Bay Area Challenge Overview > Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais stands guard over the San Francisco Bay, standing tall to the north in Marin County. The 2,571′ peak has long been a favorite hiking destination, but what better way to make it a real challenge than starting at sea level?
This route begins and ends in the sleepy seaside town of Stinson Beach, starting up the famous Dipsea Trail before veering up Steep Ravine and eventually taking the old stagecoach road to the summit.
Did you know?
The fire lookout at Mount Tam is still actively used and it's staffed by trained volunteers.
Mount Tamalpais Basics
- Summit elevation: 2,571′ (784 m)
- Vertical gain: 2,771′
- Hiking mileage: 15 miles
- Location: Mount Tamalpais State Park
Hiking Mount Tamalpais from Stinson Beach
This trail opened up in the fall of 2017, and has been very well engineered and built. It's a pleasure to hike up. Go early to beat the crowds and get the best chance of spotting wildlife along the way.
Trail Guides
Here are detailed trail guides to give you the information you need about each route:
- Hiking Stinson Beach to Mount Tamalpais – via our sister site SoCalHiker
- Stinson Beach to Mt Tamalpais Loop – via Calipidder
Travel Time
- Drive time from San Francisco: 1 hour (23 miles)
- Drive time from Oakland: 1 hour, 5 minutes (35 miles)
- Drive time from San Jose: 1 hour, 45 minutes (75 miles)
- Get turn-by-turn directions on Google Maps
Local Tips
- No fees for parking or permits required.
- The parking lot fills up on the weekends, but you'll be getting an early start on this, so it shouldn't be an issue.
Latest Mount Tamalpais Trip Reports
These hike logs will give you a feel for what the current conditions are, and the experience from other Six-Pack of Peaks challengers.
View all Mount Tamalpais trip reports.
The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
This hike is part of the Northern California Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, a series of challenging hikes up six, diverse and scenic Bay Area mountains. Sign-up to take the challenge today!
Got a link, tip or favorite aprés-hike restaurant we should add to this page? Let us know!
