The principal purpose of the Trails Element is to identify trails of city or countywide significance to be preserved and made available for public use, and to establish policies for developing and maintaining trails once they are acquired for public use. The Element will be used for planning and securing the trails system shown on the accompanying Trails Element Map series.

Historically, a network of trails has been available to the residents of Marin County. The trails provide a variety of outdoor recreational and educational experiences. All of the County's publicly owned trails and fire roads are open to the public free-of-charge, every day during daylight hours, except in extreme weather conditions. A major purpose of the element is to preserve and expand a systems of trails so that future generations may enjoy a variety of outdoor experiences.

The Trails Element Map Series (composed of twenty-three maps) illustrates a system of trails which link local residential communities with open space lands, water district lands, and State and Federal parks. Some of these trails have been preserved through purchase and/or agreement with individual owners. Where proposed trails are shown on private property, the use of these trails is subject to the owners' permission.

This Element discusses types of trails and uses for trail types; trail system planning, design, and maintenance; and techniques for acquiring easements and lands for trails.

A number of Trails Element policies address the administrative tasks necessary to plan, coordinate, and implement a trails system. The accompanying Map Series indicates proposed trail alignments on private property. The Element describes trails on Open Space District, Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), State, and Federal lands. However, it does not supersede policies established by any of these land management agencies.

Recommended programs in the Element include: assignment of trails administration to the Open Space District, developing specific trails design criteria, and an annual evaluation of progress with the Trails Committee of the Parks, Open Space and Cultural Commission.