Tamalpais Valley (

Miwok The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) are members of four linguistically related Native American groups indigenous to what is now Northern California, who traditionally spoke one of the Miwok languages in the Utian family. The word ' ...

: ''Támal Pájiṣ'') is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Land

Tamalpais Valley is located at . and is about 509 acres in size, with an elevation of 108 feet (33 m). The nearest cities are

Mill Valley Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 census. Mill Valley is located on the western and ...

to the north and Sausalito to the southeast. Traveling by car, Tamalpais Valley is located about 10 minutes from the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

and fifteen minutes from

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. California State Route 1 (also known as Shoreline Highway and the Pacific Coast Highway) runs through the Valley and is the road most often used to access western Marin County. Nearby landmarks include the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), Mount Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods National Monument, Tennessee Valley, and Muir Beach. A large portion of Tamalpais Valley is federal parkland – the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The area's wooded canyons host diverse wildlife, including deer, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, coyotes, foxes, chipmunks, bobcats. and mountain lions – as well as a wide variety of birds, including hummingbirds, sparrows, robins, doves, jays, hawks, herons, quail, owls, falcons, eagles, and vultures.

People

In 2009, Tamalpais Valley's population was estimated at about 7,000 (nearly the same size as Sausalito). For census purposes, Tamalpais Valley is aggregated with Homestead Valley into the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

Tamalpais-Homestead Valley.

Government

Tamalpais Valley is an

of approximately 2,800 households, plus a few small businesses. Its local governmental agency is the Tamalpais Community Services District (TCSD), whose board of directors is elected by residents.

History

Tamalpais Valley was first inhabited by Native American tribes such as the

Indians, who left the area with the establishment of the Spanish mission and Presidio in San Francisco. Called Coyote Hollow on 19th century maps, it was granted as part of Rancho Saucelito to William Richardson in 1838. The land was acquired by attorney Samuel Reading Throckmorton, then title passed to the San Francisco Savings Union. Eventually dairymen of Portuguese Azorean birth purchased the area, among them the Dias and Pimentel/Silva families. For approximately 60 years these families operated a dairy ranch on the property, where family members still reside. Finally S.A. Moss purchased most of the property, and developers Cranston, Belvel & Dwyer renamed it Tamalpais Valley (it was known as Big Coyote until 1908); 125 lots were put up for sale to private purchasers in 1908. Tamalpais Valley's working class and rural community grew at a fast pace during the 1920s as more families settled in the area. Small businesses, such as the Tamalpais Service Station, were opened along

Shoreline Highway A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past ...

. By the 1950s, it had become a suburban settlement with its own primary school, sewer system, and local government.

Recreation

The area offers a wide range of hiking and biking trails, featuring scenic views of

Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais (; ; Miwok languages, Miwok: ''Támal Pájiṣ''), known locally as Mount Tam, is a mountain, peak in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tama ...

and the Marin Headlands, as well as the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Some of the most popular nearby trails include Tennessee Valley trail, Miwok trail, Dias trail, and Mountain Home trail.

Points of interest

Muir Woods "Muir" is the Scots word for " moorland", and Scots Gaelic for "sea", and is the etymological origin of the surname and Clan Muir/Mure/Moore in Scotland and other parts of the world. Places United States * Muir, Willits, California, a former un ...

* Richardson Bay * Tamalpais High School

References

External links

Tamalpais Community Services District (T.C.S.D.)Tamalpais Valley Community Center (T.C.C.)
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Marin County, California Mount Tamalpais Unincorporated communities in California