Mount Tamalpais to Stinson Beach

In Northern California, we suffer from a phenomenon known as the May Grey, and more depressingly, the June Gloom. Seriously, in what world do we still get fog and days upon days of the marine layer covering the sun?  It’s probably unfair to moan; our summer lasts until October, and it doesn’t really get any colder than 50 degrees, even in the winter.I mention this because of a trip we took last weekend. Driving North out of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge was swathed in damp grayness. As we wound our way into the hills of Marin, depressingly, the all encompassing cloud showed no signs of abating. How ever were we going to go walking in this? Our destination was Mount Tamalpais and its surrounding state park. Pleasingly, however, the peak of Mount Tam is at 2460 ft, which sits above the marine layer. Thus, about ten minutes from our destination, we broke out of the clouds, and into the sunshine. Our hearts lifted, we began our trek.

The route I want to tell you about runs from the Pantoll Ranger station, high on the Western face, down to the town of Stinson beach and the Pacific Ocean below. We walked down the Matt Davis Trail; the first third of this is rather gentle, taking you through open meadows before descending more sharply through the forests. The trail is well maintained, and whilst there are a couple of tricky bits, it’s accessible for most anyone, so long as you watch where you’re walking. Word of warning – there are no dogs allowed.

After winding back and forth down a large gully, you find yourself in Stinson Beach. Just in time for lunch, I’d say! There are a few places to eat – the Surfer’s Grill, the Parkside Café, or The Sand Dollar Café, where weirdly, they had the outdoor heaters turned on.  We went to the Parkside, where they serve delicious local microbrewed beers from the Iron Head Brewery in Fairfax, California.

We ascended the hill by a different route, taking first the Dipsea Trail and then the Steep Ravine Trail. This takes you through the redwood trees for which the region is famous, and alongside a stream that has carved out the ravine. There are a number of quite pools and waterfalls along the way. The route is shorter (three miles against four and a bit), but much steeper. The terrain is a little rougher, too, and at one point you need climb a wooden ladder. It is quite hard work (especially after a couple of beers and a big lunch!), so it’s worth noting if you have children with you. If you’d rather not walk back up, or you’ve left it a bit late, there is a bus from Stinson back to the parking points further uphill.

Other things worth noting – there’s a six dollar car parking fee in the park, which you have to leave in an envelope, so make sure you bring appropriate change. Also, they have camping up there, so if that’s your thing, I’d definitely recommend that as an option.

Overall, a great way to get out of the city and enjoy the majesty of Northern California!