1 |
TENNESSEE |
DISTANCE: 4.0 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 2 hours
SEASON: year-round
DIFFICULTY: easy
The Tennessee Valley Trail is the most popular trail in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and probably the most heavily used trail in all of Marin County. But don’t let the crowds scare you away. The route is wide enough for everybody: bikers, hikers, runners, and parents pushing baby strollers. Or, time your trip for an early morning or a weekday.
Begin at Miwok Stables and head straight on the dirt path. The mostly level trail follows a creekbed between grassy ridges lined with coastal chaparral. Rabbits, deer, and bobcats can be seen in the quieter hours of the day. At 1.5 miles, the trail forks; bikers must stay on the wide road to the right but hikers take the single-track to the left. The trails rejoin 0.5 mile later as they pass a bird-rich lagoon and approach Tennessee Cove, a picturesque pocket beach where the steamship Tennessee wrecked in dense fog on its way to San Francisco in 1853.
Although Tennessee Beach is a great spot for surf watching, strong riptides make it unsafe for swimming. Consider adding on a half-mile hike up the northern bluff to a high coastal overlook before heading back the way you came.
From San Francisco, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and drive north on U.S. 101 for 4.0 miles. Take the Mill Valley/Stinson Beach/Hwy. 1 exit and continue straight for 0.6 mile to Tennessee Valley Rd. on the left. Turn left and drive 2.0 miles to the trailhead.
