The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted July 14 to accept a 161-acre donation that includes the privately-held King Mountain summit. Escrow closes September 8, after which the fence comes down and the fire road gate opens — giving Bay Area hikers access to a 32-acre summit that's been locked for decades.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted on July 14, 2026, to accept a 161-acre donation that includes the long-fenced 32-acre summit of King Mountain — a hilltop that's been privately owned and locked from hikers for decades. Escrow closes September 8, 2026, at which point the property transfers directly to the Marin County Open Space District and parks staff get to work.

What "getting to work" looks like, concretely: the chain-link fence encircling the summit comes down, and the padlocked gate on an existing fire road — which already connects the public loop trail to the top — gets opened. Bill Long, Chair of the Marin Open Space Trust, which brokered the deal, told CBS News Bay Area: "The fence that goes all around the top 32 acres will come down, and the public will have access of this route and another one at some point to the property on top, which has fabulous views." No new infrastructure required — just a key and a bolt cutter.

The deal is entirely privately funded. The Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, a Delaware-based nonprofit focused on conservation and cultural initiatives, paid the full (undisclosed) purchase price and added a $2 million stewardship endowment covering at least ten years of restoration, invasive species management, and trail improvements. The Marin Open Space Trust signed its purchase agreement with the former owner, Omega Three Trust, in April 2026. No public money changed hands. "It feels good to wrap this up without using any public funds," Long told SFGate. Marin County Parks Director Chris Chamberlain called it unprecedented: "Over the course of my career, this is the first time anything like this has happened."

The transfer expands the King Mountain Open Space Preserve from 108 acres to approximately 269, closing a connectivity gap between three previously separated public parcels — terrain the Marin IJ reports was historically considered financially infeasible for the county to acquire.

What to expect when it opens. This will be self-guided and basic from day one — the fire road is your route, and no visitor amenities are planned initially. A firm public opening date has not been announced; Marin County Parks will post one when escrow closes. Track updates at marincounty.gov/parks and through the Marin Open Space Trust. Long's prediction to the SF Chronicle: "A lot of people have wanted to see this property opened for a long time. This is going to become a really popular destination." Plan accordingly — go on a weekday early in the run, and get there before it does.