The Bay Area is home to 150 significant parks (including 12 with redwoods), 7,500 miles of hiking and biking trails, 45 lakes, 25 waterfalls, 100 miles of coast, mountains with incredible lookouts, bays with islands, and, in all, 1.2 million acres of greenbelt with hundreds of acres being added each year. Bay Area hikes cover Angel Island, Point Reyes National Seashore, the Marin Headlands, Sunol-Ohlone Wilderness, Butano Redwoods State Park, and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. These parks offer trails of all lengths—from weekend strolls to long-distance hikes with campgrounds like the Coast Trail and the Skyline-to-the-Sea. Demand at these parks is high, so plan ahead. But if you visit at nonpeak times (Mon.-Thurs.), it’s like having the trail to yourself.
5 JEPSON/JOHNSTONE TO PEBBLE BEACH
24 GREEN HILL/SAN GERONIMO RIDGE
33 MARTIN GRIFFIN PRESERVE/AUDUBON CANYON RANCH TRAIL
36 O’ROURKE’S BENCH/ROCK SPRINGS
38 MOUNTAIN THEATER/WEST POINT INN
43 BOOTJACK: MATT DAVIS TO WEST POINT INN
44 PANTOLL: MATT DAVIS/COAST TRAIL
48 MUIR BEACH OVERLOOK AND OWL TRAIL
58 VISTA POINT/BATTERY SPENCER
62 COASTAL TRAIL/BATTERY GODFREY
63 ECOLOGY TRAIL TO INSPIRATION POINT
65 BAY TRAIL: MARINA GREEN TO FORT POINT
73 SAWYER CAMP RECREATION TRAIL
78 MONTARA MOUNTAIN/MCNEE RANCH
79 COYOTE POINT/SHORELINE TRAIL
84 HARKINS RIDGE LOOP FROM HALF MOON BAY
85 WHITTEMORE GULCH LOOP FROM SKYLINE
88 TAFONI MONOLITH TO VISTA POINT
91 RAVENSWOOD OPEN SPACE PRESERVE
93 BAY TRAIL TO CHARLESTON SLOUGH
95 NONETTE HANKO SAN ANDREAS FAULT TRAIL
140 VOLVON LOOP TRAIL/BOB WALKER RIDGE
143 EAST BAY SKYLINE NATIONAL TRAIL
151 ALAMEDA CREEK REGIONAL TRAIL
162 SKYLINE-TO-THE-SEA BYPASS TRAIL
176 BALD MOUNTAIN/MOUNT UMUNHUM TRAIL
179 LOS CERRITOS TRAIL/CALERO RESERVOIR
190 ROOSTER COMB LOOP (LONG VERSION)
191 DOWDY RANCH/ROOSTER COMB LOOP
192 HARVEY BEAR/COYOTE RIDGE TRAIL
1.0 mi/0.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
Note: The McClures Beach Access Road closed in 2019 due to a road collapse and is scheduled to reopen in 2020.
Point Reyes National Seashore receives 2.5 million visitors per year; more than 70 percent of which arrive on the weekend. Plan you visit midweek and you may have places like McClures Beach to yourself.
An easy 0.5-mile downhill walk leads to McClures Beach with tidepools to the south and beachfront to the north. The best time to visit is during minus low tides, when the ocean rolls back and unveils acres of beach and a small collection of tidepools to the nearby south. Beachcombing along McClures Beach and Driftwood Beach (to the immediate north) during these low tides also can unveil unusual finds, although park rules prohibit you from taking anything. In fall and early winter, the sunsets here can be spectacular, especially when refracted light through layers of cirrus can make the sky look like a scene from The Ten Commandments. In summer, however, this is one of the foggiest places on the Pacific Coast. McClures Beach is an easy-to-reach spot that is often overlooked in the divine panorama of Point Reyes. It sits in the shadow of nearby Pierce Ranch, with its 500-strong elk herd. Many visitors never drive to the road’s end to the trailhead to McClures Beach, except perhaps to use the restrooms, and can then find the trailhead by accident.
Note: During periods of big ocean swells, tidepooling at this beach can be dangerous, as incoming tides can cut you off, leaving no way to escape. Consult a tide table, and never turn your back on the waves.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Tomales.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 5.6 miles to Pierce Point Road. Bear right and drive nine miles to Pierce Ranch, then turn left and drive 0.5 mile to the parking area and the trailhead.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
6.0 mi/3.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
This is the best hike in California for wildlife-watching. Imagine meeting up with an elk that stands five feet at the shoulders and has antlers that practically poke holes in the clouds. You have a better chance to see and photograph elk here than anyplace else in California. On one trip, we counted 13 elk, six deer, three rabbits, and a fox—all within a two-hour span. (I’ve even seen a bobcat and a mountain lion on this trail. The mountain lion sat up on its haunches about 25 feet away, stared at me point-blank for a minute, then turned and disappeared into the high grass.)
This hike starts on the main trail at the north end of the parking lot, just to the left of the ranch. The route has a flat walking surface and easy grades and is flanked much of the way to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by Tomales Bay, both beautiful sights. About a mile in, elk paths cut into grass and low brush off to the right. The best suggestion is to trace out one or more of these elk trails. This provides numerous off-trail side trips where you can discover more beautiful views and elk. If you break off to the right and make the easy, short climb to a ridge, you can then turn left for a short walk to an overlook of a canyon that plunges down to Tomales Bay. This is not only gorgeous, but one of the better habitats for elk; you can often see harems with a bull anywhere from the rim on down to just above the beach and cove.
Most people make this a five-mile round-trip. They hike north on the main trail to the top of a grade, a great lookout of Dillon Beach and Bodega Bay. The reason most people turn around here is that the trail descends several hundred feet, so if they continue north, it means an additional climb on the way back. It is six miles, but for most, it’s an easy six. In summer, wind and fog occasionally take over.
In the evening (and in the fall, when the bulls collect harems), the herd will often congregate in a valley about three miles from the trailhead, and also in the deep valley that opens up to the east to Tomales Bay. For a spectacular bonus, continue hiking the extra 0.5 mile to Tomales Point.
In the future, the park plans to manage the herd to maintain an average of 125 elk. Note that it is a violation of federal law to herd, chase, or otherwise harass elk.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. Nearby Pierce Ranch (a former working ranch) is accessible to wheelchairs, but the Tomales Point Trail offers only marginal access. No dogs or mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Tomales.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 5.6 miles to Pierce Point Road. Bear right and drive nine miles to the Pierce Ranch parking area and the trailhead.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
3.2 mi/1.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
Two hours at Abbotts Lagoon—a pretty coastal pond with adjacent grasslands on one side and wilderness-style beach on the other—can give you a glow that lasts for weeks. Yet many drive right past the trailhead while en route to Pierce Ranch to see the elk. You can do both. From the parking area it’s a 1.6-mile walk, one-way, to the beach. It’s gorgeous every step of the way, especially during a series of warm, clear days. The trail descends through coastal foothills, a working ranch to your left, grasslands and wetlands to your right. The walking is easy. About a mile in, you’ll reach a bridge. The trail then skirts the shoreline of Abbotts Lagoon to your left as you emerge in sand dunes. The trail ends at a wilderness beach where you can stop and have a picnic, or continue for miles.
This is a diverse habitat matrix that can support waterfowl that require freshwater, migratory shorebirds, and songbirds that love the mix of coastal grasslands and a pond. If you see red-winged blackbirds, stop at the bench and listen to their call, one of the sweetest sound in nature.
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes (bikers on the first mile only; do not cross the bridge). The first portion of the trail is wheelchair accessible with assistance. No dogs or horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 5.6 miles to Pierce Point Road. Bear right and drive 3.3 miles to a small parking area with restrooms. The trailhead is on the left side of the road.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
2.8 mi/1.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
Marshall Beach is one of the more secluded beaches in Marin County. This pretty spot is set in a gorgeous cove along Tomales Bay. The water is often calm and pretty, sheltered from north winds by Inverness Ridge. The trailhead tends to be overlooked, because there are no signs directing hikers to it until you reach the trailhead itself. The hike is 1.4 miles one-way. You take an easy descent down into a gulch, and then to the cove that helps shelter the beach. It’s the kind of place where you can just sit and watch the water lap gently at the shore. During the week, you can often have the spot all to yourself. In terms of the public’s recognition, Marshall Beach is overshadowed by nearby Tomales Bay State Park.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Tomales.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 5.6 miles to Pierce Point Road. Bear right and drive 1.3 miles (just past the entrance road for Tomales Bay State Park, on the right) to Duck Cove/Marshall Beach Road. Turn right and drive 2.6 miles (bear left at the fork) to the parking area for Marshall Beach Trail.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
4.5 mi/2.5 hr
in Tomales Bay State Park
This is an easy, pretty walk to a gorgeous picnic area and beach. The Jepson trailhead is in the upper Vista Point parking lot on the right side of the park road. The trail is routed into a lush coastal forest and out the other side (past a few trail junctions and a private road) for about a mile to the Johnstone Trail. At a junction with the trails to Pebble Beach and Shell Beach, turn left and descend another mile to the cutoff spur for Pebble Beach on the right. You can often have it to yourself.
If you fall in love with Tomales Bay State Park, there are several must-do trips. The highlights include: Heart’s Desire Beach, Indian Beach, Shell Beach, beautiful water views, and the chance to hand-launch kayaks or canoes. The walk to Indian Beach is gorgeous. From the parking area for Heart’s Desire Beach, the trail meanders along the pretty shore of Tomales Bay.
If you have a cartop boat that can be launched by hand, such as a canoe or kayak, then don’t leave it behind. Tomales Bay often provides the best flat-water paddling in the Bay Area. If you paddle north along the western shore, you can often spot many elk in shoreline ravines.
Tomales Bay State Park is lost in the overwhelming shadow of the adjacent Point Reyes National Seashore. In addition, visiting Point Reyes is free, and this park costs $8 per vehicle, so many choose not to make the trip. Yet this is a great park with stellar destinations.
User Groups: Hikers only. The park headquarters is wheelchair accessible, but the trail is not. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes.
Permits: A day-use fee of $8 is charged at the entrance station. An automated kiosk accepts credit cards.
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at the entrance station to Tomales Bay State Park. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Tomales.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over Golden Gate Bridge into Marin and continue 7.5 miles to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit west and drive 20 miles to Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive two miles to Sir Francis Drake Highway. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake Highway and drive 5.6 miles to Pierce Point Road. Bear right on Pierce Point Road and drive 1.2 miles to the entrance road on the right for Tomales Bay State Park (well signed). Turn right and drive 1.5 miles to the parking area. The trailhead is behind the restrooms at Heart’s Desire Beach.
Contact: Tomales Bay State Park, Inverness, 415/669-1140 or 415/898-4362; Marin District Headquarters, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
0.1-20.0 mi/0.25 hr-1 day
in Point Reyes National Seashore
The stretch of beach at Point Reyes extends for nearly 10 miles, all of it pristine with white, foaming surf that rolls on endlessly. If you desire miles of untouched beachfront, you’ve come to the right place. An initial short trail leads from the parking area to South Beach, about three miles north of the Point Reyes Lighthouse. For the best stroll, walk south for about a mile to an expanse of sand dunes. Or walk as far as you’d like and turn around. It is wise to call ahead for weather conditions, as low fog is common, especially during the summer, and strong winds out of the northwest are typical on spring and early-summer afternoons. The beach makes a good picnic site and is one of the few places at Point Reyes where you can take a leashed dog.
A word of warning: Do not swim or bodysurf here. This stretch of coast is known for its treacherous undertow, the kind that can trap even the strongest swimmers, pulling people under and pushing them out to sea, despite their attempts to swim back to the beach.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities. Note that dogs may not be allowed if marine mammals are present.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 11.6 miles to the access turnoff for the South Beach parking lot, on the right. Turn right and drive to the parking lot for South Beach.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
7.8 mi/3.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
The Estero Trail is one of the best hikes for most people at Point Reyes National Seashore. The Estero Trail crosses a valley, parallels a bay, ascends a ridge, and leads down to the waterfront, where a perfect, quiet picnic spot awaits. It’s an ideal first hike for newcomers to Point Reyes. The 2,500-acre estuary has a series of five bays and inlets that are often drop-dead beautiful. The Estero Trail starts by dropping down into a small valley, where you walk across a bridge on the narrow inlet of Home Bay. Many go just to the bridge and back for a quick 2.5 miles round-trip. The surroundings include pretty, low-lying coastal foothills set at the threshold of Drakes Estero.
From here, the trail rises gently along the southeastern flank of the Estero with gorgeous water views along the way. At 2.4 miles in, you will reach a trail junction. Continue straight on Sunset Beach Trail, where it is an easy 1.5-mile glide down to Sunset Beach. This is a great picnic site for a trail lunch, set inside the mouth of the Estero, about a mile from the Pacific Ocean. This makes it a 7.8-mile round-trip.
There is an option to extend your trip. When you reach the trail junction with Sunset Beach Trail (straight), an option is to instead turn left (south). A 15-minute climb will take you to a short ridge and the junction of Drakes Head Trail. Here you get a sweeping view of Drakes Bay, Estero de Limantour, and more foothills.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. The first two miles are wheelchair-accessible, with assistance. No dogs.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 7.5 miles to Estero Road, on the left. Turn left and drive one mile to the parking area.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
0.8 mi/0.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
In winter, there may be no better place on land from which to watch migrating whales (gray whales late Dec.-Apr., humpback whales and orcas May-Aug.). The point extends 10 miles west from the mainland coast, right in the path of whales, shorebirds, and sea creatures. Year-round, the lookout from Point Reyes Lighthouse can provide the kind of view to ignite the inspiration you may need to start a challenging project (like, say, writing a book).
The half-mile walk is more rigorous than many expect. On the way in, you descend 308 steps to a bluff-top lookout where a front-of-the-rail view provides world-class moments. At the lighthouse, a railing at the point provides a perch for stunning ocean views. You can see for miles across the Pacific. On a good day, you might see 5 to 10 whale spouts, and if lucky, a breech or tail salute. On the way back, the climb up those 308 steps, equivalent to 30 stories on a high-rise, can catch some by surprise.
To see whales, scan the ocean for what looks like a little puff of smoke on the water’s surface: a whale spout. When you find one, zoom in closer. The “Great Whale Highway” (as some call it) is just offshore of Point Reyes. On clear weekends, particularly in winter, the place can be crowded. A fence on the edge of the cliff keeps visitors from falling overboard from one of the most dramatic coastal lookouts anywhere. Sunsets here are unforgettable. In winter and early spring, a shuttle bus is required (see below).
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes (bikes are restricted from the stairs and not advised). No dogs or horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 17.6 miles. At the T (left goes to Chimney Rock Headlands), continue straight ahead to the parking area for the Point Reyes Lighthouse.
Shuttle bus: On good weather weekends and holidays in winter (late Dec.-mid-Apr.) a shuttle bus is required. Tickets are at Drakes Beach Visitors Center (9:30am-3:30pm, $7). Drive to the South Beach Junction, where the road is blocked. Park and take shuttle bus. The shuttle buses run approximately every 20 minutes, 9:30am-3:30pm. The shuttle bus may not be required on weekdays or on stormy weekends.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
2.8 mi/1.25 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
This is one of the most eye-popping easy hikes in California. The trail starts at the south end of the parking lot, next to a park billboard, on a path that is largely sheltered by the towering headlands ridge to your right. In minutes, you will pass through a cypress forest and then emerge for pretty views of Drakes Bay off to your left. The trail then rises along an isthmus, with cliffs on each side. The ocean is on the right and Drakes Bay is on the left. The trail curves and rises up to the Chimney Rock Headlands, 0.5 mile in. Be sure to turn and look back for a fantastic 180-degree sweep, with the Pacific now on your left, Drakes Bay on your right. Often there are awesome winds that sweep up the cliffs here. The perch is sensational for views, with sightings of whale spouts in winter, the Farallon Islands, and then across the headlands to the north. Looking back to the east, you can take in the calm waters of Drakes Bay and beyond to Drakes Estero, Limantour, and Inverness Ridge. The main trail continues south to a lookout of a series of rock stacks that emerge from the ocean just beyond land’s end. The biggest is Chimney Rock. One of the rock formations has a bridged archway where a surging ocean foams through the center, a natural phenomenon.
