Hike Log

Mt. Tamalpais: A True Sea to Summit

Trailhead:

Stinson Beach – Dipsea Trail

Miles:

Type of Hike:

Day hike

Trail Conditions:

Trail in good condition

ROAD:

Road suitable for all vehicles

Bugs:

No bugs

Snow:

Snow free

Link:

This was my 3rd (3/6) of the Northern California Six Packs of Peaks Challenge. I started with a friend at 8:45am and ended at 7:45pm about 65-70 degrees on a beautiful sunny Saturday. Miles 1-3.5 up were a nice steady incline through the Dipsea/Steep Ravine trails. We took a small stop at the Pantoll Campground for some snacks and a bathroom break. Then continued out trek all the way up to the Mt. Tamalpais east peak with the fire lookout. Along the way we saw a banana slug not too far past the Bootjack Campground. From Bootjack to the Nora trail up we went through a series of lush forests and then narrow exposed bush areas with plenty of sunlight and endless views of the Mill Valley area. From the West Point Inn up it was a bit steep but being so close to the peak was a great morale boost. Views at the top were well earned. However, this was one of those hikes where the journey down felt longer than the climb up. We possibly made a mistake by taking the Fern Creek and Hoo-Koo-E-Koo trails down our initial descent as they were extremely narrow with a ton of loose rock. If you take this way down just be cautious. Then the Matt Davis section to Bootjack felt extremely long as we kept thinking every footbridge we saw was the last one but it wasn't. We then stopped for a bathroom break at Bootjack and popped some hydration tabs in our water for our final 3-5 mile push down the last of the Matt Davis back to Stinson Beach. The first half of the Matt Davis trail from Pantoll Campground down wasn't bad. We were rewarded with a gorgeous golden hour where the sunlight graced the rolling hills allowing all the beautiful wildflowers to glow proudly. This view was also accompanied by the joy of seeing the Pacific Ocean in the distance. However, the last 1.5 miles down the Matt Davis switchbacks felt the steepest and the longest as the grade was extremely steep in some portions and it felt better to just trail run our way down. When reaching the Stinson Beach parking lot we were rewarded with a gorgeous peaceful sunset on the beach. It was cool and windy, yet so refreshing to have a nice breeze after a good workout on the trail. Overall 10/10 hike, not as challenging as Mt. Sizer but continuously fun with endless views and joy along the way.

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