When the grind of city family life makes me pine for the great outdoors, so much conspires against even a simple trip. For one thing, genuine get-away-from-it-all nature is usually so far and so up—hill, that is. No small obstacle if you’re sporting 30 pounds of baby on your back, or if your mini-me companions have to do double time to keep up.

That’s why we head for the Marin Headlands’ Tennessee Valley Trail every chance we get. Yes, it’s just off 101—and yes, everyone’s heard of it—but the moment you leave the parking lot, you’re enveloped in nature that feels nearly as remote and pristine as any National Geographic photo shoot.

The roughly two-mile walk starts in a parking lot next to the Miwok riding stables. You thread through meadows and marshes on a trail that is mostly paved and flat, so the whole thing is easily handled by a stroller. Your grand prize is a restful lunch (you did remember to pack a gourmet picnic, along with raisins and juice boxes, didn’t you?) at Tennessee Cove, a small beach tucked between dramatic bluffs, with an expansive view of the Pacific, where the little ones can frolic in the sand while you breathe in the restorative, salty ocean air. Sometimes, just the memory of such a day can keep me going for weeks.

Tennessee Valley Trail- Directions via the Golden Gate Bridge: Take the Mill Valley/Stinson Beach/Hwy. 1 exit. Turn left on Tennessee Valley Rd. Drive about one mile until you see the Tennessee Valley trail-head. bahiker.com/northbayhikes/tenvalley.html