Many Ways to Experience Mount Tamalpais:
Hiking & Biking Trails with Stunning Views
"Rising up from Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais State Park majestically rests in the heart of Marin County. Its deep canyons and sweeping hillsides are cloaked with cool redwood forests, oak woodlands, open grasslands, and sturdy chaparral.
The breathtaking panorama from Mount Tamalpais’s 2,571-foot peak includes the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County hills, San Francisco Bay, the East Bay, and Mount Diablo. On rare occasions, the snow-covered Sierra Nevada can be seen 150 miles away."
Read more at the Mt Tamalpais State Park page
Hiking
Some of the most beloved hiking trails on the mountain begin in Stinson Beach: the Dipsea trail and the Matt Davis and Steep Ravine trails. These trails are great ways to see the unique and diverse ecosystems in coastal Marin: lush, green redwood rain forests, grassy oak savannas with wide vistas and dry chapparal.
You can find some excellent info about the moderately challenging 6.4 mile Matt Davis-Steep Ravine loop, whose Stinson Beach trail head is practically in our backyard, at this Bay Area hikers website.
The Dipsea trail from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is one of the most well known, storied trails in our area. It is the scene of the oldest cross country race in the US, the Dipsea Race, which started in 1905. There are several loop and trail connection options if you're not ready to run the whole 7.5 miles!
Mountain Biking
Mount Tam is also legendary for its role in the history of the sport of mountain biking. Many credit the mountain as the birthplaces of mountain biking, which most enthusiasts believed evolved in the 1970s in Marin County. Though "single track" trails are restricted to foot traffic, there are tons of other bike friendly trails and dirt / fire roads across the mountain.
If you're more of a road bike afficiando, Panoramic Highway, Highway 1, Bolinas-Fairfax Blvd and other paved roads offer challenging climbs, exhilirating downhill runs and incredible views as well.
While we can't endorse specific businesses, there are local bike shops in Mill Valley and Fairfax which rent mountain bikes, such as Tam Bikes and Sunshine Bicycles which may be able to outfit you.
But about that history ...
