The '''Marin Hills''' are a series of steep high ridges and peaks in southern Marin_County. They are a part of the long Pacific_Coast_Ranges Mountain system. The centerpoint of these hills is the 2,571 foot, 784 m Mount_Tamalpais near Mill_Valley. The hills are bordered to the north by the lowlands to the west of Santa_Rosa, to the east by San_Pablo_Bay of San_Francisco_Bay, to the south by Golden_Gate_Strait, and finally to the west by the San_Andreas_Fault and Olema_Valley. Parts of the hills are protected for their scenic beauty by Mount_Tamalpais_State_Park and the Golden_Gate_National_Recreation_Area. The many ridges and peaks of these hills form a dramatic backdrop to the Golden_Gate_Bridge, the San_Francisco skyline, and several towns around Richardson_Bay when viewed from the south. Since these hills lie right next to the ocean, they force much of the incoming moisture out of the air and rainfall here is much greater than the bayside of Marin County. Due to this the Marin_Municipal_Water_District has constructed several dams and reservoirs to store water for the population of Marin. The high rainfall also makes these hills suitable for Coast_redwoods and Douglas_fir to grow, especially close to the ocean. However, a side effect to this is that the eastern hills, where most of Marin's population lives, are drier and hotter due to the shielding of marine breezes. The low hills to the east support only Oak and some Grassland. The western part of the hills hills once had extensive Old_growth forests, but in the 1800's they were an important source of valuable timber for the San_Francisco_Bay_Area and thus logging took out most of the old growth stands. However, one old growth stand remained uncut, Sequoia Canyon, due to the steep terrain and withstood pressure from loggers and water companies. This stand is now the Muir_Woods_National_Monument, part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. The parklands of these hills are popular with tourists and locals alike seeking to escape the urban areas of the Bay Area. California_Mule_Deer are the most common large mammal of the Marin Hills. Category:Hills Category:Geography_of_California Category:Marin_County,_California