Mt. Tamalpais State Park

Mt. Tamalpais State Park Review

Although the summit of Mt. Tamalpais is only 2,571 feet high, the mountain rises practically from sea level, dominating the topography of Marin County. Adjacent to Muir Woods National Monument, Mt. Tamalpais State Park affords views of the entire Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The mountain was sacred to Native Americans, who saw in its profile—as you can see today—the silhouette of a sleeping Indian maiden. Locals fondly refer to it as the "Sleeping Lady." For years the 6,300-acre park has been a favorite destination for hikers. There are more than 200 miles of trails, some rugged but many developed for easy walking through meadows, grasslands, and forests and along creeks. Mt. Tam, as it's called by locals, is also the birthplace (in the 1970s) of mountain biking, and today many spandex-clad bikers whiz down the park's winding roads.

The park's major thoroughfare, the Panoramic Highway, snakes its way up from U.S. 101 to the Pantoll Ranger Station. The office is staffed sporadically, depending on funding. From the ranger station, the Panoramic Highway drops down to the town of Stinson Beach. Pantoll Road branches off the highway at the station, connecting up with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Along these roads are numerous parking areas, picnic spots, scenic overlooks, and trailheads. Parking is free along the roadside, but there's a fee at the ranger station and at some of the other parking lots ($8).

The Mountain Theater, also known as the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, is a natural amphitheater with terraced stone seats (for nearly 4,000 people) constructed in its current form by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The theater celebrated its 100th year of performances in 2013.

The Rock Spring Trail starts at the Mountain Theater and gently climbs about 1¾ miles to the West Point Inn, once a stop on the Mt. Tam railroad route. Relax at a picnic table and stock up on water before forging ahead, via Old Railroad Grade Fire Road and the Miller Trail, to Mt. Tam's Middle Peak, about 2 miles uphill.

Starting from the Pan Toll Ranger Station, the precipitous Steep Ravine Trail brings you past stands of coastal redwoods and, in the springtime, numerous small waterfalls. Take the connecting Dipsea Trail to reach the town of Stinson Beach and its swath of golden sand. If you're too weary to make the 3½-mile trek back up, Marin Transit Bus 61 (four times on weekdays and one to three times on weekends, depending on the season) takes you from Stinson Beach back to the ranger station.