Western Marin County has long been home to dairy farms and ranchers in the rolling hills adjacent to the ocean. In the 1960’s developers had plans to expand “suburbia” out to the coast, but thanks to a committed alliance of environmental activists and local agricultural landowners, the land has been saved and protected from further encroachment. The Marin Agricultural Land Trust continues to protect family farms by negotiating agricultural conservation easements and helping famers with land preservation.
Black Mountain rises high above the quiet coastal town of Point Reyes and is one of the ranchlands which has been protected thanks to public support through MALT. From the sheltered woods of Nicosia Creek grassy slopes rise steeply over 1200′ to the gently domed summit. From there I could see morning fog still lingering in the valleys and beyond the high ridges of Point Reyes National Seashore