In peak spring season, you can often see unbelievable diversity of wildflowers on the lee side of the headlands on the Chimney Rock Trail, including rafts of Douglas iris and good numbers of checkerbloom. Because of exposure to wind, wildflowers tend to dry out sooner here than at more protected areas, but they are spectacular when you hit it right (hint: April).
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes. The first 0.25 mile of the trail is wheelchair-accessible. No dogs or horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake and drive 17.4 miles toward the Point Reyes Lighthouse to a fork with Chimney Rock Road on the left. Turn left and drive one mile to the parking area and trailhead.
Shuttle bus: On good weather weekends and holidays in winter, usually late December to mid-April, a shuttle bus is required. Tickets are at Drakes Beach Visitors Center (9:30am-3:30pm, $7). Drive to the South Beach Junction, where the road is blocked. Park and take shuttle bus. The shuttle buses run approximately every 20 minutes, 9:30am-3:30pm The shuttle bus may not be required on weekdays or on stormy weekends.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
1.9 mi/1.0 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
This spot is not exactly a secret. In fact, you might as well stand on the Golden Gate Bridge with a megaphone and announce its existence to the world. At the trailhead, for instance, you will discover a large parking lot and visitors center, complete with exhibits, maps, and books (maybe even this one, and if not, ask why; after all, we’ve hiked every trail in the park). The trail traces the back of the arcing beaches along Drakes Bay and provides scenic lookouts onto the bay’s protected waters. The trail continues to the mouth of Drakes Estero, then returns via an inland loop that includes a short climb up, then down to a waterfront bluff. This is one of the more popular hikes at Point Reyes National Seashore, and why not? It is an easy walk, provides great scenic beauty, and traces three habitats: beach frontage, the mouth of a lagoon, and hillside bluffs. In some years, elephant seals are common sightings in winter.
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes. No dogs or horses. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive 2.4 miles to Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake, drive 11.1 miles, and look for the sign indicating a left turn to a visitors center. Turn left and drive 1.2 miles to the parking lot at the Kenneth Patrick Visitors Center and the trailhead.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
15.3 mi one-way/ 2 days
in Point Reyes National Seashore
With a slight change of approach, one of the Bay Area’s greatest overnight hikes can be made even greater. You do it by taking Sky Trail to Palomarin, with a shuttle car for a one-way hike. This trip starts on a Saturday at the Sky trailhead and parking lot, where you hike 7.1 miles to Glen Camp and spend the night. The next day, complete the route where you hike 8.2 miles out to Palomarin and your shuttle car. It splits the weekend into two even days, unlike the famed Coast Trail route. In addition, your best chance these days of getting a campsite on a Saturday night is at Glen Camp, with Wildcat sold out fast, spring through fall.
On Day 1, hike 7.1 miles to Glen Camp. Don’t get disgruntled over the first 15 minutes, where the trail is routed up to the ridge on a service road, no views (but pretty bracken ferns and forget-me-nots). At 1.3 miles, you emerge at Sky Camp at 1,000 feet elevation, and with a short walk to the adjacent hill, the eye-popping views are revealed to the west. The expanse of Drakes Bay below is stunning, along with Arch Rock, Drakes Beach, Chimney Rock, and Point Reyes, from left to right. The views then sparkle for much of the hike, with the route occasionally passing through old-growth bishop pines. Over and over, you emerge for views below of Sculptured Beach, Point Resistance, and Arch Rock. Eventually you top out at Glen Camp. Be sure to bring a light tent. Morning fog can be wet.
On Day 2, hike 8.2 miles from Glen Camp to the end of the trail at Palomarin trailhead and your shuttle car. The day starts where you sail downhill and take in pretty views of Wildcat Valley, ocean breakers, and Wildcat Beach, and then connect with the Coast Trail. It is 0.8 mile to the Coast Trail, and then another 1.1 miles to Wildcat Camp.
To get a full front view of Alamere Falls, descend from Wildcat Camp to the beach and hike south one mile. The unsigned cutoff from the Coast Trail (on Alamere Creek) to the brink of the falls is closed to public access. Violators face tickets and expulsion.
From the bridge at Alamere Creek, it is 3.6 miles to the end of the trail and the parking lot at Palomarin. In the process, the route contours south in and out of coastal valleys, where you pass Wildcat Lake, Pelican Lake, and Bass Lake, all gorgeous en route to the trail’s end. On a fresh, clear April weekend, this is one of the best ways to celebrate the coronation of spring.
User Groups: Hikers only. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: Parking and access are free. Reservations and permit required for camping (www.recreation.gov).
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: To Bear Valley Visitors Center: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to the Seashore Information sign and access road for Bear Valley Visitors Center. Turn left and go a short distance to the visitors center (campers must pick up permits in person).
To Sky Trailhead: From Bear Valley Visitors Center, exit parking lot to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive a short distance to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn left on Bear Valley Road and drive two miles to Limantour Road. Turn left on Limantour and drive a little over three miles on access road to the Sky Trail parking and trailhead on the left.
Visitors center to Palomarin: From the visitors center, exit the parking lot to Bear Valley Road, turn right, and go 0.5 mile to Highway 1. Turn right and drive 9.3 miles to Olema-Bolinas Road on the right (the sign is always stolen; if you reach Bolinas Lagoon, turn around on Highway 1 and look for the road on left). Turn right and go 1.3 miles to the junction with Horseshoe Hill Road. Turn left (still Olema-Bolinas Road) and go 0.5 mile to Mesa Road. Turn right and go 4.8 miles (pass an antenna farm called The Towers) to the parking area.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
9.6 mi/4.0 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
Hit it right on a clear day and it can feel like you have a foothold in the heavens on the Point Reyes Sky Trail. From the trailhead at the parking area on Limantour Road, you pass around a gate to hike up a service road edged by cypress and, in the spring, occasional patches of forget-me-nots in the shade. The trail climbs, from gentle to moderate, to the south for 0.8 mile to a junction with the Fire Lane Trail (on the right). Ignore that and continue on the service road for another half mile to the Sky Camp. In the process, you will walk along the edge of the burn zone of the 1995 fire, with remnants of that event still visible. Notice the mix of fresh-sprouted grass, wildflowers, and young pines, and old cypress and pine that the fire missed, and the sprinkling of blackened tree skeletons that still stand. As you near Sky Camp, the views start to open up. When you reach the camp, look to your right for the nearby short hill to gain the best perch for the jaw-dropping view of Drakes Bay. This 1,000-foot ridgeline perch towers over Drakes Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Plunging below at your boot tips are miles of foothills reborn. Scan from right to left taking in Point Reyes, Chimney Rock, and the curving Limantour Beach to Arch Rock. You can simply turn back for a 2.6-mile romp (mostly downhill on the return).
Sky Trail Loop
Better yet, extend the trek to create a spectacular loop, down to the beach and then back up, for a 9.6-mile round-trip. From Sky Camp, stay on the Sky Trail along Inverness Ridge, sheltered by old-growth pines and firs, south to the Woodward Valley Trail. Turn right and sail down Woodward Valley Trail, with jaw-dropping views of the ocean, down to the Coast Trail. On the way down, you may experience the unbelievable feeling that you can sense the earth’s curve on the distant horizon. Turn right on the Coast Trail, and in less than a mile, you’ll pass Coast Camp, a good spot for your picnic for the day. Then continue ahead into a valley to the Laguna Trail/Fire Trail. Turn right. It’s quite steep in a few spots back up to Sky Trail. Back on top, to complete the trip, turn left on Sky Trail and sail back to the parking area. This is one of the best coastal routes in California.
User Groups: Hikers only. Bikes and horses permitted to Sky Camp. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free. Permits are required to camp at Sky Camp. Reserve at www.recreation.gov; $20 per night for up to six per site; 11 campsites with picnic table, fire grills (charcoal only), drinking water, pit toilet. Garbage must be packed out.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to the Seashore Information sign and access road for Bear Valley Visitors Center. Turn left and head a short distance to the visitors center (campers must pick up permits in person). From Bear Valley Visitors Center, return to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 1.3 miles to Limantour Road (signed Hostel and Limantour Beach). Turn left and drive 3.4 miles to the access road on the left for Sky Trail. Turn left and drive a short distance to the parking area.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
16.1 mi one-way/2-plus days
in Point Reyes National Seashore
Of the handful of overnight hiking trips available in the Bay Area, Coast Trail provides the most extended tour into a land of charm. This continuous backcountry route is 16.1 miles long, one-way, enough to allow lingering hikers to spend a weekend at it, and short enough for the ambitious to tackle in a single day. The trail offers camps at ocean bluffs, a beach with sculptured rocks and tidepools, bluff-top lookouts with a chance to see passing whales, a rare waterfall from an ocean bluff that pours like a fountain to a beach and then runs into the ocean, and coastal freshwater lakes. There are only a few catches: You need a hiking partner who will double as a shuttle driver so you can leave a car at each end of the trail. You’ll need to come prepared to cook your food using a small backpack stove, not a campfire. Tents are recommended, because the coastal weather is the most unpredictable in the Bay Area—clear, calm, and warm one day, then suddenly foggy, windy, moist, and clammy the next.
Day 1: The trailhead for Coast Trail is at the Point Reyes Hostel, from where you will hike north to south and keep the wind at your back and out of your face. The first camp, Coast Camp, is an easy 2.8 miles, ideal for those who head out on a Friday evening after work. As you hike in, you’ll have a panoramic view of the coastal foothills. The sound of ocean waves will send you to sleep the first night, or, in some sensitive cases, might keep you awake.
If you try to hike the Coast Trail in two days, you will face a first-day tromp of 10.6 miles, direct to Wildcat Camp. Because of the additional time spent getting camping permits at the Bear Valley Visitors Center and setting up a shuttle car at the trail’s end at Palomarin, most hikers get a late start, which means facing a late arrival at Wildcat. One option is to start instead at Sky Trail off Limantour Road and spend the night at Glen Camp (see the listing for Sky Trail to Palomarin in this chapter).
Day 2: From Coast Camp, the next day you will hike south, getting glimpses along the way of Sculptured Beach, with its magnificent rock stacks and tunnels. You’ll see and pass Sculptured Beach, Kelham Beach, and Arch Rock. (The cutoff trail to Arch Rock is closed after a collapse in 2015.) The Coast Trail continues south to Wildcat Camp, set on a bluff above the beach. That makes a hike of 7.8 miles. It’s an additional mile, one-way, to walk south on the beach for a view of Alamere Falls.
Day 3: Today, figure on a 5.5-mile closeout with plenty of great sideshows. You will hike past a series of coastal lakes, nearby Wildcat Lake and little Ocean Lake. After climbing to a short ridge, you will skirt above Pelican Lake and along the northern shore of Bass Lake. The trail then heads up a coastal hill, tops out at 563 feet, and then laterals down a canyon and back to ocean bluffs. Following the trail, you turn south and in a mile arrive at the Palomarin trailhead. You will be ready to reach your shuttle car and head for the barn. This is one of the Bay Area’s greatest hikes. For many who want only the best, this is on their must-do list on a clear, warm coastal day at peak spring or fall.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. Mountain bikes permitted only from the Laguna trailhead to the Coast Campground and otherwise prohibited. Partially accessible to wheelchair users who have assistance. No dogs.
Permits: Parking and access are free. Reservations and a permit are required for camping (www.recreation.gov).
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Drakes Bay.
Directions: To Bear Valley Visitors Center: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to the Seashore Information sign and access road for Bear Valley Visitors Center. Turn left and head a short distance to the visitors center (campers must pick up permits in person).
To Coast Trail trailhead: After getting a camping permit at Bear Valley Visitors Center, leave the parking lot and take the access road to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive to Limantour Road. Turn left and drive six miles, looking for the signed turn on the left for Point Reyes Hostel. Turn left on the access road for the Point Reyes Hostel and continue to where road ends at the parking lot. After parking, hike back to the hostel and look for the trailhead on the left (west, across the road from the hostel).
Visitors center to Palomarin: Exit the parking lot to Bear Valley Road, turn right and go 0.5 mile to Highway 1. Turn right and drive 9.3 miles to Olema-Bolinas Road on the right (the sign is always stolen; if you reach Bolinas Lagoon, turn around and look for the road on left). Turn right and go 1.3 miles to junction with Horseshoe Hill Road. Turn left (still Olema-Bolinas Road) and go 0.5 mile to Mesa Road. Turn right and go 4.8 miles (pass an antenna farm called The Towers) to the parking area.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
5.5 mi/2.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore
The Laguna Loop Trail can make for a great Sunday morning walk. The trailhead is just 0.2 mile down the road from the Point Reyes Hostel, adjacent to the park’s Environmental Education Center. From there, the trail continues 1.8 miles up to Inverness Ridge, with great views of Drakes Bay along the way. At the ridge, turn right and hike 0.7 mile toward Mount Wittenberg, which at 1,407 feet is the highest point at Point Reyes National Seashore. On the north flank of Mount Wittenberg, hikers should turn right on the Fire Lane Trail, which loops back around for three miles to the Laguna trailhead. This excellent loop hike entails a bit of a climb and offers Pacific lookouts, yet it is short enough to complete in a few hours.
Laguna Loop Trail, Inverness Ridge
User Groups: Hikers and horses. Mountain bikes are permitted only from the Laguna trailhead to the Coast Campground and are otherwise prohibited. No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Inverness.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left at Bear Valley Road and drive two miles to Limantour Road. Turn left and drive six miles. Turn left on the access road for the Point Reyes Hostel and drive 0.2 mile past the hostel to the parking area and trailhead (on the right side of the road).
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
4.5 mi/2.5 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore near Olema
One little turn off a major trail can lead to a landscape where hiking dreams come true. The Mount Wittenberg Loop is such a trek, one of the best short hikes in the Point Reyes National Seashore. The trail provides a route through deep forest, a climb with a steady grade, and then magnificent lookouts of Drakes Bay to the west and the Olema Valley to the east. The destination is the flank of Mount Wittenberg (at 1,407 feet, the highest in the park), but the best views are from the ridge just west of the rounded summit (not at the summit). After parking at the huge parking lot at Bear Valley Visitors Center, look for the trailhead for Bear Valley Trail at the south end of the parking area. This has long been one of the heaviest used trails in the Bay Area, and hence comes the trick: Hike on Bear Valley Trail for just 0.2 mile! On your right, look for the cutoff route for the Sky Trail. Bear right at the cutoff, and from here, it is a 1.4-mile hike with a climb of 1,200 feet. It’s a steady grade and hikers in decent condition can easily handle it. You’ll pass through old-growth forest and lush ravines, with occasional peephole-like lookouts to Olema Valley. It rises to the foot of Mount Wittenberg (and with another 100-foot climb, a cutoff trail takes hikers to the rounded summit). The views are not the greatest from the top, but instead from just nearby on Sky Trail. At Sky Trail, walk southwest 0.4 mile to the junction with Meadow Trail. In the process, there are dramatic views of Drakes Bay to the west and some hidden meadows to the east. You’ll also have a panoramic shot of the coastal foothills. From Meadow Trail, turn left and you will glide downhill for 1.5 miles back down to Bear Valley Trail. The trail widens and flattens, and you’ll see people again, then you walk out 0.8 mile to the parking lot. There you have it: To paradise and back in just a few hours.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Inverness.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to sign for Seashore Information and road on left. Turn left and drive to the parking lot for the Bear Valley Visitors Center. The trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
8.2 mi/4.0 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore near Olema
This is one of the most popular trails in the park. It starts at the south end of the parking lot at the main visitors center and follows a heavily used service road through pretty forest. It leads past Divide Meadow to Bear Valley, then down along Coast Creek to the beach, a highlight.
