There’s always a different angle! This view of Mount Tamalpais from the north is from Pilot Knob, a small hill (1187′) near Lake Lagunitas on the Marin Municipal Water District lands.
I’d skipped it the last few times I’d hiked there. so this time made a point of following the trail around the base, up through a mossy forest to the grassy summit crowned with a solitary oak. Tam stands majestic to the south, another thousand feet higher.
MMWD does an excellent job of supporting recreational hikers. All their trails are open, and there’s parking and picnic facilities too. In the East Bay the water district is much more restrictive, but still has some open trails you can hike with a permit. San Francisco is the most shut down, with miles of trails closed to public access.
All in all I heartily support more open trails. It allows for surprises like this