A Great Hike On Mt. Tam

The hike started from Stinson Beach Dipsea Trailhead and then went up the Steep Ravine Trail, past Pantoll, and then on the Old Stage Road to the West Point Inn, and from there along the Old Railroad Grade to the Visitor’s Center and on to the Fire Lookout at the East Peak.  The return was the same until the Pantoll area where I followed the Matt Davis Trail back down to Stinson Beach. The trails are well marked.  I did refer to AllTrails a couple of times at intersections.  I was very happy to have my hiking poles as they helped going uphill and definitely kept me from falling a few times going downhill.

The best part of the hike is definitely the Steep Ravine Trail – it is beautiful with flowing water, trees, steps and even the famous ladder about 3/4ths of a mile before you reach the Pantoll area.  The old roads (Old Stage and Old Railroad) vary from a short paved section near Pantoll to rocky to dirt to gravel. What those areas lose in terms of trail they gain from the perspective of the views! The short hike from the Visitor’s Center to the actual peak is steep and rocky but worth doing.  The views from the top allow you to see 360 degrees around the Bay Area.  Incredible!

The return on the Matt Davis Trail was probably the part that I disliked the most as the poison oak made the hike more challenging (not from the hiking perspective but, as someone who is definitely sensitive to poison oak,  more of a challenge to stay in the center of the at times narrow trail).

I saw lots of lizards, butterflies, and even a chipmonk and deer.

All-in-all, it was a great hike! When I do it again, I think I will go up by the Steep Ravine Trail and then return the same way.