Marin Municipal Water District was chartered in 1912 and is the oldest water district in the state. The MMWD manages all the land on the northeastern slope of Mount Tamalpais. Over the years, the agency dammed streams to create five artificial, but quite natural-looking, reservoirs to supply water to the people of Marin County and also to preserve a large area of land for rugged recreation use in the Ross Valley.

The five lakes, Phoenix, Lagunitas, Bon Tempe, Alpine, and Kent and the 20,000 acre watershed around them form a permanent recreational resource. Fishing is a popular pastime on the waters. All the reservoirs and lakes get replenished with salmon, trout and bass. Other species like crappie and bluegill can be found in Soulejule and Nicasio reservoirs. Alpine, Kent, Nicasio and Soulejule have a high number of large, wild rainbow trout that live there. These four lakes provide cool, clean water, a rich aquatic food chain, and large numbers of wild trout in the 16 to 22-inch class. Lagunitas is the oldest of the dams, built in 1873; its big wooden spillway is near the picnic area. Its earth fill was compacted by sheep and cattle driven back and forth over the site (the machine used for this purpose in present-day construction is called a "sheep's foot"). Alpine, the only concrete dam was designed in 1918 by the famous Bay Area engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy. Alpine’s 140-foot-tall structure is riddled with hidden catacombs that are used for technical inspections. Burnt fir trees mark the way northwest from Lagunitas Creek into Kent Lake (the wildest but most drawndown of the five lakes). The tall trees harbor nests of ospreys you might spot from the Alpine-Kent Pump fire road. Big leaf maple, bay and oaks dominate the area, but other areas have madrone, manzanita and buckeye trees. Benches along the shoreline of the lakes make great spots for a picnic or a rest stop. There always seems to be action on the lake in the form of mud hens and mallards paddling about and there are turtles, newts and fish in the shallows. Wherever there are minnows, egrets and heron can be seen in their statue-like pose. Unlike the hiker-designed switchbacks in the state park just south, water district trails tend to be steeper and straighter. The narrow path from Oat Hill down to Alpine Lake is particularly abrupt and not for anyone bothered by heights. In general, MMWD trails are less well signed as you go northwest, and you may need help. Free MMWD trail maps are available at the Sky Oaks Road kiosk. A variety of fire roads and footpaths wind over hills, through hollows and around the lakes of the MMWD land; the trail combinations are only limited by your imagination.

Alpine Lake (224 acres) is located about five miles west of Fairfax off Bolinas Road. It is stocked with fingerling trout and provides fair-to-good fly fishing. No boats are permitted.

Bon Tempe Lake (140 acres) is located about three miles west of Fairfax off Bolinas Road. It is stocked with easy-to-catch trout during the winter and spring. A parking fee is charged by the Marin Municipal Water District. No boats are permitted.

Kent Lake (460 acres) is located about two miles west of the town of Lagunitas along Sir Francis Drake Highway. There is very limited parking along Sir Francis Drake; from there you must walk in to Peters Dam. It is stocked with fingerling trout and provides fair-to-good fly fishing. The lake has bass but they are impossible to catch without a boat and no boats are permitted.

Lagunitas Lake (22 acres) is located about one-third of a mile upstream from Bon Tempe Lake. The lake is stocked with easy-to-catch trout in fall, winter, and spring. It is managed as a quality trout fishery with special regulations on bag and size limits. A parking fee is charged by the Marin Municipal Water District. No boats are permitted.

Nicasio Lake (825 acres) is located about eleven miles west of Petaluma on the Petaluma - Pt. Reyes Road. The lake provides good fishing for crappie and some largemouth bass. No boats are permitted. MMWD draws water from this reservoir only in very dry periods and pumping water in and out is expensive as it has to be piped uphill.

Phoenix Lake (23 acres) is located in the town of Ross about one and one-half miles off the Sir Francis Drake Highway at the end of Lagunitas Drive. The lake is stocked with easy-to-catch trout during the winter and spring. No boats are permitted.

Soulejule Reservoir (63 acres) is located off the Marshall-Petaluma Road eleven miles west of Petaluma. The lake provides good fishing for crappie and some largemouth bass. A parking fee is charged. No boats are permitted. The Soulajule is the least used of the MMWD reservoirs. Not only is it small, water has to be piped uphill to the headwaters of a seasonal creek that flows into the Nicasio Reservoir.

Bass Lake won't net you any bass, but you will see plenty of swimmers and sunbathers (some of whom are nude). It’s a fairly easy 2.8-mile, 45-minute trek from the parking lot. The lake is an oblong-shaped, 100-yard long, spring-fed lake located north of Bolinas and has a laid-back attitude and is rarely crowded. The hike from Palomarin to Bass Lake is a fairly easy 2.8-mile hike that is extraordinary as it winds through open valleys along the coast, thick forests, and marshy wetlands. The first part of the hike takes you along the Pacific Coast, high above the breaking water, with a spectacular view of the Farallon Islands. The second part of the hike is a gradual ascent up to the lake, about 1.5 miles of incline. The third part of the hike is smooth sailing as you make a gradual descent into the lake area. Ringed by stately old trees and beautiful hills, the lush, grassy meadow near the lake is great for picnics. The area around the lake itself features clumps of calla lilies in the spring and wildflowers in the summer. The water is clear, blue and invigorating and there is even a rope swing. Bass Lake is part of Point Reyes National Seashore and is unofficially the best swimming at Point Reyes. Access can be challenging and there are no lifeguards so swim at your own risk.

Lily Lake is a very small lake (some would say pond)located near Mount Tamalpais on the Fairfax to Bolinas Road. The lak is shaded by redwoods, California bay laurels, and oaks and is filled with water lilies almost year round. A nice rest stop on the trail but no swimming due to the algae and plants in the water.

Mud Lake can be found at the end of the hike from Palomarin trailhead on the Coast trail to the Lake Ranch trail. The mysterious (sometimes it is “missing” due to drying out) lake is on the last mile of the Palomarin trailhead which is Mesa Road. The total loop is a little over ten miles but filled with beautiful ocean views and a majestic fir forests.

Pelican Lake is poised dramatically above the ocean along the five Brooks Trail, about halfway between Bolinas and Pt. eyes Station, a tiny body of water just barely separated from the ocean. It's hemmed in on all sides by surrounding hills, a good hundred feet above the level of the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by pine trees and heavy vegetation in a wilderness watershed area accessible only to hikers.

Stafford Lake is located about four miles west of Novato and is a Marin County park. The 245-acre park has lake fishing for largemouth bass, a nature trail, picnic areas with barbecue facilities for groups of up to 500 people, a popular children’s play structure, lawn areas, a soft ball field, volleyball, horseshoe courts and a disc golf course. The disc golf course is one of the finest courses in the world – there are other more difficult courses, but no other courses are located in such a gorgeous setting and are technically challenging. The wildlife at Stafford is plentiful – deer, geese, rabbits, ground squirrels, wild turkey, egrets, vultures, and hawks are all regular residents. A parking fee is charged and no boats are permitted.

Wildcat Lake is secluded and at the end of a varied journey that leads past three ponds and four freshwater lakes. Start this hike at the Palomarin Trailhead at the end of Mesa Road, a 35-minute drive south of the Bear Valley Visitor Center/ Pt. Reyes National Seashore. The trek offers numerous activities and destinations -- seal and whale watch from coastal promontories, visit the dramatic Alamere Falls, hike through wildflowers and forest while viewing the ocean and lakes, take a swim or have a picnic. This site is a lure for backpackers and with a camping permit you can spend a night at Wildcat.