Tiburon Peninsula Open Space District bonds, approved by a majority of voters, made the land purchase possible. Individual, family, and community foundations, including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, joined in to support the purchase. The following government agencies also made significant financial contributions:

Marin County Parks – Measure A
California Wildlife Conservation Board
California Natural Resources Agency
Town of Tiburon
City of Belvedere

MORE OLD SAINT HILARY'S HISTORY

Landmarks Society[External]