User Groups: Hikers, mountain bikes (first three miles only), and horses (weekdays only). The 1.5-mile trail to Divide Meadow is wheelchair-accessible but requires a significant amount of assistance. No dogs.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Inverness.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to the sign for Seashore Information and a road on the left. Turn left and drive to the parking lot for the Bear Valley Visitors Center.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
1.2 mi one-way/0.75 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore near Olema
The trailhead is right next to the picnic area at the Bear Valley Visitors Center. That makes this a popular easy walk. The geology also fascinates many. It is one of the world’s classic examples of an earthquake fault line: the San Andreas Fault. Because we like big views, waterfalls, and wildflowers, it doesn’t quite flip our pancake, but it does provide one of the best lessons you can get from the University of Nature.
The trail starts at the Bear Valley Picnic Area. It’s a short, paved loop.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Inverness.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn right and drive about 100 yards to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 mile to the sign for Seashore Information and a road on the left. Turn left and drive to the parking lot for the Bear Valley Visitors Center.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
10.5 mi one-way/4.5 hr
in Marin County west of San Rafael
The Bolinas Ridge Trail spans 10.5 miles (one-way) from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard south to Bolinas-Fairfax Road in west Marin County. From Bolinas Ridge, you start with hilltop views across the foothill grasslands and valleys and beyond to the Marin coast. It can be a good short walk, a better hike, and for ambitious mountain bikers, a sensational 20-mile loop with several cutoffs available for shorter options.
From the trailhead at Sir Francis Drake, the trail undulates up and down the foothills, with an overall climb of about 750 feet in six miles. You get views of Olema Valley, the San Andreas Rift Zone and beyond south to Bolinas Lagoon. Some just venture south for a few miles, then turn around when ready for a mostly downhill glide. If you continue south, the route descends, steeply at times, into redwoods. Most of the trail is an abandoned ranch road. The trail is routed for about five miles through open grasslands with lots of cows and several gates. Do not go off-trail, where ticks wait perched on the high grass to ambush you if you (or your dog) brush by.
Note: You can also start the trip from Samuel P. Taylor State Park, where secure parking is available. To do this, you connect out of Samuel P. Taylor on the Jewell Trail (the trail can wash out in winter).
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for Inverness, San Geronimo, and Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 8.7 miles to Larkspur and the exit for San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake West. Take that exit, drive 0.4 mile, and merge onto Sir Francis Drake. Drive 19.4 miles, past Samuel P. Taylor State Park, to the trailhead on the left (if you reach Olema, you missed it: the trailhead is back one mile). Park on the shoulder.
Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, San Francisco, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
5.5 mi/3.5 hr
in Samuel P. Taylor State Park northwest of San Rafael
From the summit of 1,466-foot Barnabe Peak, you get a sweeping lookout that spans from Mount Tamalpais to Point Reyes. The Barnabe Fire Road provides a 5.5-mile loop with a 1,300-foot climb to the top. An old lookout tower is positioned here, but there is no access. Most will plan a picnic at the base of the old tower.
A new trailhead starts from the Azalea Picnic Area, a day-use area inside the main entrance to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Park, then walk toward the dump station. Before the bridge over Lagunitas Creek, take the North Creek Trail to cross Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. On the north side of Sir Francis Drake, you’ll see the Madrone Group Campground, and from there, the Barnabe Fire Road. Now you’re on your way.
Barnabe Peak is also accessible from Devil’s Gulch via the Gravesite Road Trail. For that route, park in the Devil’s Gulch parking area on the south shoulder of Sir Francis Drake. Walk across the road and up Devil’s Gulch Road, then take the Devil’s Gulch Trail to the trailhead for Gravesite Road. Follow Gravesite Road up to the junction with the Barnabe Peak Fire Road for the final leg to the top.
The route to Barnabe Peak via Bill’s Trail out of Devil’s Gulch (to Stairstep Falls) will reopen in 2020. Once winter sets in and the waterfall starts flowing, Bill’s Trail will close to protect the endangered spotted owl and safeguard against possible impacts when the owls call for a mate, nest, or rear young.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park is located along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in western Marin, best known for its stand of redwoods and the lush undergrowth in the canyon along the headwaters of Lagunitas Creek. The park covers 2,700 acres and features excellent hiking, biking, and camping.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and mountain bikes (bikes are not permitted on spur trails). No horses.
Permits: A state park day-use fee of $8 per vehicle is charged at the entrance station.
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at the entrance station to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Geronimo.
Directions: To park headquarters: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit west and drive 14.5 miles to the park entrance, on the left.
Contact: Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas, 415/488-9897; Marin District Headquarters, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
1.6 mi/0.75 hr
in Samuel P. Taylor State Park northwest of San Rafael
If you like big trees and a simple, short walk, the Pioneer Tree Trail in Samuel P. Taylor State Park will provide it. In just 0.5 mile, you will walk amid the park’s prize grove of old-growth coastal redwoods, the species that produces the tallest trees in the world. Park at the Azalea Day Use Picnic Area then walk across the Salmon Crossing Bridge to the Cross Marin Trail. Turn left and walk a short distance on the Cross Marin Trail to the Pioneer Tree trailhead on the right. From here, it’s 0.25-mile into the heart of the grove of old-growth redwoods. The trail then turns left sharply, and you walk another 0.25 mile. When you run out of big trees, most turn around and return at this point.
If you continue on, you will eventually reach a spur for the Pioneer Trail, less impressive than the behemoths in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and reach the Cross Marin Trail along Lagunitas Creek. Turn left and go 0.6 mile to reach your starting point, the picnic area. That is a 2.7-mile loop.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes.
Permits: A state park day-use fee of $8 per vehicle is charged at the entrance station.
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at the entrance station to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Geronimo.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit west and drive 14.5 miles to the park entrance, on the left. Park at the Azalea Day Use Picnic Area.
Contact: Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas, 415/488-9897; Marin District Headquarters, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
1.8 mi/1.0 hr
in northwest Marin County northwest of Fairfax
The nearly four-mile-long Kent Lake is the largest reservoir for domestic water supply in Marin with an additional large arm extending east into Big Carson Creek. Only hikers and mountain bikers see it. Start by parking along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Shafter Bridge. Hike past the gate on Peters Dam Road (Lagunitas Creek to your right) to a junction (San Geronimo Ridge Road on your left, an excellent mountain bike ride), and continue ahead (at a spur, stay left on the main road). The road bends like a horseshoe, first to the left, then ahead, and then to the right as it rises up to Peters Dam. When the lake first emerges into view, it is an amazing sight, especially when the lake fills in late winter. Emerald water fills a long canyon, bordered on each side by rising slopes packed with conifers. Most people are astounded the first time they see Kent Lake, for they have no idea such a huge lake is tucked away in a Marin canyon. The road continues along the east side of the lake and then eventually rises up into forested slopes to a network of fire roads. No swimming or wading.
User Groups: Hikers, leashed dogs, and mountain bikes. No horses. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact Point Reyes National Seashore, 415/464-5100, 1 Bear Valley Rd. Point Reyes Station, CA 94956, www.nps.gov/pore. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for San Geronimo and Bolinas.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit west and drive about 12 miles to Shafter Bridge and look for the signed turnoff for the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area/Peters Dam Road. Turn left and park at the Cronin lot.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
3.0 mi/1.25 hr
in Point Reyes National Seashore south of Olema
Olema Valley is a mix of lush meadows and forests that roughly traces the San Andreas Fault. The trailhead is at Five Brooks. Take the Stewart Trail, a road that runs past a duck pond, and then junctions quickly with the Olema Valley Trail. The meadow area attracts a lot of deer, morning and evening. It’s 1.3 miles, which includes a short climb, to the headwaters of Pine Gulch Creek. From there, most continue a short distance, and then return when ready. An option is to continue southward for four miles or more to Olema Creek and along the San Andreas Fault. In wet weather, the creeks often flood the trail. If that is a concern, wear waterproof boots in winter. In summer, this has become a popular mountain bike route.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact Point Reyes National Seashore, 415/464-5100, 1 Bear Valley Rd. Point Reyes Station, CA 94956, www.nps.gov/pore. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take U.S. 101 north for 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Turn west and drive 20 miles to Olema and Highway 1. Turn left on Highway 1 and drive 3.6 miles to the access road for Five Brooks trailhead on the right (west). Turn right and drive to parking and continue to the Stewart Trail and the duck pond.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
5.8 mi/3.0 hr
in Olompali State Historic Park near Novato
The payoff at Olompali State Historic Park is the big view from the upper slopes and summit of 1,558-foot Mount Burdell as you tower over the expanse of San Pablo Bay. Below are the wetlands of Bahia Marsh and the Petaluma River near the Gnoss Field Airport. You can see the Sonoma Mountains to the north, across the bay to Carquinez Bridge to the east. It’s a 5.8-mile round-trip to Burdell summit, a 1,500-foot climb. The hike is routed through pretty woodlands, up well-graded switchbacks, and emerges in grasslands with a picnic site on top. The habitat supports tons of deer and wild turkey.
Note: No mountain bikes or dogs are permitted at Olompali State Historic Park, yet they are allowed at adjoining Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve. Near the summit, a trail connects the two parks, and if you see bikes or dogs, that is where they are coming from.
User Groups: Hikers. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities on Mount Burdell Trail, but they are available near the parking area.
Permits: No permits are required. There is an $8 parking fee.
Maps: A trail map is posted at information billboard near the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Burdell.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north for about 25 miles (past Highway 37 on right) to Exit 463 for Atherton Avenue/San Marin Drive. Take that exit to Atherton. Turn left on Atherton and go 0.2 mile (cross the overpass over 101) to Redwood Boulevard. Turn right and drive 2.7 miles on Redwood (a frontage road, just west of 101) to the park entrance on the left.
Contact: Olompali State Historic Park, 415/892-3383, www.parks.ca.gov.
4.0 mi one-way/ 2.5 hr
in Giacomini Open Space, Marin
Giacomini Open Space is a hidden preserve that provides a gateway to 25,000 acres of wildlands. It is east of Fairfax on the flank of San Geronimo Ridge, at the foot of Marin’s Mount Tamalpais. The drive in makes it off the radar for just about everybody but locals, and that makes it special, too. In two miles, you are transported from city driving (Sir Francis Drake) to the Willis Evans trailhead. This provides one of the fastest transformations from urban to wild in the Bay Area.
Most of this route is on land managed by the Marin Municipal Water District. From the gate (880 feet elevation), head up to Green Hill (1,418 feet, four miles round-trip) for big views. After hiking on fire roads, you emerge on top with a panorama across the wooded watershed lands. The ambitious few can continue on, but you pay a price coming back.
Giacomini Open Space encompasses 1,500 acres on the flanks of San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road. It adjoins Marin Watershed lands, and on the ridge, you get views of Kent Lake and across west Marin. A network of fire roads for mountain biking connects to the watershed lands and to other preserves.
User Groups: Hikers, mountain bikes, dogs and horses. Limited wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A sheet map is available from Bay Ridge Trail Council. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for San Geronimo.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 9.4 miles to Exit 450B (for San Anselmo and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard). Take that exit and drive 0.5 mile to the merge with Sir Francis Drake, then continue 9.5 miles (past Fairfax, near Woodacre) to Railroad Avenue. Turn left on Railroad and go 0.2 miles San Geronimo Valley Drive. Make a sharp right on San Geronimo Valley Drive and drive 0.5 miles to Redwood Canyon Drive. Turn left and drive 0.2 miles (the road jogs twice) to trailhead.
Contact: Marin County Open Space District, 415/499-6387, www.marincountyparks.org.
13.0 mi/1 day
in Point Reyes National Seashore northwest of Bolinas
Alamere Falls tumbles over an ocean bluff, then cascades 40 feet to the beach below and into the Pacific Ocean. It is stunning, beautiful, and constantly changing as the rains come and go.
From the Palomarin trailhead, follow the southern end of the Coast Trail as it starts out on a service road that contours along the coastal foothills. At times you’ll tower over the ocean and on clear days, the Farallon Islands look close enough to reach with a jump. The trail follows along the ocean for about a mile, then dips down into a ravine to climb out 500 feet to a sub-ridge and trail junction. Stay left on the Coast Trail for two miles, gently descending past pretty Bass Lake. A mile later, you’ll hike along a sub-ridge that overlooks Pelican Lake, a bit bigger than Bass Lake and also gorgeous. This is an excellent area for wildflowers and for sighting deer and birds. After passing Pelican Lake, the route continues north and arrives at a small bridge at Alamere Creek.
You then continue another 1.3 miles to Wildcat Camp, where you drop down to the wilderness beach. It’s one-mile walk south along the beach to the base of Alamere Falls for a full frontal, the best views and photo ops. Even with light flows in Alamere Creek, this is one of the Bay Area’s most beautiful waterfalls. After toppling over a rocky brink to the beach 40 feet below, the water cuts an ever-changing mosaic in the sand before running into the ocean. At moderate or high flows, it charges over the cliff in a wide sheet of white water. At these times, it is one of the prettiest coastal waterfalls anywhere in the world.
Note: The unsigned cutoff from the Coast Trail (on Alamere Creek) to the brink of the falls is closed to public access. Violators face tickets and expulsion.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, write to Point Reyes National Seashore. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for Bolinas and Double Point.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue nine miles to Exit 450B for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard/San Anselmo. Take that exit (stay in the second lane from the right), continue to Sir Francis Drake, and drive 21 miles to Highway 1. Turn left and drive nine miles to Olema-Bolinas Road on the right (the sign is always stolen; if you reach Bolinas Lagoon, turn around and look for a road on the left). Turn right and go 1.3 miles to the junction with Horseshoe Hill Road. Turn left (still Olema-Bolinas Road) and go 0.5 mile to Mesa Road. Turn right and go 4.8 miles (past an antenna farm called The Towers) to the parking area.
Contact: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, 415/464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.
2.0 mi/1.0 hr
on Mount Tamalpais Watershed at Alpine Lake Dam
Water-watching has become a spectator sport in Marin. You’ll see why if you venture out pretty Bolinas-Fairfax Road. On the right of Alpine Dam, look for the gated service road. This is the Kent Pump Road. In winter and spring, walk down a short distance to get a view of the “waterfall,” a 140-foot stepped cascade, as it flows across the back of the dam and into Lagunitas Creek. In summer months, this is the start of a great, easy walk to a picnic site. On the Kent Pump Road, walk down into the canyon and look for a cutoff route on your left that leads down to the creek. Stay alert for the second cutoff on your left, down to the creek. Your destination is a beautiful spot along the stream, sheltered beneath a hardwood canopy. Gorgeous. For most, this is the trip, a round-trip of about two miles.
The Kent Pump Road seems made to order for mountain biking. It descends into the canyon, with Lagunitas Creek on your left, and within two miles, you reach the headwaters of Kent Lake (full). The road is then routed along the lake and past two feeder creeks around a deep cove; a 9.6-mile round-trip, 250-foot descent on the way in. The trail gradient is generally good, from Alpine Dam (648 feet) to Kent Lake (403 feet).
Wildlife: In late March, April, and May, there is often an active osprey nest atop a dead snag near the end of the trail at Kent Lake. Bear scat has also been sighted and reported on the far reaches of Pump Road.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities. No swimming or wading.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free. The watershed closes at sunset.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive 7.6 miles (becomes Bolinas-Fairfax Road, curvy) to Alpine Dam, where there is very limited parking on the shoulder on the right. Kent Pump Road (a gated service road) is on right.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais west of Fairfax
Carson Falls has five decks and drops that span nearly 100 feet, from top to bottom. This hike is an easy three miles round-trip. The walk to this divine site is hidden in a deep valley on the north slopes of Mount Tamalpais. It’s an easy stroll across hilly grasslands (often accompanied by a hawk or two floating overhead), followed by a short jog down a canyon into the Carson Creek drainage.
