Marin County has completed the acquisition of 161 acres at King Mountain Summit, officially protecting the property as public open space, according to the Marin County Open Space District.
The real estate transaction brings the privately owned property into the county's open space district, expanding the King Mountain Open Space Preserve from 108 acres to approximately 269 acres. The acquisition is significant because about 32 acres surrounding the summit have remained private and inaccessible to the public, despite longtime public trail access through other portions of the property. The purchase permanently protects that land from development.
In a related conservation milestone, Marin County also completed the final phase of a decades-long effort to protect Sky Ranch Knoll at Bald Hill Open Space Preserve. The Marin Open Space Trust donated 6.8 acres, the sixth and final parcel envisioned for conservation within the preserve. The addition will expand public access to the knoll's high point, which offers views of Mount Tamalpais, Marin Water lands, and San Pablo Bay. The trust also contributed $100,000 to support ongoing stewardship of the property.
The two acquisitions represent significant progress in protecting open space throughout the Ross Valley.