I grew up in Mill Valley with dirt under my nails, pulling crawfish out of cold creek water using pieces of bacon tied to a string. It was the kind of analog childhood that now feels mythic. When I was five, my family moved from San Francisco’s Richmond District to Blithedale Canyon in Mill Valley. A shift that felt, perhaps even more so back then, like stepping into another world.
My mother, a hopeless romantic for all things verdant, wasted no time transforming our wooded yard into something resembling a hobby farm. There was Bacchus, our Great Pyrenees and Shepherd mix, along with Pekin ducks and African Grey geese, for whom we built a pond and gazebo. It was idyllic, a little wild, and entirely formative. Soon after, we discovered what would become a defining part of my upbringing: Miwok Livery.
Nestled in Tennessee Valley, Miwok felt like a hidden portal into the Marin Headlands. It was there that I began taking horseback riding lessons and attending summer camps with then-operator and instructor Linda Rubio. I honed my skills in English-style riding and fell deeply in love with the quiet rituals of the barn. When I wasn’t in the arena training or mucking out stalls, I was exploring with friends. Hours spent wandering the Tennessee Valley eventually led to a deep connection to the outdoors and an awareness of autonomy, resilience, and a strong sense of self. Years later these experiences would lead me to volunteer with the Horse Mounted Patrol.
Leaving Paradise
After high school, I moved from Marin to Los Angeles, and eventually New York City, where I traded open space for density, horses and headlands for traffic and subways. I spent two decades building a career and a life in cities that moved fast and demanded constant attention. I loved it. The energy, the ambition, the endless possibility.
But somewhere along the way, I lost touch with that earlier, quieter part of myself. When I met my now-husband Alex, another Marin native, while we were both living in Brooklyn, I felt that pull to reconnect with home. Eventually, we returned to San Rafael to raise a family of our own.
Not long after, a dear friend introduced me to the Horse Mounted Patrol program.
Getting Back On the Horse
Established in 1976, the Horse Mounted Patrol program is run in partnership with the National Park Service out of the Presidio Riding Club in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The program currently consists of about 30 experienced equestrian volunteers who assist the National Park Service by patrolling trails on horseback, offering directions, supporting visitor safety and serving as stewards of the land.
The program felt like a natural bridge between my past and present, and I felt an immediate pull to get involved. I submitted an application, added my name to the waitlist, and was thrilled to get the call when a spot opened up. Onboarding began with training alongside seasoned patrol members who walked me through the full scope of responsibilities — from feeding the horses and mucking stalls to grooming, tack care, first aid, and radio communication. Volunteers commit to weekly service hours and operate with the same care and professionalism as park staff. After several months of proving my capability, I was given a riding assessment to determine my readiness to work out on the trails.
Because the program typically selects experienced equestrians, the expectations felt both familiar and grounding, and my foundation in horsemanship prepared me well. While many riders today focus solely on arena work and competitive jumping, often bypassing trail riding altogether, I was fortunate to grow up doing both. That crossover made the program feel like an especially natural fit.
The first time I rode out on patrol, I was struck by the familiarity of it all. The terrain, the rhythm, the quiet communication with the horse beneath me, layered with a new sense of responsibility. As a child, riding had been about freedom. Now, it was also about service.
Coming Full Circle
Today, the Marin Headlands welcome more than 15 million visitors each year. With that comes the need for presence — not just enforcement, but education and connection. Mounted patrol volunteers help bridge that gap, offering a visible, approachable resource for visitors, while also encouraging a kind of mindfulness that feels increasingly rare in our hyperdigital world.
People stop us often. They ask us about the horses, the trails, and how they might get involved. Sometimes it seems they simply want a moment to pause and connect, and to experience something a little different from the pace of everyday life.
That instinct resonates deeply with me.
This work has become a way of re-rooting myself in a place that has always, quietly, been home. When I think back to those long days at Miwok, I realize they are more than just childhood memories. They were the beginning of a relationship with horses, with the land, and with Marin itself. A relationship, and a part of myself, that would come full circle decades later.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Horse Mounted Patrol or getting involved, visit www.nps.gov/goga/horse-patrol.htm. And next time you see one of our dedicated patrol horses — Red, Cobo and Cooper — please stop and say hello.