The trailhead (at 1,078 feet) is adjacent to one of the larger parking areas along Bolinas-Fairfax Road. After parking, cross Bolinas-Fairfax Road to reach the trailhead on Pine Mountain Road, a water district service road. The road climbs 400 feet over the course of a mile and merges into a junction with Oat Hill Road on the crest of a hill flanked on both sides by foothill grasslands. Turn left here and in 0.25 mile you’ll reach a sign for the Carson Falls Trail on your right. Here you’ll leave the fire roads and follow a trail for 0.5 mile to Little Carson Creek, a small bridge, and the series of waterfalls. You get a beautiful view upstream of four waterfalls, pool-and-drop, pouring over boulders. Just below you is the rim of a 35-foot free fall. The best view is near the brink of the last waterfall. Turn and look up. This is one of my favorite spots.
Plan to visit in late winter and early spring, when periods of heavy rainfall can saturate the ground and the falls are at their peak.
Note: The ravine is home to the threatened foothill yellow-legged frogs. Please stay out of the creek and pools to protect this population.
User Groups: Hikers, leashed dogs. Mountain bikes and horses are allowed on Pine Mountain and Oat Hill Roads, but not on the hiking trail down to Carson Falls. No wheelchair facilities. No swimming or wading.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free. The watershed closes at sunset.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive for 3.8 miles (past the golf course) to the large dirt parking area on the left. The trailhead for Pine Mountain Road and an information billboard are across the road from the parking area.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
7.4 mi/3.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais west of Fairfax
How can you take a great hike and make it better? By hiking to Carson Falls and turning it into a stellar loop hike, sensational from late winter through spring. Start the trip by hiking up Pine Mountain Road for one mile (300 feet) to the junction with Oat Hill Road. The route up provides sweeping views of surrounding foothills and beyond, including an awesome look at the remote north flank of Mount Tamalpais, and glimpses of Alpine Lake. It’s common to see red-tailed hawks hunting and hovering. At the ridge and road junction, turn left at Oat Hill Road and walk 0.25 mile, or about five minutes. At a large sign for the Carson Falls Trail, turn right and leave the fire roads behind. The trail is a series of switchbacks downhill for 0.5 mile. This fern-lined stretch of single-track deposits you on a narrow, artfully constructed footbridge above Little Carson Falls. Cross it and work your way down on the far side of the stream to the waterfalls. The best “ah” moment is just below the midway point, where you can look up and see three pool-and-drop waterfalls and a short cascade.
It’s only a three-mile trip, out and back, to Carson Falls, but you can extend the trip into a great 7.4-mile loop hike. From the falls, continue down the Carson Falls Trail and into redwoods to the Kent Pump Road. Bear left and continue 1.4 miles above Kent Lake to Old Vee Road. Turn left and climb 1.2 miles up to Oat Hill Road. Turn left and hike 1.5 miles along the ridge to Pine Mountain Road. Turn right and return one mile downhill to the parking area. Rating: Fantastic.
User Groups: Hikers, leashed dogs. No wheelchair facilities. Mountain bikes and horses allowed on Pine Mountain and Oat Hill Roads, but not on the hiking trail down to Carson Falls. No swimming or wading.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free. Watershed closes at sunset.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive for 3.8 miles (past the golf course) to the large dirt parking area on the left. The trailhead for Pine Mountain Road and an information billboard are across the road from the parking area.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais at Lake Lagunitas west of Fairfax
This is our favorite hike at Bon Tempe and Lagunitas Lakes. As you clear the rise, Lake Lagunitas first comes into view and the beauty hits you all at once: A pristine little lake, backed by forest and the rising slopes of the northeast face of Mount Tamalpais. This walk is pretty, easy, featuring tons of birds and maybe a turtle or two sunning on a rock or log, and can be shorted to a really easy 40-minute loop around Lagunitas (easy enough for baby strollers).
The trailhead lies at an elevation of 740 feet at the Lagunitas Picnic Area, adjacent to Lake Lagunitas. Walk past the picnic area and then hike up to the earthen dam. You’ll pop out with a pretty lake view and a sign warning visitors to watch out for migrating newts. Walk around Lake Lagunitas counterclockwise, where you eventually link up with Pilot Knob Trail. Turn left, hike past the parking area, and connect with Bon Tempe Shadyside Trail. This route circles the lake (with one short juncture on the Alex Forman/Sky Oaks Trail) and eventually leads all the way back to the parking area. As with any loop that links different trails, a map can be helpful, especially for newcomers. Pick one up at the entrance station.
User Groups: Hikers, leashed dogs and horses. Mountain bikes permitted on roads only. Limited wheelchair facilities. No swimming or wading.
Permits: A day-use fee of $8 is charged per vehicle. A self-pay station accepts credit cards, $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills, but cannot make change. Groups are limited to 19 people. Watershed closes at sunset and the gate is locked at Sky Oaks.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive 1.5 miles to Sky Oaks Road on left. Turn left and drive 0.5 mile to the entrance station. Then continue:
To Lagunitas Lake: From the entrance station, go 0.25 mile to a fork. Bear left and drive 1.25 miles to the parking and picnic area. Park and hike uphill on the service road to dam, lake, and trailhead.
To Bon Tempe Lake: From the entrance station, go 0.25 mile to a fork. Bear right on Bon Tempe Road and drive 0.2 mile to the parking area. Walk a short distance to the dam/spillway for lake access and the nearby trailhead.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
2.0 mi/1.25 hr
on Mount Tamalpais near San Anselmo
The trailhead at Deer Park is one of the most popular in the sphere of influence of Mount Tamalpais. The Deer Park Trail provides nature, peace, and a 350-foot climb in a mile. Pleasure you will get. The trail rises up the slopes of Bald Hill and the views open up around you. It is also common to see deer in this area, and wildflower blooms are quite good in the spring. This is also one of the areas where bear scat was sighted and verified. If you want even more, you’ll have an opportunity to link up with a mosaic of other trails in the area. As you venture inland, the route enters land managed by the Marin Municipal Water District.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive 0.5 mile to Porteous Avenue. Turn left on Porteous Avenue and continue to Deer County Park. If you walk behind the school on the left, and completely pass it, the trailhead will be on your left.
Contact: Marin County Parks, 415/473-6387, www.marincountyparks.org.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
in China Camp State Park east of San Rafael
China Camp is on the shore of San Pablo Bay. The park provides sensational water views, picnic sites on bluffs overlooking the shore, great mountain biking, hikes through the woods to world-class lookouts, cultural history, camping, wetlands for birds, and a nearby fishing pier. The Shoreline Trail can provide an introduction. From the trailhead, the trail meanders along the shore of San Pablo Bay, bordered by undisturbed hills on one side and waterfront on the other. The first mile provides good lookouts across the bay; the last 0.5 mile crosses a meadow, then runs adjacent to tidal areas, marshes, and wetlands that are home to many species of waterfowl. The hike doesn’t involve serious elevation gains or losses.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A state park day-use fee of $5 per vehicle is charged at the entrance station. Get receipt to park at different sites.
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at park headquarters or by contacting the state parks district office. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Quentin.
Directions: Take U.S. 101 to San Rafael and the exit for North San Pedro. Take that exit and drive east four miles to park. At the fork (with a kiosk and campground on right), stay left and drive one mile (past the picnic areas on the left) to the ranger station, on the right, and the trailheads.
Alternate directions if arriving from the south/San Francisco: From the Golden Gate Bridge, continue north on U.S. 101 for 11.5 miles and the exit for Central San Rafael. Take that exit for 0.2 mile to (second right) 2nd Street. Turn right at 2nd Street and drive (becomes 3rd Street) 0.7 mile (shopping center on right) and continue ahead 5.2 miles (slow down, speed trap at curves, then you’ll pass Loch Lomond on right) to park entrance; trailheads, campground on left access roads, bluff-top picnic sites on right.
Contact: China Camp State Park, 415/456-0766; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
in China Camp State Park east of San Rafael
A stroke of genius by a state park ranger has created the Bay Area’s greatest new lookout. In this case, the strokes of genius were made by a chainsaw. Ranger Patrick Robards, a fire science specialist, ordered a hilltop grove of eucalyptus taken out at China Camp State Park. The result at this spot is a jaw-dropping, five-bridge view of the bay and the region’s mountain peaks, as well as a Marin-360 that will have you wishing your neck could full-pivot swivel. So, we named the spot Patrick’s Point, and the name has stuck.
This trip starts with the drive on North San Pedro Road from San Rafael out to the Marin shoreline along San Pablo Bay. When you reach a fork to a ranger kiosk, instead stay left on the main road (turning right to the kiosk will take you to the park’s campground entrance). Continue on the main road past the sensational picnic areas (on the left, at water’s edge) to the turnoff on the right to the ranger station. This is your starting point. From here, it is a 2.5-mile loop with a 500-foot climb to McNear’s Ridge and Patrick’s Point.
Near the ranger station, with the park map in hand, start at the Shoreline trailhead. Take the Shoreline Trail north (you’ll have good views of the San Pablo Bay shore) to the Oak Ridge Trail. Turn left on the Oak Ridge Trail and climb steadily to a junction with the McNear’s Fire Trail. Turn right and you pop out on top. Note that on the park map, the lookout is not marked.
What a view: On clear days, you can see the Bay Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Benicia Bridge, and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge. We’ve seen crystal clear days from this lookout where it seemed you could take a running start and then leap across the bay and land on Point Pinole.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A fee of $5 per vehicle is charged at China Camp Village. Keep receipt to park at different sites.
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at park headquarters or by contacting the state parks district office. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Quentin.
Directions: Take U.S. 101 to San Rafael and the exit for North San Pedro. Take that exit and drive east four miles to park. At the fork (with a kiosk and campground on right), stay left and drive one mile (past the picnic areas on the left) to the ranger station, on the right, and the trailheads.
Alternate directions if arriving from the south/San Francisco: From the Golden Gate Bridge, continue north on U.S. 101 for 11.5 miles and the exit for Central San Rafael. Take that exit for 0.2 mile to (second right) 2nd Street. Turn right at 2nd Street and drive (becomes 3rd Street) 0.7 mile (shopping center on right) and continue ahead 5.2 miles (slow down, speed trap at curves, then you’ll pass Loch Lomond on right) to park entrance; trailheads, campground on left access roads, bluff-top picnic sites on right.
Contact: China Camp State Park, 415/456-0766; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
0.4 mi/0.25 hr
in Martin Griffin Preserve near Bolinas Lagoon
In most years, Audubon Canyon is a slice of paradise. This is the number one habitat on the Pacific Coast to view herons and egrets, those large, graceful seabirds, as they court, mate, nest, and rear their young. In some years, though (usually in drought), the birds have not shown up in significant enough numbers to make the trip, and worse, to open the property to the public. In some years, there have been no birds and the preserve remains closed.
From headquarters, the hike is short with a 200-foot climb that requires about 20 minutes to reach the canyon overlook. Benches are provided for rest stops. Scopes are installed at the top to peer across the valley and zero in on the giant nests in the redwoods. Bird-watchers might want to repeat this great trip again and again, tracking the mating process of the great birds. The ritual starts when the male offers the female a twig. If the offer is accepted, the two then build a nest together. If rebuffed, the male then seeks another mate. Not much different than humans, eh? May and June are usually the best times to come. In May, the eggs start hatching, and by June, there can be as many as 200 hatchlings in the different nests. They eagerly await breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which are provided when their huge parents return from Bolinas Lagoon and vomit the goodies all over the nest. Hey, what’s for dessert? First flight is an amazing event, when the young birds are given the heave-ho and have about 100 feet to figure how this flying thing works.
Note: Martin Griffin Preserve was renamed to honor Marty Griffin and recognize his role in protecting the Marin coast. For 40 years, it was known as Bolinas Lagoon Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch. The preserve is open only on weekends and holidays (10am-4pm, mid-Mar.-mid-July).
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: Entrance to the ranch is free, but donations are requested; a $15 donation from families is suggested.
Maps: A small trail map and brochure are available at ranch headquarters. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and to Exit 445B for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection (Tam Junction) for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 11 miles to Stinson Beach. Continue north on Highway 1 for 3.5 miles to the preserve entrance gate on the right.
Contact: Audubon Canyon Ranch, 415/868-9244, www.egret.org.
2.5 mi/1.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais at Alpine Lake Dam
Cataract Falls is not a single waterfall, but a series of cascades that rushes down a beautifully wooded canyon set in the northwest slopes of Mount Tamalpais. For those who search out the top-rated hikes, there’s many a day when this trail is definitely a 10. At times, when the canyon is flush with water, it can rate as one of the best winter day hikes in California. In summer and fall, when the creek is rendered a trickle or even goes dry, it’s more like a 7.
From the trailhead at the south end of Alpine Lake (elevation 644 feet), you face a 750-foot climb over the span of just a mile to reach the centerpiece falls at 1,400 feet. Some hikers take the route from the Laurel Dell trailhead, which has a 240-foot drop over 0.4 mile. The canyon’s prettiest falls are at an elevation range of about 1,200 to 1,400 feet.
The trail starts by contouring along a cove of Alpine Lake. It then rises from the lake, climbing up into a lush canyon where there seems to be one small waterfall after another. These are not big free falls like in Yosemite, but rather small cascades, surrounded by luxuriant riparian beauty. Compared to almost anywhere in the Bay Area environs after such recent heavy rains, the collective beauty can seem nonpareil.
In late winter, especially when the skies have just cleared after heavy rains, the cascades in this canyon can look like something found in Hawaii. This is particularly true when rays of sunlight catch the droplets of water just right and the refracted light makes them sparkle. From top to bottom, there’s one cascade after another, crowned by a silvery chute pouring into a plunge pool. After getting your fill of this sight, return the way you came.
The trailhead is a few hundred yards past the west side of the dam at Alpine Lake. This is the best-known fall in the region, and parking along the road is extremely limited, often making for a frustrating encounter on weekends, especially Sundays in winter after a Saturday rain.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities. No swimming or wading.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Bolinas.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue 3.5 miles (get in left lane) to Center Boulevard. Turn left on center and drive 1.7 miles into Fairfax (becomes Broadway Boulevard) to Bolinas Road. Turn left on Bolinas Road and drive eight miles, cross Alpine Dam, and continue a short distance to the trailhead on the left. Park on the road’s shoulder (usually on the right). Leave at least six feet of clearance between your car and the center of the road.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org; Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
2.5 mi/1.5 hr
in Marin Water District on flank of Mount Tamalpais
Laura Dell trailhead provides the easiest route to Cataract Falls. Instead of the climb from Bolinas-Fairfax Road and Alpine Lake (see the previous listing), here you start high and glide down to the upper set of falls, then return via a gentle loop. The trailhead is at 1,640 feet. Walk down fire road 0.7 mile to the Laurel Dell picnic site, then turn left on Cataract Trail for a one-mile descent into the steep canyon to see Cataract Falls. You’ll descend past a series of tiny waterfalls in a lush setting. When running at full strength, the cascades are a precious sight. The canyon’s prettiest falls are at an elevation range of about 1,200 feet. Many prefer first sight of the falls as a frontal, and that’s when the trailhead at Bolinas-Fairfax Road/Alpine Lake is more popular.
To do this loop, continue along the Cataract Trail to the High Marsh Trail. Turn right on the High Marsh Trail, hike onward, and turn right at any of the next three trail intersections to return to the Laurel Dell trailhead. Of the three choices, the second makes the best return loop, as the short cutoff will put you within a few hundred yards of the trailhead.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure with map of Mount Tamalpais State Park is available for a small fee at the visitors center or by writing to the address below. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for Bolinas and San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive (at junction for Muir Woods, continue straight) 5.2 miles to Pantoll Road. Bear right on Pantoll Road and go 1.4 miles to T intersection at Rock Spring and Ridgecrest Boulevard. Turn left and drive 1.4 miles to trailhead (look for fire road) on right.
Must-do summit: From Laurel Dell, turn left on Ridgecrest and drive 4.5 miles to East Peak.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
0.6 mi/0.5 hr
in Marin Water District on flank of Mount Tamalpais
One of the best easy walks in the Bay Area with a world-class payoff is the stroll to O’Rourke’s Bench. On a clear day, the view seems to span to infinity. From this perch at 2,040 feet, coastal hills and valley plunge at your feet to the Pacific Ocean. In one turn of the head, you can take in unbelievable miles of sunlit charm, up and down the coast, across to San Francisco, and on crystal days, to the Mount Diablo summit. No matter where you live, your age or level of outdoor orientation, O’Rourke’s Bench is a must-do.
