Best Bay Area Hiking

Marin County: Hiking through Mount Tamalpais to the ocean-- from Mill Valley down to Stinson Beach via the Dipsea Trail (see more detail below). Stop by the German-American Tourist Club via the Sun Trail (off the Dipsea) for a quick rest and a beer. Scale the dirt hills of Tennesee Valley for spectacular coastal and city-wide views. Visit Bass Lake via the Palomarin Trail, a huge fresh water lake a short jaunt from the ocean where nude sunbathers find shade amongst the tress.

Quick Tips:

Read specific hike summaries in the Activity Reports in this file. A great online resource: http://gorp.com/gorp/location/cities/regions/ca_sanfran.htm For more information visit the California Parks Web site for maps and travel information: http://www.parks.ca.gov/ Don't forget your light-weight pack complete with a snack, lots of water and sunscreen.

Best Way To Get Around:

You will need a car to get to the trailheads of most locations, as some are remote and hard to get to.

A serene mix of green forest calm (at the start) leading to open rolling hills and breathtaking views, makes this hike a great workout and the very diverse terrain make this a good way to see the different sides to this beautiful Marin mountain area. This trail ends at the lovely Stinson Beach where you can take a stroll on the sand and grab a juicy burger or ice cream cone at the Stinson Beach burger joint at the entrance to the beach. Visit the Stinson Beach Bookstore for some rare finds and recommendations.

A magical hike featuring a hidden fresh water lake as you approach the ocean. Take the marked Coast Trail which will enter a grove of large eucalyptus trees and then leaves the woods and edges toward the ocean along some very steep, dramatic cliffs. Enjoy the beautiful views!! Bring a camera. On a clear day, you have a great view west to the Farallones, and south to Montara Mountain. The trail will then drop to greet Bass Lake on the left, a lovely spot for a swim and a nice picnic lunch (beware of nude sunbathers). After your visit to the Lake, continue to follow Coast Trail to the ocean, where you will encounter a few waterfalls (in the rainy season) and you have to climb down to reach the sprawling sandy beach. It is a bit of a climb down but well worth it! Things you will see on this trail: Coyote brush, California coffeeberry, lupines, and California sagebrush, Douglas firs, blackberries, ferns, some wildflowers, including iris, California buttercup, Indian paintbrush, and silver lupine. For more information visit the Point Reyes National Seashore Official Web site: click here.