Ridgecrest Road climbs out of Kentfield and ends at the base of King Mountain. From there, a fire road leads up to the 3.5-mile King Mountain Loop. At one point on that loop, a second fire road branches off toward the top of the mountain, and in July a padlocked iron gate stopped anyone from following it. For decades the 32 acres past that gate were private. Their native prairie, hardwood forest and 360-degree views of Mount Tamalpais, the Tiburon Peninsula and San Pablo Bay were off-limits to the people hiking just below.
This summer the land behind the gate became public. No date has been announced for opening the gate. Most people who walk the loop also don't realize how much of the mountain they were already allowed to use.
The Loop Has Always Crossed Someone Else's Land
Marin County Parks' own preserve page says the King Mountain Loop Trail runs on an easement through private property. That arrangement comes from 1989. Larkspur residents formed the King Mountain Open Space Association and led an effort that bought 131 acres for $3.4 million, secured an easement over another 129 acres and left the 32-acre summit in private hands. The association's president, David Moller, told the Marin Independent Journal that more than 400 people came to a town hall on the effort, and that Larkspur residents taxed themselves to help fund the purchase. The group also threatened to pull its support unless the deal included a loop-trail easement.
That condition is why the loop exists. The county's July news release puts it in county terms: the Open Space District holds a scenic easement over about 129 acres of the 161-acre King Mountain estate, plus a separate trail easement for a public loop that joins the preserve parcels on either side. So for over thirty years, hikers on the loop have been crossing an estate that was listed for sale more than once.
The Ownership Change Is Narrower Than the Headlines
The property's postal address is 128 Ridgecrest Road. It sits in unincorporated Marin and straddles the line between Kentfield and Larkspur. Because the trail and scenic easements already covered most of the land, the donation changes a few specific things:
| Before 2026 | After the donation | |
|---|---|---|
| King Mountain Open Space Preserve | 108 acres | About 269 acres |
| The 32-acre summit | Private, fenced | Owned by the Open Space District |
| Development on the ridgetop | Approvals from the 1990s for a 27,500-square-foot estate | Protected from becoming a single large estate |
| Stewardship gift tied to the donation | Not applicable | $2 million from the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund |
The development row matters most. A 2021 San Francisco Chronicle report said the approvals were vested, so a landowner could renew the permits without a new public approval process. The same report noted the property had been listed at $39 million in 2015 and $25 million in 2021, when it went to a no-reserve auction. Before the donation agreement, the most recent asking price was $19 million. The final price has not been disclosed. County Parks Director Chris Chamberlain told the Chronicle, "It would have been a shame to lose that ridgetop to a single massive estate."
A Cold Email Closed a Gap the Neighbors Couldn't
The 1989 deal ended at the summit because the owners at the time wouldn't sell it. In 2026 the missing money came from far outside Marin. The Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, a Delaware-based philanthropy, sent a cold email to Bill Long, chair of the Marin Open Space Trust, asking how to buy the property and donate it to the county. Long told the Chronicle he had never heard of the fund. "We get these kinds of inquiries and phone messages for all kinds of properties, and they rarely pan out," he said.
This one did pan out. In April, with the foundation's backing, the trust signed a purchase agreement with the seller, Omega Three Trust. On July 14, the Marin County Open Space District Board approved the donation and stewardship agreements. The agreement gave the trust until September 8 to complete the purchase and hand the land to the district. The trust's King Mountain project page now says the 161 acres were bought and donated, and that together with three adjacent district parcels they form the 269-acre preserve.
Long said the deal "fills a gap between three discontinuous parcels of public land" and noted that no public funds were used. The trust's page calls permanent access to the 771-foot peak a 50-year goal of the King Mountain Open Space Association. The Independent Journal's May story gave the elevation as 780 feet, so the two sources differ slightly on the number.
What Stands Between the Deed and the Summit
The ownership question is settled. Access is now up to the district's schedule. As of early October, no official opening date for the summit has been announced. The county's King Mountain preserve page still lists the preserve at 108 acres and doesn't mention the new parcel. The county news releases posted from late September through October 9 don't include a King Mountain update.
Carl Somers, the district's chief of planning and real property, wrote a staff report that lays out the first year of work. It budgets $400,000 for:
- Removing invasive French broom
- Demolishing the fencing and a guardhouse
- Installing signs
- Placing two picnic tables near the summit
The $2 million fund is expected to pay for at least ten years of care. The county lists restoration, invasive species management, maintenance, public access improvements and long-term conservation among its uses. The trust's page adds wildfire risk reduction.
The opening itself may be the easiest part. A fire road already runs from the loop to the top, and the Chronicle reported in July that letting hikers up "might be as simple as unlocking the gate." Long expects the summit to "become a really popular destination." Some July headlines said the summit had opened. The articles under those headlines said no date had been set.
Walking the Mountain This Fall
You can walk the existing preserve now, and the route below brings you to the gate that will eventually open. Marin County Parks gives these directions from Highway 101:
- Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to College Avenue, then Woodland Road and Evergreen Drive.
- Follow Ridgecrest Road to its dead end.
- Park on the street only. The county asks visitors not to block streets, gates or driveways.
The county's September 2026 preserve map labels the King Mountain Loop Trail, Ladybug Trail, Citron Fire Road, Evergreen Fire Road and Ridgecrest Fire Road. The loop meets Ladybug Trail, and the county's suggested routes include Citron Fire Road. Dogs follow the standard County Parks rules. On signed trails they must be on a leash no longer than six feet. On fire roads they can be off leash under voice control, as long as a leash is on hand.
The Larkspur Community Foundation's post after the vote ended with "See you on the top of King Mountain!" Until Marin County Parks announces a date, the summit fire road gate, padlocked when it was reported on in July, marks where the public route ends.
Open space at the end of a Kentfield street can shape what life on that street is like. If you live near Ridgecrest, Evergreen or Woodland and want to know what the King Mountain preserve might mean for your home's value, Kris Klein can put together a careful, current valuation. Request a Home Valuation whenever you're ready.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