The walk: From Rock Spring Parking (1,972-foot elevation), cross Ridgecrest and look for the trail on the south side of the road (at a junction with Pantoll Road). From here, it’s an easy 0.3-mile walk (about 15 minutes) to the stone bench; a gentle uphill climb of 70 feet, where you emerge from the woods to the bench and lookout. You’ll find a treasured plaque that says: “Give me these hills and the friends I love. I ask no other heaven. To our Dad O’Rourke, in joyous celebration of his 76th birthday, Feb. 25th, 1927. From the friends to whom he showed this heaven.”
It’s always good: Even when the coast is buried in fog, the lookout perch is high enough to usually be above the stratus layer. It can be like peering across the top of a gorgeous sea of fog. On clear days, the ocean can sparkle in refracted silvers. Plus it can be one of the best places anywhere to see a sunset. In addition, a network of trails provides a mosaic of connected routes out of Rock Spring, Mountain Theater, Bootjack, and Pantoll trailheads on the west flank of Mount Tamalpais.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive (at junction, continue straight) 5.2 miles to Pantoll Road. At Pantoll, bear right on Pantoll Road and go 1.4 miles to Rock Spring and a T intersection with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Continue straight ahead to parking for Rock Spring trailhead. If full, turn right on Ridgecrest and go 0.25 mile to Mountain Theater.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
2.2 mi/1.0 hr
in Marin Municipal Water District at Mount Tamalpais
From Rock Spring (1,972 feet), you’ll find a trailhead at the north end of the parking lot. From here, walk 0.1 mile (you’ll pass a junction/trailhead for Cataract Trail on your left), then another 0.1 mile to a fork (1,965 feet) with the Simmons Trail and a cutoff on the right that goes to parking for Mountain Theater. Continue ahead on the Simmons Trail for 0.9 mile to Barth’s Retreat (1,970 feet). Bring your trail lunch. This is one of Mount Tam’s great walk-in picnic sites. Barth, by the way, was one Emil Barth, a prolific musician and hiker who constructed a camp here in the early 20th century. This route connects to an inland network of trails, from which you can explore for many treks, or simply return when ready.
User Groups: Hikers and leashed dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities. Road is gated and locked at sunset.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive (at junction, continue straight) 5.2 miles to Pantoll Road. At Pantoll, bear right on Pantoll Road and go 1.4 miles to Rock Spring and a T intersection with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Continue straight ahead to parking for Rock Spring trailhead. If full, turn right on Ridgecrest and go 0.25 mile to parking for Mountain Theater.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
3.4 mi/1.5 hr
in Marin Municipal Water District on Mount Tamalpais
High on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, West Point Inn has provided a destination with sensational views and a quiet refuge at night for more than 100 years. From parking at Mountain Theater (elevation 2,060 feet), take the Rock Spring Trail for 1.7 miles to West Point Inn (1,785 feet). The trail is an easy glide. Your destination is West Point Inn. At certain lookout points from the inn, the views are great. You tower over San Francisco Bay, the Marin Headlands and across the Pacific. On late nights with a full moon, a layer of fog below can shimmer in silvers. The view nearly equals that from 2,571-foot East Peak, but without the weekend crowd around the Gardner Lookout.
It was first built in 1904 for those who rode up from Mill Valley on the “Crookedest Railroad in the World.” That old railroad line is now a great mountain bike trek, and several hiking trails lead to West Point Inn as well. The inn is run as a co-op and, like a step back in time, has no electricity.
User Groups: Hikers and leashed dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free. Road is gated and locked at sunset.
Maps: A brochure with map of Mount Tamalpais State Park is available for a small fee at the visitors center or by writing to the address below. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael. Much of this trail is on Marin Municipal Water District land; contact that agency to obtain a detailed map for a fee.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.3 miles to Pantoll. Bear right on Pantoll Road and drive 1.4 miles to a T with Ridgecrest Boulevard (Rock Spring parking and trailhead is directly ahead). Turn right on Ridgecrest and go 0.25 mile to the Mountain Theater trailhead.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org; Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov; West Point Inn, 415/388-9955 (not for reservations), http://westpointinn.com.
0.4 mi/0.5-1.0 hr
in Mount Tamalpais State Park
Mount Tam is one of those rare spots that projects a feeling of power, and while standing on its highest point, you can sense that power flowing right through you. From Mount Tam’s 2,571-foot East Peak there is no better place in the Bay Area to watch the sun set. How it makes you feel can stay with you for years. The hike is very short (after all, a parking lot is set right at the foot of the summit trail) but is quite steep. The trail rises about 330 feet to the top, at an elevation of 2,571 feet. An old lookout station is positioned at the summit, and hikers usually try to find a perch as close as possible to the top.
To the east, the bay resembles the Mediterranean Sea, like an azure pool sprinkled with islands. And at night, the lights of the bridges and the surrounding cities can give the Bay Area an almost surreal look. The true magic happens at sunset, particularly on foggy days. The peak stands well above the top of the fog layer, and when the fiery sun dips into that low stratus to the west, orange light can be refracted for hundreds of miles around. Witness this stunning sight even one time, and you will gain a new perspective about what might be possible in this world.
User Groups: Hikers only. Dogs are permitted on the paved trail but not on the mountaintop overlook. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair access on the trail, but good views are available from the wheelchair-accessible parking lot. ADA access is available in the park.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.3 miles to Pantoll. Bear right on Pantoll Road and drive 1.4 miles to a T with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Turn right on Ridgecrest and go three miles to East Peak and parking. The road dead-ends at the parking area at the base of the summit and trailhead.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
2.6 mi/1.0 hr
in Mount Tamalpais State Park
Inspiration Point provides an alternative to the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais. You can get a similar kind of magic without all the people. Park at the lot on the summit. Instead of heading up to the East Peak after parking, hike the fire road, Eldridge Grade. The trail wraps around the northern flank of the East Peak, then makes a hairpin turn to the left around North Knee, set at 2,000 feet. At this point, a view below of the bay comes into your scope. Inspiration Peak awaits just down the road. At the hairpin right turn, take the short cutoff trail on the left, and you will quickly reach the top at 2,040 feet. This is a vantage point for miles and miles of charmed views. All can seem enchanted. The elevation loss and gain is roughly 200 feet. Much of this trail is not on state park land but land managed by the Marin Municipal Water District.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and mountain bikes. No horses. No wheelchair access on the trail, but good views are available from the wheelchair-accessible parking lot.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged at the summit parking lot.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.3 miles to Pantoll. Bear right on Pantoll Road and drive 1.4 miles to a T with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Turn right on Ridgecrest and go three miles to East Peak and parking. The road dead-ends at the parking area at the base of the summit and trailhead.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
4.5 mi/1.5 hr
on Marin Municipal Watershed near Ross
Trailhead parking is terrible, but the hike is great. The latter trumps the former as the Marin Municipal Water District told us this is one of the most popular hikes in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. The little 25-acre jewel set in a pocket just west of the town of Ross is indeed well loved. If you get a parking spot, something of a miracle on weekends, you’ll see the gate, and from there, it’s an 0.3-mile walk on a fire road to the spillway (pretty in winter) and on to Phoenix Lake (174 feet elevation). The trail skirts above the lake to the right. Many just go to the lake, have a picnic, sit on one of the benches, fish a little, and then head back. For a loop around the lake, continue ahead to a major junction, the Phoenix Junction, one mile in (196 feet). Turn left on the Ord Trail, which skirts above the southern shore of the lake for 1.1 miles, then turns left (along the shoreline) for 0.7 mile and reaches the spur that takes you back to parking. The lake is pretty, the views of the watershed are great, and in spring, this one is spectacular.
Note: From Phoenix Junction, you can instead hike straight ahead to Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lakes or turn right to the watershed interior and a junction called Six Points. Both are great hikes.
User Groups: Hikers and leashed dogs. Horses and mountain bikes restricted access to roads only. No wheelchair facilities. No swimming or wading.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free. Park closes at sunset and the parking lot is locked.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue 7.5 miles to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Take that exit (toward San Anselmo) and continue 0.4 mile and merge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Continue west for 2.5 miles to Lagunitas Road. Turn left on Lagunitas Road and drive 1.1 miles and park along the road. Parking is extremely limited, space for about 20 cars, and near a residential area with No Parking signs in front of homes. For the best approach, park outside the immediate area and walk in.
Contact: Sky Oaks Ranger Station, 415/945-1180; Marin Municipal Water District, 415/945-1195, www.marinwater.org.
2.2 mi/1.0 hr
in Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve near Larkspur
A pretty walk in the woods leads to one of Marin’s romantic spots, Dawn Falls, your destination and reward in Baltimore Canyon Open Space. When refreshed by rain, Dawn Falls pours in a narrow stream over the brink and falls 25 feet in a silvery chute to the rocks below. It is named “Dawn Falls” because there are spring days when the early morning sunlight catches the water just right and refracts in color. Dry weather reduces the cascade to a trickle, and in drought, it goes dry.
From the parking area, it’s a few minutes’ walk down to Larkspur Creek, across the bridge to the junction with the Dawn Falls Trail. Turn right and you are on your way. The trail runs along the creek at the base of Baltimore Canyon (continue straight at a trail junction), then climbs 300 feet to the falls. You emerge on the left side, with a full-frontal view.
Note: There is no formal parking area, only limited street parking. In winter and early spring when the waterfall is flowing, the street parking can fill. Park in Larkspur instead and walk in.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No mountain bikes or horses. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Groups are limited to 19 people. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A hiking and biking map is available for a fee from the Marin Municipal Water District. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: Take U.S. 101 in Marin to Corte Madera and the exit for Paradise/Tamalpais Drive. Take that exit to Tamalpais Drive, turn west and drive about a mile to Corte Madera Avenue. Turn right and drive (the road becomes Magnolia) about 0.6 mile to Madrone Avenue (the road narrows). Turn left on Madrone Avenue and drive 0.8 mile to the trailhead, at road’s end.
Contact: Marin County Parks, 415/473-6387, www.marincountyparks.org.
3.6 mi/2.0 hr
in Mount Tamalpais State Park
With the campground at Bootjack, the Matt Davis Trail takes on new significance. The trailhead (1,400 feet) is on the north side of the Panoramic Highway. The trail is routed to a drainage for oft-dry Rattlesnake Creek. You then hike through hardwood forest to a trail junction (1,330 feet) near Laguna Creek, 1.3 miles in, with the Nora Trail. Turn left here and climb 455 feet over the course of 0.5 mile, through a series of switchbacks, to West Point Inn. The inn and its cabins were built at the turn of the 20th century and, like a trip in a time machine, have no electricity.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for 1 mile to the stoplight at T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. At Panoramic Highway, bear right and drive (at junction for Muir Woods, continue straight) 4.7 miles to Bootjack on right.
Note: This parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov; reserve cabins online at http://westpointinn.com.
6.4 mi/3.0 hr
on Mount Tamalpais
We know people search through the book for hikes that are rated as 2s and 3s for difficulty, and 9s or 10s for scenic beauty. This is one of those hikes. Just pick a clear day. The reward is heart-touching views of the Pacific Ocean. There are places where you can stop, spread your arms wide toward the ocean, and feel as if the entire world is within your grasp. From Pantoll parking and staging area (1,500 feet), cross the road (careful on weekends) for the trailhead for the Matt Davis Trail. In turn, the Matt Davis Trail leads 1.6 miles into the woods, generally where you contour along the foothills to a trail junction (1,540 feet) with the Coast Trail. Here you turn right on the Coast Trail and climb 280 feet over the course of 1.6 miles to the Willow Camp Fire Road (1,820 feet). In the process, you will have a series of coastal lookouts to the west. The Coast Trail here generally parallels Ridgecrest Boulevard and passes just below Ballou Point. Return when ready.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.2 miles to Pantoll (at the four-way junction, continue straight). Turn left into the Pantoll parking area.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
3.4 mi/1.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais
Just add rain, and in a hike at Steep Ravine, the divine spirit of nature will baptize you. This is the prettiest canyon in Marin and one of the prettiest walks, when wet, that is, anywhere. From Pantoll, the trailhead is at the far west end of the parking area. From here, you descend quickly, including with steps, into the lush canyon. You’ll arrive at the bottom of the ravine at pretty Webb Creek. Redwoods tower over you, and at times, the forest canopy closes off the sky. In some spots, ferns line the canyon walls. The trail follows Webb Creek, crossing the stream eight times in all. In less than a mile, you’ll reach a drop-off with a ladder, and in high flows, this brink produces a small but pretty waterfall. The trail continues to a historic dam, 1.7 miles in, just downstream of the junction (and bridge) with the Dipsea Trail (580 feet elevation). It’s a fine picnic site. Look close and you might see small fish in the pool. Head back when ready, a climb of 920 feet in 1.7 miles.
In the most violent rainstorms, this place is a refuge of peace. This is one of the few hikes best done during a rainstorm, and if that is not for you, try to time it just after heavy rain. In the canyon, the forest canopy protects you from a direct assault from the raindrops. Everything becomes vibrant with life as it drips with water.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.2 miles to Pantoll (at the four-way junction, continue straight). Turn left into the Pantoll parking area.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
5.2 mi/1.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais
The Coast View Trail out of Pantoll has been a success in its test as a new multiuse trail at Mount Tamalpais State Park. Within five minutes, by bike or on foot, you will realize that state park rangers turned what was a good idea at headquarters into a stroke of genius in the field.
After parking, elevation 1,499 feet, face the ocean with the campground on your left and look for the service road ahead and to the left that heads west (it passes just above the Steep Ravine trailhead). This is how the trip starts, on a road. You will hike (or ride) on pavement a short distance to a ranger service area and then continue as the road turns into a dirt fire road. In another 30 seconds, you emerge at a clearing and with it, get the trail’s first great lookout of the ocean and San Francisco. From here, continue straight on the fire road, heading southwest toward Muir Beach. The service road continues 0.6 mile, crosses the Dipsea Trail (1,200 feet), and then becomes the multiuse Coast View Trail. This trail is about half the width of a fire road, what mountain bikers would call a double-track. It is wide enough to pass on without those surprise “showdown” moments of truth with other trail users, yet narrow enough for an intimate feel. It is an easy downhill glide two miles to a foothill ridge (and gate) that overlooks Muir Beach (it’s less than another mile to Highway 1). Return when ready, a climb of about 900 feet in 2.6 miles.
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes. No dogs or horses. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is charged.
Maps: A brochure with map is available for a small fee from Mount Tamalpais State at the visitors center adjacent to the parking area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 5.2 miles to Pantoll (at the four-way junction, continue straight). Turn left into the Pantoll parking area.
The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
2.4 mi/1.0 hr
in Mount Tamalpais State Park
This 1.2-mile hike at Mount Tamalpais ends at an inn, called the Tourist Club (private), perched on a mountainside. Park at the lot at Mountain Home, along Panoramic Highway. Take Panoramic Trail 0.4 mile (it parallels Panoramic Highway) to its junction with Redwood Trail. Turn right on the Redwood Trail and then descend mile to the Tourist Club. This route laterals across the mountain slope before it drops into a pocket.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure with map of Mount Tamalpais State Park is available for a small fee at the visitors center or by writing to the address below. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 2.6 miles to Mountain Home. The trailhead for Panoramic Trail is on the west side of the road.
Note: The parking area fills early on peak weekends in winter and spring.
Contact: Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov; Tourist Club, 415/388-9987, www.touristclubsf.org.
3.5 mi/1.5 hr
on the Marin coast south of Stinson Beach
The view from Muir Beach Overlook is drop-dead beautiful, the kind of place that will melt the steel around the most armored souls. A trip to the Overlook, a hike on the adjacent Owl Trail, and a visit to nearby Slide Ranch and the tidal reef below can be one of the best ways to capture the sparkling day on the Marin coast.
The Owl Trail starts at the north side of the parking lot (440 feet elevation) and extends past Slide Ranch to a beach with an extended tidepool reef; 3.5 miles round-trip. From the trailhead at 440 feet, you descend 240 feet in a mile through chaparral with ocean views. The trail is routed through low-lying brush, which makes wearing shorts a prickly proposition. You then arrive at Slide Ranch. Slide Ranch is a small working farm, with chickens, sheep, goats, and more (we’ve seen ducks here that think they are chickens), that is accessible to the public making for a great family trip. You then pass giant cypress trees (where great horned owls can nest, hence the name Owl Trail) and sail down to the beach. A rope is often available to descend a short slippery spot to the beach. At the beach during low tides, you’ll find an extended tidal reef where you can rock hop, find lots of little crabs, and have a picnic.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. The Muir Beach Overlook is wheelchair accessible, but Owl Trail is not.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the Marin Headlands Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Headlands. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Point Bonita.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive to a signed turn for Muir Beach Overlook. Turn left at the Muir Beach Overlook and drive a short distance to the parking area. The trailhead may at first seem hidden. It is often unsigned but located at the north side of the parking area.
Contact: Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, 415/388-2595, www.nps.gov/muwo; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700.
1.5 mi/1.0 hr
in Muir Woods National Monument
The renovated Redwood Creek Trail is now a thing of beauty. Thousands of people take this walk amid the giant redwoods, and yet with the boardwalks, some paved trail, there is no damage to this beautiful landscape. From the visitors center, take the Redwood Creek Trail out along Redwood Creek for 0.5 mile to a junction with the Fern Creek Trail (more on this to come) and then continue another 0.2 mile to a bridge (actually, it is Bridge 4). Cross the bridge to the Hillside Trail, turn left and return back to the bridge (actually, Bridge 1) and the visitors center. If you have physically challenged members of your group, the loop can be cut short at two other bridges.
The Fern Creek option: You can turn this trip into a gorgeous three-mile loop and escape the crowds. From the visitors center, follow the Redwood Creek Trail to a junction with Fern Creek Trail on the right. Turn right and hike Fern Creek Trail to the junction with the Lost Trail on the right. Turn right, then climb about 500 feet up to the junction with Canopy View Trail (it used to be called Ocean View Trail). Turn right again onto Canopy View Trail and follow the trail down to return to the valley floor.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs (except for seeing-eye dogs), horses, or mountain bikes. The first section of the trail is wheelchair-accessible.
Permits: Reservations for parking or shuttles are required (www.gomuirwoods.com, $8 per vehicle, $3 per shuttle). An entry fee of $15 per person is charged (free for those age 15 and younger).
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at the visitors center or by contacting Muir Woods National Monument. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and to Exit 445B for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection (Tam Junction) for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 0.8 mile to a junction with Muir Woods Road. Turn left and go 1.5 miles to the park entrance road (Camp Eastwood Road). Turn right and drive 0.2 mile to the parking lot. Note that a shuttle is available in summer and may be required during high-use periods.
Contact: Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, 415/388-2595, www.nps.gov/muwo; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700.
3.4 mi/1.5 hr
in Muir Woods National Monument
This trail is worth knowing. When you arrive at Muir Woods and see tour buses shooting out people like popcorn from a popping machine, you’ll be glad you read this. That is because Canopy View Trail provides the best chance of getting away from the crowds. After passing the visitors center and starting down the paved path on the valley floor, turn right on Canopy View Trail. In under a minute you will enter a different world, a world of solitude, beautiful redwoods, and, alas, a steep ascent.
From the valley floor, the trail heads up the east side of the canyon on a steady grade, steep enough to get you puffing. It climbs 570 feet in 1.2 miles. You rise above the valley to where you can look down into a sea of redwoods. To complete the loop, turn left on Lost Trail, elevation 750 feet, which descends quite steeply over just 0.4 mile back to the valley floor, at 300 feet. There you turn left on Fern Creek Trail. Turn left onto the main trail to return to headquarters. It’s a great escape.
Avid hikers who know the area will remember that this was once called the “Ocean View Trail,” even though there was no ocean view. Some wanted the name changed to the Panoramic Trail. We like the new name, Canopy View Trail.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs (except for seeing-eye dogs), horses, or mountain bikes. The first section of the trail is wheelchair-accessible.
Permits: Reservations for parking or shuttles are required (www.gomuirwoods.com, $8 per vehicle, $3 per shuttle). An entry fee of $15 per person is charged (free for those age 15 and younger).
Maps: A brochure and map are available for a fee at the visitors center or by contacting Muir Woods National Monument. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Rafael.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and to Exit 445B for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection (Tam Junction) for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Turn left on Shoreline Highway and drive 2.6 miles to the Panoramic Highway. Bear right on Panoramic Highway and drive 0.8 mile to a junction with Muir Woods Road. Turn left and go 1.5 miles to the park entrance road (Camp Eastwood Road). Turn right and drive 0.2 mile to the parking lot. Note that a shuttle is available in summer and may be required during high-use periods.
Contact: Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, 415/388-2595, www.nps.gov/muwo; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700.
7.5 mi one-way/3.5 hr
on Mount Tamalpais from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach
In your first steps on the Dipsea Trail, you walk—or run—in the strides of ghosts, shadows, and legends, just as thousands have done over the years. The cross-country Dipsea Trail race is world-renowned as the oldest and one of the most beautiful cross-country routes anywhere. The route spans 7.5 miles from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, crossing the south flank of Mount Tamalpais, up and down from Old Mill Park through Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais State Park and Steep Ravine en route to the coast. The origin of the name “Dipsea” has been argued about for years, but many figure it comes from the old days when some participants jumped into the ocean to cool off after completing the trek.
The route now has classy-looking mile markers along the way, and finally, after years, many junctions have trail signs. Regardless, the trip can turn into guesswork for newcomers. First-timers should go with a hiking partner who knows the way. With a shuttle car, you’re looking at 7.5 miles one-way and with all the ridges and valleys, a cumulative climb of about 4,500 feet, and then a descent to Highway 1 at Stinson Beach.
The official starting point is the Mill Valley Depot, where you head a short distance down the street to Old Mill Park (elevation 120 feet). For hiking, instead park along the road at Old Mill Park (it has a restroom). At the far side of the park, you head uphill and reach the first of three sets of steps, 688 in all (formerly 671 before they were reworked). The steps are legendary among Dipsea runners. Jack Kirk, who ran the Dipsea for 67 straight years, is credited with the celebrated quote about the steps: “Old Dipsea runners never die. They just reach the 672nd step.”
When the trail tops the stairs and reaches pavement, look for the arrows painted on the street to mark the way (at times, the arrows can be faint). They will route you along Sequoia Road, Walsh Drive, and then across the Panoramic Highway (elevation 560 feet) at Windy Gap. From here the trail continues across a hill peppered with expensive homes before plunging down a wooded canyon to the entrance of Muir Woods National Monument. Trail runners called this downhill plunge “Suicide.”
Here, the trail signs improve. You emerge at the Muir Woods parking lot. At the bottom of the canyon, the trail crosses a temporary bridge (removed during high flows) at Redwood Creek (elevation 150 feet). You then grind out a climb in forest up past the Hogsback (elevation 730 feet), emerge past a grassland meadow, and then climb again into dense woodlands called The Rainforest. The climb gets steep as you rise through The Rainforest, up the 400-foot climb of Cardiac Hill, and then emerges at a clearing and trail junction (elevation 1,360 feet), the highest point on the route.
On clear days, this is where the ocean first comes into view. With portable restrooms, this site can provide the ideal lunch break. The major climbs are over, and the ocean is ahead. Unlike mono-landscapes in many areas, the Dipsea provides a mosaic of habitats, from oak woodlands, with bays, oaks, acacias and eucalyptus, into the conifers, with Douglas firs and redwoods, interspersed by meadows and riparian zones.
From that clearing with the view, you descend 1.5 miles through cathedral redwoods into Steep Ravine. The trail crosses a bridge at Webb Creek (elevation 580 feet), where everybody stops to gaze upstream at the pretty brook, edged by sword ferns, bracken ferns, and redwoods, enclosed by a towering forest canopy. Newcomers to the Dipsea may think the climbs are all done, but Insult Hill waits ahead. After that short grind, your reward is that sensational ocean views are then revealed.
Much of the descent to Stinson Beach is breathtaking, where it feels like you can open your arms wide and take in the entire expanse of the Pacific. A panorama of the ocean, Stinson Beach, and beyond to Duxbury Point comes into view. Most seem to get a second wind and rocket out of the hardwood forest. You emerge along the Panoramic Highway (a short distance from Highway 1), where there is a large dirt area for parking on the north side. You have thus completed America’s landmark cross-country route. There aren’t many rites of passage and this is one of them.
The length of the Dipsea has been argued over time, but Darrell White, who runs the race and is on the Dipsea Board of Directors, walked the route with GPS and a mileage wheel and verified the exact distance at 7.51 miles. In the process, he installed the mileage markers, with classy brass plates embedded in small boulders.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits required. Parking and access are free at the primary trailhead, but the trail can be accessed from Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais State Park, where there are fees. If you start at Mount Tamalpais State Park, an $8 fee is charged per vehicle.
Maps: The Dipsea Trail crosses several jurisdictions. A brochure with map of Mount Tamalpais State Park is available for a small fee at the visitors center or by contacting Mount Tamalpais State Park. For topographic maps, ask the USGS for San Rafael and Bolinas.
Logistics: Hikers should be partnered and work out a shuttle: Drive two cars to end of trail at Panoramic Highway at Stinson Beach and park one car at dirt area on wide shoulder on north side of Panoramic Highway across from trail end. Then drive other car to start of trail at Old Mill Park and park on street near park.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and to Exit 445B for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection (Tam Junction) for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Continue straight onto Almonte Boulevard for 0.4 mile and then continue straight onto Miller Avenue for 1.8 miles (use the right lane to stay slightly left on Miller) to Throckmorton Avenue. Turn left on Throckmorton and drive 0.3 mile to the Old Mill Park on the left.
Contact: Old Mill Park, 415/388-4033, www.cityofmillvalley.org; Mount Tamalpais State Park, 415/388-2070; Muir Woods National Monument, 415/388-2595, www.nps.gov/muwo; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
4.2 mi/2.0 hr
in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito
Tennessee Cove is a drop-dead gorgeous cove that extends in a sculpted curve south to Tennessee Point, with many stacks and outcrops in the tidelands to the south that catch the brunt of waves. The hike travels through Tennessee Valley (flat, paved for 0.8 mile, and very popular) and continues at a fork (trail turns to gravel, both forks reconnect in 0.6 mile), then ventures past a small marsh en route to gorgeous Tennessee Cove on the Marin coast. On the way, you are flanked by hills glowing green and peppered with wildflowers. The views of the Pacific Ocean can be gorgeous and the sunsets memorable. This trail has become a favorite for family hiking or biking trips. It is often crowded on weekends, and even on weekday afternoons when the weather is clear. You can also break off this trail to hike up on the flank of the Marin Headlands for ocean views.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. (Horses and mountain bikes must take the forked fire road.) No dogs. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the Marin Headlands Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Point Bonita.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and go four miles (through the Waldo Tunnel and into Marin City) to the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and drive 0.6 mile to Tennessee Valley Road on the left. Turn left and go two miles to the road’s end, parking, and trailheads.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
3.5 mi/2.0 hr
in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito
You can get one of our favorite lookouts on this trail, where you scan west from high on the Marin Headlands and across the ocean. The hike starts at the Miwok Stables (elevation 200 feet). Take the Miwok Trail, where you hike north and rise into the hills. The trail turns left and heads west 0.6 mile, where you continue to climb to the junction of Miwok Trail and Coyote Ridge Road. At this point, to make the loop hike, turn left on Ridge Road, where the trail tops out at 1,000 feet. The next mile offers spectacular views of the ocean, and every step can be special. To return to the Miwok Stables, turn left at the Fox Trail, and hike 1.1 miles; go left again on the paved Tennessee Valley Trail, and hike out the last 0.4 mile to the stables. Get yourself a clear day for the ocean views and go for it.
If you are new to the Marin Headlands, you will often see the usual parade of people on the Tennessee Valley Trail, especially on warm days. While this is one of the best easy family walks with a payoff, there are other excellent choices available. This loop trail we created is one of them. The Miwok Loop is a nearly circular hike that traverses the pretty grasslands of the Marin Headlands. In the process, you connect a number of trails to provide for views and a workout.
Trail use is typically high on weekends, and that includes mountain bike traffic on Coyote Ridge Road. No problem. It works for everybody.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes (partial access). No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the Marin Headlands Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Point Bonita.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 over the Golden Gate Bridge and go four miles (through the Waldo Tunnel and into Marin City) to the exit for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and drive 0.6 mile to Tennessee Valley Road on the left. Turn left and go 1.7 miles to the road’s end, parking, and trailheads.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
5.4 mi/2.0 hr
in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito
Hill 88 is a 1,053-foot hilltop in the Marin Headlands. It towers over Rodeo Beach, with the Marin coast and ocean on one side, wilderness foothills on the other, and a pretty silhouette of Mount Tamalpais to the north, San Francisco to the south. The payoff views and natural beauty are a 10. Yet the trip requires a climb that makes you feel that you’ve earned something special. That makes the trip a perfect mesh of beauty and ambition.
To get to the top, the hike is 2.7 miles with a 1,000-foot climb, steep in one spot. The trip starts as an easy walk on a gated road, the Coastal Trail. It then climbs (with pretty coastal views), and in 1.5 miles, reaches Battery Townsley (a concrete bunker, largely buried). You then climb, steep at times, up to Wolf Ridge (steep enough for the route to be stepped in spots). A spur on the right leads 0.1 mile to Hill 88. This is like a military ghost town with old gun placements on a bunker and sensational views. When you head back, it can feel like the entire coast is at your feet. It’s 5.4 miles round-trip.
An option is to turn it into a 5.5-mile loop. After your visit to Hill 88, to make the route a loop, instead turn right on Wolf Ridge. In 1.3 miles, turn right again on the Miwok Trail. It leads down to Gerbode Valley and back along Rodeo Lagoon (and the road) to parking. This is not featured because it means walking a bit along the road next to Rodeo Lagoon to get back to your parking spot.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No mountain bikes permitted on this route at Wolf Ridge. Leashed dogs are permitted on this section of Coastal Trail and Wolf Ridge, but not on the spur to Hill 88. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the Marin Headlands Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for Point Bonita.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin and the exit for Alexander Avenue (just north of the bridge). Take that exit west and drive under the highway and curve south to Conzelman Road. Turn right on Conzelman and drive 1.1 miles to traffic circle at McCullough Road. Take first exit onto McCullough Road and continue 0.9 mile to Bunker Road. Turn left on Bunker Road and drive 1.8 miles (Rodeo Lagoon on left) to fork with Bunker Road on right. Continue straight ahead (becomes Mitchell Road, Fort Cronkhite on right, Rodeo Lagoon still on left) for 0.2 mile to end of road and turn right to parking lot for Rodeo Beach.
Trailhead: After parking, walk back to road. Turn right and walk short distance west to trailhead for Coastal Trail. It starts as a gated road.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
1.0 mi/1.0 hr
in Mill Valley
Bothin Marsh spans 106 acres with bridged inlets, sloughs, and tidal wetlands amid cordgrass and pickleweed that adjoin Richardson Bay. You can see shorebirds, both residents and migrants, here, and what you see often varies with tides and season; 125 bird species have been verified by photographs. From the trailhead adjacent to Almonte, the best walk is to turn left on the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path and go into the interior of the marsh and over a pretty bridge to Bay Front Park, with the option of continuing on the Bay Trail to Hauke Park. This is a great site for bird-watching and easy walks with water views.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, mountain bikes, and wheelchairs. No horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge and continue four miles to Marin and to Exit 445B for Highway 1/Stinson Beach. Take that exit and continue west for one mile to the stoplight at a T intersection (Tam Junction) for Shoreline Highway/Highway 1. Continue straight onto Almonte Boulevard (it becomes Miller) for one mile to trailhead/access on right (a T intersection for Almonte is adjacent to access gate).
Contact: Marin County Parks, 415/473-6387, www.marincountyparks.org.
0.6-5.2 mi/0.5-3.0 hr
in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito
You do this hike for one reason: the panoramic views of San Francisco Bay. There is a good parking area at the trailhead. You then climb about 400 feet and top out at 800 feet at the Alta Trail junction. The views are fantastic, where you can see across Richardson Bay to Angel Island and beyond across the bay to the East Bay skyline. This trail didn’t get its name by accident: This is one of the best places in the Bay Area to catch a sunrise. After the short but steep climb to the junction with Alta Trail (a road), turn around and take in the dawn rush. The sunrise often casts yellows and oranges across San Francisco Bay. Want more? From the Alta Trail junction, you can easily extend your trip in either direction, then turn around when ready; or create a pretty 5.2-mile loop where you link the Rodeo Valley Trail and Bobcat Trail.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the Marin Headlands Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From San Francisco, drive north on U.S. 101 through the Waldo Tunnel. Take the Spencer Avenue exit, but keep straight on the frontage road on the east side of the freeway. (Do not turn right onto Spencer Avenue.) Drive about 0.5 mile, turn left, and drive under the freeway to the commuter parking area at the trailhead.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
1.5 mi/1.0 hr
in the Marin Headlands near the Golden Gate Bridge
This is a little piece of heaven. From your vantage point on Yellow Bluff, San Francisco can look like the Land of Oz. Yellow Bluff is just east of the Golden Gate Bridge, the first major land point along the Marin shore at Fort Baker. You get a stunning lookout of the Golden Gate, across San Francisco Bay to the San Francisco waterfront and skyline, and the surrounding landmarks. The trail is flat, short, and unpublicized, and there are a few picnic tables nearby.
It’s very easy to reach, yet missed by tourists. From East Fort Baker, walk on the trail that heads east near the shoreline of the bay. It leads along the shore to Yellow Bluff and a picnic site. You can turn the trip into a triangular loop hike where you continue along the shore, toward Sausalito, and turn left at the trail junction to return to Fort Baker. One of the great features of this area is that it is often sunny, even when the Marin Headlands to the nearby west lie buried in fog.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and mountain bikes. Fort Baker is wheelchair-accessible, but the trail is not. No horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the East Fort Baker Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Headlands. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin and stay to the right at the split. Drive a very short distance, turn left, and drive a few hundred yards to a stop sign. Turn right and drive 0.5 mile to the parking area for Fort Baker.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
0.5 mi/0.5 hr
in the Marin Headlands near the Golden Gate Bridge
Play tourist and drive out to Battery Spencer. If the experience doesn’t move you, head to the nearest emergency room and have your pulse checked. Battery Spencer is perched on a bluff top of the Marin Headlands, about eye-level with the top of the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. The big payoff is the eye-popping panorama of San Francisco. A trip here can easily be extended with a hike or scenic drive.
If parking is full when you get there, pull over and wait a minute; a spot will open up. After parking, head right toward the old concrete outbuildings and foundations for Battery Spencer. Battery Spencer was a military outpost, best known for its coastal gun battery as part of the defense to the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It’s a short walk on a wheelchair-accessible pathway to the bluff-top overlook of the Golden Gate. From the bluff, you get the classic towering view across the bridge to San Francisco. On the walk back, there’s a picnic bench with a view below to Fort Baker and across the bay to Angel Island and Alcatraz.
You can go the extra mile, or in this case, 2.4 miles round-trip. Look for the gated service road on the west end of Battery Spencer. It leads down 1.2 miles, with a 475-foot descent, to a pretty valley, and then to Kirby Cove. This is a gorgeous beach with the water view of the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll also find a concrete battery, a few bluff-top tent sites, and in the valley, a campground for groups.
User Groups: Hikers and wheelchairs. No dogs, mountain bikes, or horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A brochure and map are available at the East Fort Baker Visitors Center or by contacting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin and continue 0.5 mile to the exit for Alexander Avenue. Take that exit west, keep left at the fork and drive 0.2 mile under the highway (signed for U.S. 101 South/San Francisco) and curve south to Conzelman Road, signed Marin Headlands Coastal Route. Turn right (west) on Conzelman and drive 0.3 mile to parking for Battery Spencer on left.
Contact: Marin Headlands Visitors Center, 415/331-1540; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors center, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
on Angel Island State Park
Pick a bright, blue-sky day at Angel Island and you get eye-popping views everywhere you turn. At the virtual center of San Francisco Bay, you are surrounded by dozens of world-renowned landmarks. If you hit it right, the view across the bay of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, and Marin Headlands can be magical. On the loop, you also see Raccoon Strait, Sausalito, the Bay Bridge, East Bay hills, and Alcatraz.
From the ferry dock at Ayala Cove, hike past the beach and visitors center and continue on a short spur that connects with Perimeter Road. Bear right and you’ll then climb easily up through eucalyptus forest. The first highlight is Camp Reynolds, a Civil War-era barracks, with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. From here, the road points toward San Francisco, with a fantastic view of the San Francisco waterfront and high-rises as you pass above Point Blunt. The route bears left as you pass along Fort McDowell and the East Garrison. Little known is that a secluded and gorgeous beach is hidden in a cove below the garrison. The route continues in a loop past the North Garrison Immigration Station and China Cove with views of the East Bay waterfront and foothills, and then turns again to head back to Ayala Cove.
Always hike the loop in counterclockwise direction. The trail winds past old barracks and abandoned military buildings, climbs through lush eucalyptus forests and across high bluffs, and to lookouts. Every turn provides another awesome view.
User Groups: Hikers and mountain bikes (helmets are required for cyclists 17 years and under). The Perimeter Road is accessible to wheelchairs, but many portions are too steep for use. No dogs (except for seeing-eye dogs) or horses.
Permits: Ferry tickets include day-use fees and vary according to departure point and season; a fee is charged per bicycle. State Park annual day-use pass not accepted at Angel Island State Park.
Maps: You can purchase a brochure and topographic map for a fee at the park or by mail from the Angel Island Association. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: Ferry service to Angel Island is available from Tiburon, San Francisco, Vallejo, and Oakland/Alameda.
To the Tiburon ferry: Take U.S. 101 to Exit 447 for Highway 131 toward Tiburon Boulevard/E. Blithedale Avenue. Take that exit east for 0.3 mile to Tiburon Boulevard/Highway 131. Turn right on Tiburon Boulevard and drive 4.3 miles to entrance and parking for Tiburon Ferry.
To the San Francisco ferry: Take U.S. 101 to the exit for Marina Boulevard exit (near the southern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge). Take that exit and drive east on Marina Boulevard toward Fisherman’s Wharf. Park at a parking garage or pay lot. The ferry departs from Pier 41.
To the Vallejo ferry: Take I-80 to I-780 and drive to Curtola Parkway. Take Curtola Parkway (which becomes Mare Island Way) and continue to 495 Mare Island Way; free parking is available. The docking area is directly across from the parking lot.
To the Oakland/Alameda ferry: In Oakland drive south on I-980 to the exit for Webster. Take that exit and drive west to the ferry dock at Jack London Square. The ferry goes to San Francisco at Pier 41.
Ferries: From San Francisco: Blue & Gold Fleet (415/705-8200, www.blueandgoldfleet.com, bicycles free); from Marin: Angel Island Tiburon Ferry (415/435-2131, www.angelislandferry.com).
Contact: Angel Island State Park, 415/435-1915 or 415/435-5390 (ranger’s office); California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
4.5 mi/2.5 hr
on Angel Island State Park
This is one of the most dramatic urban lookouts in the world. When standing atop Mount Livermore, you will be surrounded by landmarks in every direction. At 788 feet, this is the highest point on Angel Island. The views are spectacular at night, when the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city glow with charm. From the visitors center, walk to the Perimeter Road and its junction with the Sunset Trail. The Sunset Trail starts where you hike west, just above the Perimeter Road (Perimeter Road is off to your right). The Sunset Trail instead bears left and climbs through a series of graded switchbacks, then turns left to rise up the south flank of the summit. After about two miles, you will reach a junction with the North Ridge Trail. Turn here and you will climb up for the final push to the top at 788 feet. The big views: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco waterfront, San Francisco Headlands, Marin Headlands, Raccoon Strait, Sausalito, Bay Bridge, East Bay hills, Alcatraz.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs (except for seeing-eye dogs), horses, or mountain bikes (they may not even be walked on this trail). No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: Ferry tickets include day-use fees and vary according to departure point and season; a fee is charged per bicycle. State Park annual day-use pass not accepted at Angel Island State Park.
Maps: You can purchase a brochure and topographic map for a fee at the park or by mail from the Angel Island Association. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: Ferry service to Angel Island is available from Tiburon, San Francisco, Vallejo, and Oakland/Alameda.
To the Tiburon ferry: Take U.S. 101 to Exit 447 for Highway 131 toward Tiburon Boulevard/E. Blithedale Avenue. Follow that exit east for 0.3 mile to Tiburon Boulevard/Highway 131. Turn right on Tiburon Boulevard and drive 4.3 miles to entrance and parking for Tiburon Ferry.
To the San Francisco ferry: Take U.S. 101 to the exit for Marina Boulevard (near the southern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge). Follow that exit and drive east on Marina Boulevard toward Fisherman’s Wharf. Park at a parking garage or pay lot. The ferry departs from Pier 41.
To the Vallejo ferry: Take I-80 to I-780. Take I-780 and drive to Curtola Parkway. Take Curtola Parkway (which becomes Mare Island Way) and continue to 495 Mare Island Way, where free parking is available. The docking area is directly across from the parking lot.
To the Oakland/Alameda ferry: In Oakland drive south on I-980 to the exit for Webster. Take that exit and drive west to the ferry dock at Jack London Square. The ferry goes to San Francisco at Pier 41.
Ferries: From San Francisco: Blue & Gold Fleet (415/705-8200, www.blueandgoldfleet.com, bicycles free); from Marin: Angel Island Tiburon Ferry (415/435-2131, www.angelislandferry.com).
Contact: Angel Island State Park, 415/435-1915 or 415/435-5390 (ranger’s office); California State Parks, Marin District, 415/898-4362, www.parks.ca.gov.
1.5 mi/1.5 hr
on Alcatraz Island
The Agave Trail at Alcatraz Island is only open from late September to February; the trail is closed from late winter into spring and summer to protect nesting birds. Named after the agave plant, which is common here, the trail provides some of the most breathtaking views found in the Bay Area.
Start at the ferry landing on the east side of Alcatraz and follow the trail as it traces the island rim to its southern tip. It’s quite wide, with a few benches and cement picnic tables situated for sweeping views of both the East Bay and San Francisco. From its southern end, the trail is routed back to the historic parade ground atop the island, where you will find some sculptural masterpieces, including 110 stone steps. The parade ground is a haven for nesting birds (this area is closed to the public each spring). Birds are thriving in the restored wildlife habitat, especially at the southern end of the island. About 10,000 marine birds live here, mainly gulls, cormorants, and egrets. With about 5,000 visitors a day in summer, that’s two birds for every person—wear a hat.
The old cell block is at the center of the island, with other buildings sprinkled along the eastern shore and on the northern tip. Ranger-led park tours are available, and visitors can rent audiotapes for a self-guided cell-house tour. Famous prisoners include The Birdman, Machine Gun Kelly, and Al Capone. The cells are only five feet by nine feet, yet because the warden ordered them painted two-tone, white over seafoam green, they give the illusion of a much larger space.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Entry tickets include the ferryboat trip to the island and audio tours are available from Alcatraz Cruises for an additional fee. Ferries depart from Pier 31/33 in San Francisco.
Maps: A map is available at the ferry landing for a fee. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From the Peninsula: Take U.S. 101 north to San Francisco and continue to the split with I-280 (signed Downtown SF). At the split take I-280 for 0.5 mile, keep right at the fork (signed for I-280), then continue 3.3 miles to King Street. Continue on King Street for 0.7 mile to The Embarcadero and then continue 2.1 miles to Pier 33 and nearby parking.
From the East Bay: Take the Bay Bridge to San Francisco (stay in left lanes) and the exit on the left for Harrison Street (toward Embarcadero). Follow that exit for 0.4 mile (stay right) to Harrison Street. Turn right on Harrison and drive 0.3 mile to the Embarcadero. Turn left and drive 1.5 miles to Pier 33 and nearby parking.
From Marin: Take the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco and continue (stay left on the split for U.S. 101) about two miles to the exit for Marina Boulevard. Turn left on Marina and drive 1.1 miles to Laguna Street, and then continue on Laguna for 0.1 mile to Bay Street. Turn left on Bay Street and drive 1.4 miles to the Embarcadero and nearby parking.
Ferries: From San Francisco: Blue & Gold Fleet (415/705-8200, www.blueandgoldfleet.com).
Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4900 or www.nps.gov/alcatraz; Alcatraz Cruises, 415/981-7625, www.alcatrazcruises.com.
1.5 mi/1.0 hr
in the Presidio in San Francisco
This one is a 10, worth the trip no matter where you live. It’s often best when turbulent skies offer textures to the setting. To your right is a magazine-cover quality view of the Golden Gate Bridge. From the Coastal Trail, the cliffs plunge below to the waterfront and beyond to the entrance of the bay, with passing ships, fishing boats, and sailboats. Directly across is the Marin Headlands, topped by Hawk Hill and edged by Point Bonita and its lighthouse.
The trip starts at Battery Godfrey in the Presidio. It is perched on a bluff west of the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll find the old concrete foundation for Battery Godfrey, fantastic views of the bridge, Marin Headlands and entrance to the bay, and a trailhead for the Coastal Trail.
From here, take the Coastal Trail toward the Golden Gate Bridge to a payoff spot called “Overlook.” A bench is set perfectly for a view of the bridge and photographs. The trail extends north a short distance to the toll plaza, where you can walk under the road to the designated Overlook above Fort Point and the southern foot of the bridge. Return when ready.
Back at Battery Godfrey, if you want to extend your trip, you can venture south on the Coastal Trail. It is routed along Lincoln Boulevard to Battery Chamberlain and Baker Beach, and then beyond to China Beach.
Battery Godfrey was a turn-of-the-20th-century military site armed with three 12-inch guns that could fire 1,000-pound shells 10 miles. What’s left is the concrete structure that supported the cannons.
User Groups: Hikers and wheelchairs. Dogs are not advised. No horses or mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Presidio. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From the Peninsula: Take I-280 north to Exit 47 signed for Highway 1/Pacifica. Drive 1.1 miles to the exit for Skyline Blvd./Highway 35N and merge onto Skyline Boulevard. Continue north 4.3 miles to a stop. Turn left on Great Highway and continue north 3.5 miles to the Cliff House; the road merges with Point Lobos Avenue. Bear right and drive 0.6 miles (becoming Geary St.) and continue 0.9 mile to 26th Avenue. Turn left on 26th and go 0.5 mile to El Camino Del Mar. Turn right and drive 0.2 mile (becoming Lincoln St.); continue 1.1 miles into the Presidio and Langdon Court (for lookout, Battery Godfrey). Turn left and drive to the parking lot.
From the East Bay: Take the Bay Bridge (I-80 West) to San Francisco and the Fremont Street exit. The off-ramp merges onto Fremont Street; stay left and then continue straight to Pine Street. Turn left on Pine and drive 1.3 miles to Van Ness Avenue. Turn right on Van Ness and go 0.8 mile to Lombard/U.S. 101. Turn left on Lombard and drive three miles to Exit 439 (for Presidio). Take that exit and continue a short distance to Lincoln Boulevard. Turn right on Lincoln and go 0.3 mile (under U.S. 101) to Langdon (for lookout, Battery Godfrey) on right. Turn right and drive a short distance to park.
From Marin: Take U.S. 101 south over the Golden Gate Bridge to Exit 439 toward 25th Avenue. Take that exit and continue 0.2 mile to Lincoln Boulevard. Turn right on Lincoln and go about 500 feet to Langdon (for lookout, Battery Godfrey) on right. Turn right and drive a short distance to the parking lot.
Contact: Presidio Visitors Center, 415/561-4323, www.nps.gov/prsf.
2.5 mi/1.5 hr
in the Presidio in San Francisco
The Presidio is best known for its shoreline lookouts of the Golden Gate. Instead, try this trip once and you will never forget it. The Ecology Trail is routed through Tennessee Hollow and a mixed forest, with occasional views that provide a hint to the payoff. In less than a mile you’ll reach the turnoff on your right to Inspiration Point (it can also be reached by car). The view is fantastic: You get a panorama that spans below to the Palace of Fine Arts and beyond to the San Francisco waterfront, bay, and across to Angel Island and Alcatraz. World-class.
Then, at Inspiration Point, turn and look behind you. On the opposite side of Arguello Boulevard is a young cypress forest from which the 100-foot Goldsworthy’s Spire pokes a hole in the sky. It is best accessed across the street from parking at the Presidio Café.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. Bikes are not advised. Wheelchair access from parking at Inspiration Point.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Presidio. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From the parking lot, walk to the Inn at the Presidio on Moraga Avenue. At the corner with Hardie Avenue, turn right and walk a short distance to the trailhead.
From the Peninsula: Take U.S. 101 north to San Francisco and continue to the split with U.S. 101/Golden Gate Bridge-I-80/Bay Bridge. Stay left on U.S. 101 and follow Van Ness Avenue to Lombard Street; turn left on Lombard Street and continue to Letterman. Turn right on Letterman and drive 0.2 mile on Presidio to Funston. Turn left and drive 0.1 mile to Moraga Avenue and the trailhead adjacent to Inn at the Presidio.
From East Bay: Take the Bay Bridge to San Francisco and the exit for Fremont Street. Continue onto Front Street and follow the road a short distance to Pine Street. Turn left on Pine and drive 2.7 miles to Presidio Avenue. Turn left on Presidio and go 0.2 mile to Funston Avenue. Turn left on Funston and go 0.1 mile to Moraga Avenue. Turn right at Moraga and park in the lot on the right.
From Marin: Take the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco and continue to the split with U.S. 101/Marina. Stay left at the split for U.S. 101 and continue to Lombard Street. Turn right on Lombard and drive 0.3 mile to Letterman Drive. Turn right and drive 0.3 mile and continue ahead on Presidio Boulevard for 0.2 mile to Funston Avenue. Turn left on Funston and go 0.1 mile to Moraga. Turn right at Moraga (Inn at the Presidio is near the trailhead, on the left) and park in the lot on the right.
Contact: Presidio Visitors Center, 415/561-4323, www.nps.gov/prsf.
3.0 mi/1.25 hr
from San Francisco to Marin
The top tourist walks in the world include the stroll to Yosemite Falls, the Redwood Creek Trail in Muir Woods, and this—the walk over the Golden Gate Bridge and back. And it makes sense: On a warm, clear day, the walk across the bridge feels like a surreal phenomenon and the view is incomparable. The bridge is 1.2 miles long, so most visitors walk halfway out, take in the view, then return to their cars (1.5-mile round-trip). If you walk from one end to the other and then return, it takes about an hour. The bridge deck is 220 feet above the water and the towers rise up 750 feet. Look up at the gated catwalk that rings the top of the South Tower. I was up there one spring day. As I looked straight down past my boots on the grated deck, I felt the tower waver slightly in the wind and an electric tremor course through my heart.
Parking is available at the north end of the bridge (at Vista Point) and at the south end, on each side of the toll plaza. On the San Francisco side, there is also some parking on the west side; you’ll then walk through a short tunnel that runs under U.S. 101 and loops up to the pathway entrance.
From the walking lane at the center of the bridge, looking eastward, you can see Alcatraz, Angel Island and the bay framed by the San Francisco waterfront to your right and the East Bay hills on the horizon. From the bicycle lane, you get a near-equal panorama in the other direction: the Marin Headlands, mouth of the bay and beyond to the ocean, and the San Francisco Headlands, cliffs, and beaches to Point Lobos. Stash a windbreaker in a small pack. Even on clear days, a moist coastal breeze can cause a chill for some.
User Groups: Hikers, wheelchairs, dogs, and mountain bikes (on the west side of the bridge only). No horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From the Peninsula: Take I-280 north to Daly City and the split with Highway 1. Stay left at the split and continue north on Highway 1 (19th Ave.) through Golden Gate Park. After passing through a tunnel, merge with U.S. 101 North (right lane). Continue 0.2 mile to the exit for Presidio/Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point. Parking and Vista Point are on the left.
From East Bay: Take the Bay Bridge to San Francisco and the exit for Fremont Street. Merge onto Fremont and go another 0.3 mile, continuing onto Front Street. Turn left on Pine Street and drive 1.4 miles to Franklin Street. Turn right on Franklin and drive 0.8 mile to Lombard/U.S. 101. Turn left on Lombard and drive three miles (U.S. 101) toward Golden Gate Bridge and the exit for Presidio/Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point. Parking and Vista Point are on the left.
Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, San Francisco, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
3.0 mi/1.25 hr
on Crissy Field in San Francisco
This is one of the most spectacular city walks in America. Marina Green is your launch point. From here along the Golden Gate Promenade, you get waterfront views that extend to the Golden Gate Bridge and across to Sausalito and Alcatraz. From parking, take the San Francisco Bay Trail west along Marina Green and work your way around the yacht harbors (you’ll see lots of docked boats on your right) toward the St. Francis Yacht Club. Then continue toward the harbor entrance, past the Golden Gate Yacht Club, to the point at the end of the jetty and to the Wave Organ.
The Wave Organ is on the end of the point near the mouth of the harbor. It’s a wave-activated acoustic sculpture that has 25 “organ pipes,” actually made out of PVC and concrete. The movement of water into the pipes sets off tones that amplify water noises, best at high tides. The sound is subtle but San Francisco cool.
From the Wave Organ, head west past the yacht harbors and pick up the Golden Gate Promenade/Bay Trail. The route (paved) runs along the bay and beachfront and continues past Crissy Field and its marsh to the Presidio, Fort Point Pier, and beyond to Fort Point at the southern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way, you get stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay, and Alcatraz, along with access to the beach, restored ponds and marsh wetlands, and coastal sand dunes. For nonresidents, the trip to Crissy Field is a city adventure through San Francisco past many landmarks en route to the waterfront.
User Groups: Hikers, wheelchairs, dogs, and mountain bikes. No horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: From the Peninsula: Take U.S. 101 north to San Francisco and the exit for the Central Freeway. Continue onto Octavia Boulevard and turn right on Oak Street. Turn left on Franklin Street and drive two miles to Bay Street. Turn left on Bay and go 0.3 mile to Laguna Street. Turn right on Laguna and go 0.1 mile to Marina Boulevard (street turns left) and drive ahead short distance to entrance on right to Marina Green and parking.
From the East Bay: Take Bay Bridge to San Francisco and, shortly after leaving bridge, to exit for Fremont Street. Follow that exit ramp for 0.8 mile, continue onto Front Street a short distance to Pine. Turn left on Pine and drive 1.4 miles to Franklin. Turn right on Franklin and drive one mile to Bay Street. Turn left on Bay and go 0.3 mile to Laguna Street. Turn right on Laguna and go 0.1 mile to Marina Boulevard (street turns left) and drive ahead a short distance to entrance on right to Marina Green and parking.
From Marin: Take Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco and continue two miles (stay left at split on U.S. 101/Marina) onto Presidio Parkway and left turn for Marina Boulevard. Turn left on Marina and drive 0.8 mile to the entrance to Marina Green on the left and park.
Contact: Crissy Field Center, 415/561-7690; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Point Lobos and Lands End provide great views, easy adventures, and history. On any day, it is like walking across the grandest stage. The panorama starts right along the sidewalk. Along Point Lobos Avenue, toward the Cliff House uphill past Louis’ restaurant, you get a lookout that spans across the mouth of the bay and out to sea to the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge. It’s like a historic painting, with passing ships and fishing boats, pelicans, and cormorants. Continue uphill to Merrie Way, then turn left, that is, toward the Golden Gate.
From Merrie Way, stairs lead down to the historic Sutro Baths ruins. The foundation of the old structure and its seven swimming pools is about all that remains, and with historic photographs, you can reconstruct in your mind how it looked a century ago when thousands of people would visit on a Sunday afternoon. Along its leading edge, you get pretty ocean views where you can taste the salt air. Then return up the stairs to Merrie Way.
On the far side of Merrie Way, you’ll see the trailhead for the Coastal Trail. From here, the Coastal Trail spans 1.25 miles, much of it along a former narrow-gauge rail line, on bluff tops amid cypress, out to Eagles Point next to Lincoln Park. From Eagles Point, the payoff is a view of China Beach, Baker Beach, and the coast that arcs in a curve out to the southern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. During low tides on the Coastal Trail, look down along the cliffs and you can see relics of old shipwrecks that poke up through the sea’s surface. A metal masthead and an engine block are the most easily identified.
User Groups: Hikers, wheelchairs, dogs, and mountain bikes (mountain bikes must be walked through narrow sections of the trail). No horses.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco North.
Directions: In San Francisco, take Geary Boulevard west. As you approach the coast, it becomes Point Lobos Avenue; look for parking near the vicinity of GGNRA trailheads and Cliff House. The stairs down to the Sutro Baths ruins and water’s edge are to the left of the parking lot; the trailhead for the Coastal Trail is at the end of Merrie Way.
From the Peninsula: Take I-280 north to Exit 47 signed for Highway 1/Pacifica. Take that exit and drive 1.1 miles up the hill to the exit for Skyline Blvd./Highway 35N. Take that exit, merge onto Skyline Boulevard and continue north 4.3 miles to a stop sign (Lake Merced on right, Fort Funston on left). Turn left on Great Highway and continue north 3.5 miles north to Cliff House and where it merges with Point Lobos Avenue. Continue as road curves to right to parking areas.
From the East Bay: Take I-80E into San Francisco and to the merge for U.S. 101 North/Central Freeway (also signed for Golden Gate Bridge). Take that merge to Central Freeway and go 1.1 miles (becomes Octavia Boulevard) to Fell Street. Turn left on Fell and go 1.2 miles to Masonic Avenue (just past Central). Turn right on Masonic and go 0.2 mile to Fulton Street (the third left). Turn left at Fulton and drive 3.6 miles to Great Highway. Turn right and go 0.3 mile to Point Lobos Avenue and continue short distance to parking and trailheads.
Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
on Ocean Beach along the Great Highway in San Francisco
Ocean Beach spreads for miles along San Francisco’s coastal Great Highway, from the Cliff House on south past Fort Funston to Mussel Rock. The Ocean Beach Esplanade is a paved route that borders the beach on one side and the Great Highway on the other. Here you can discover a long expanse of sand and a paved jogging trail. The nature of both the trail and the adjacent beach allows visitors to create trips of any length. The beach spans four miles, from Seal Rock (near the Cliff House) south to Fort Funston and beyond (see next hike). The huge swath of sand at Ocean Beach is popular with joggers, especially during low tides, when the hard-packed sand is uncovered. During minus low tides, this is the best area anywhere to find sand dollars; park rules prohibit picking them up. Never did understand the issue with this here; they just get ground up by the waves.
Warning: Do not swim here. There have been several drownings in this area due to riptides.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. Partially wheelchair-accessible. No mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco South.
Directions: In San Francisco, take Geary Boulevard west. As you approach the coast, it becomes Point Lobos Avenue. At the Cliff House, the road curves to the left and continues south as it becomes the Great Highway.
From the Peninsula: Take I-280 north to Exit 47 signed for Highway 1/Pacifica. Take that exit and drive 1.1 miles up the hill to the exit for Skyline Blvd./Highway 35N. Follow that exit, merge onto Skyline Boulevard and continue north 4.3 miles to a stop sign (Lake Merced on right, Fort Funston on left). Turn left on Great Highway and drive north. Parking is available along the road on the left.
From the East Bay: Take I-80 west into San Francisco. Use the right two lanes and follow the signs for U.S. 101 North/Central Freeway (also signed for Golden Gate Bridge), which will eventually lead you tp exit the freeway. Drive 1.1 miles onto Octavia Boulevard. Turn left on Fell Street and drive 1.2 miles to Masonic Avenue (just past Central). Turn right on Masonic and go 0.2 mile to Fulton Street (the third left). Turn left at Fulton and drive 3.6 miles to Great Highway. Turn left and look for parking along the right.
Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
1.5 mi/0.5 hr
at Fort Funston in San Francisco
Fort Funston is perched on San Francisco’s coastal bluffs, with the Pacific on one side and Lake Merced on the other. This park is one of the most popular places in California to take dogs, and you can count on seeing plenty, up to dozens at a time. It is also the top hang-gliding spot in the Bay Area, and watching those daredevils soar is the main attraction. A viewing deck is adjacent to the parking area, where Sunset Trail begins.
Follow the wide Sunset Trail as it routes north through coastal bluffs and above sand dunes for 0.75 mile to the park’s border. This is one of the most heavily used trails in the Bay Area. In fall and winter, the fog clears and the evening sunsets can make your spine tingle.
Down on the beach, you may see thick black sand unique to this part of the coast. It’s not an oil spill; rather, the sand is an iron-ore derivative called magnetite. Magnetite lies in the sandstone cliff walls; as the sandstone erodes, it leaves the heavier iron-based magnetite on the beach. (If you bring a strong magnet to the beach, particles will stick to it.) Scan the cliff walls further and you might see a thick, chalky substance about a foot thick. These are veins of volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Shasta 300 miles north; the ash made its way here via the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay. (Former Funston ranger Steve Prokop said he once found a sabertooth tiger tooth here in a vein of volcanic ore.)
No beachcombing or collecting is permitted on Funston’s beachfront. Beyond the park boundary, however, it is legal and you can often find sand dollars during low tides. From Center Hole to Mussel Rock, you can often have vast swaths of beach to yourself, especially on weekdays. Rating: Surprise discovery.
Restoration efforts here are ongoing. The Park Service replanted native flowers and plants to protect the bluffs. This has helped a colony of burrowing owls and bank swallows become reestablished. You may also see red-tailed hawks.
Hang gliding: Whether you watch or take part, this is a spectacular scene. Hang gliders launch from a designated area near the bluffs, then ride the updrafts from the cliffs. When the winds are right, you might see gliders flying nearly vertical—an amazing sight—then circle in a series of dipsy-doos. This is the one sport where gravity doesn’t always win, especially in the spring, when the north winds come up every afternoon.
Fort Funston often gets more dogs in a week than many Bay Area parks get people in a month. If you have a dog, check posted rules before venturing out. (Dogs must be on leash in some areas of Ocean Beach to protect the endangered snowy plover.)
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. Partially wheelchair-accessible (on the paved jogging route). No mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a free map, contact the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For a topographic map, ask the USGS for San Francisco South.
Directions: In San Francisco, drive west on Fell Street to Lincoln Avenue where it ends at the Great Highway. Turn left and drive south on Great Highway to the exit road on the right to the primary parking lot, or continue to Skyline Boulevard. Turn right (south) and drive a short distance to the secondary parking lot (unpaved at roadside) on the right, or a little less than a mile to the park entrance (also on the right). Both parking lots are accessible only on southbound Skyline Drive.
From the Peninsula: Take I-280 north to Highway 1 in Colma. Turn west on Highway 1 and drive one mile to Highway 35/Skyline Boulevard. Turn right (north) on Highway 35 and drive about five miles to a stop sign at John Muir Drive (adjacent to Lake Merced). Make a U-turn and drive a short way to parking on the right, or continue north to stop sign. Turn left on Great Highway and make a U-turn when able to exit for the main parking area.
Contact: Fort Funston, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 415/561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga; dog information, 415/561-4728.