Restored over the last few years, the steps have cowered beneath local legends like the late jack kirk the dipsea demon, who finished the. Mount tamalpais state park california state parks ca. After the hike a friend gave us a great map of the area from the tamalpais lands collaborative that shows a number of really nice loops including up the dipsea and down the steep ravine trail, so you can walk up o. Dipsea trail from mill valley trailhead closed map. The climb tops out on cardiac hill at a fourway intersection. October 27, 2014 this run started at the trailhead of the dipsea trail on panoramic highway in mill valley, above muir woods. If open, continuing on dipsea will return you to the parking lot as well. One route trail or road will remaiin open troughtout the duration o the project. Dipsea trail in mill valley dipsea trail 200 shoreline.
I have always wanted to do the dipsea trail and i am so glad i finally experienced it, the double dipsea to be exact out and back for 14 plus miles. Mark mcgranahan recorded dipsea trail from muir woods to stinson beach. Find dipsea trail in mill valley with address, phone number from yahoo us local. The dipsea trail runs from near downtown mill valley in marin, california, through the muir woods redwood forest, up around the side of mt tamalpais, and then rolls downhill towards the. You wind through the marin headlands, down through parts of muir woods and end at stinson beach. There are no obvious trail markings and it almost looks like the trail leads to somebodys house. The san francisco bay area is full of worldclass trails. Dipsea trail from mill valley trailhead closed california alltrails. Its a oneway run from the center of mill valley, ca to stinson beach, ca mostly along the dipsea trail. The top of dipsea ridge has spectacular ocean views. We climbed, never too steeply, through some dense forest and into open coastal scrub. Dipsea trail running trail, mill valley, california.
The dipsea trail or the ben johnson trail through muir woods national monument to stinson beach is an. Steep ravine, dipsea trail to stinson beach return via matt davis trail it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood so i drove up to pan toll station on mt. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from april until september. I also take hikers and prospective runners over the dipsea trail. The dipsea serves as a competitive half marathon trail run that takes place every june. But perhaps none matches the history and notoriety of the dipsea trail, which runs from the tiny marin county enclave of mill valley all the way to the pacific ocean, crossing through simply stunning california landscapes. Parts of this trail can be slick and slippery, so wear good shoes and avoid days that are ceaseless downpours. After the hike a friend gave us a great map of the area from the tamalpais lands collaborative that shows a number of really nice loops including up the. Hiking the dipsea steep ravine loop in mt tamalpais state park. Dipsea hike golden gate national parks conservancy. The dipsea race, for which the trail is now famous, is the 2nd oldest foot race in. The dipseasteep ravine loop is a moderately easy 4. Hiking or running the dipsea trail is one of the bay areas and lifes special treats.
After crossing muir woods rd, the trail begins climbing fairly steeply up mt. Spectacular vistas may also be seen from an accessible. Shows birdseye view and elevation profile of the course. Muir woods trail map muir woods national monument golden gate national recreation area national park service u. There are a handful of trails that are accessible from the downtown area, and the most famous is called the dipsea steps. After only about a mile on the dipsea trail, the steep ravine trail split off to our left. I dont have a pdf of the trail guide, but i can print to pdf from safari, so ill send you what that captures. A trail race where youre either the hunter or the hunted winners over the past decade include an 8yearold girl barely beating a 68yearold woman and a 72yearold man. Accessible tables, restrooms, and drinking fountains are nearby. Fern creek trail dipsea trail matt davis trail stay to the right until panoramic highway cross highway veer left across upper lot alpine trail troup 80 spur bootjack creek trail camp eastwood trail fern creek trail please read the event description above before posting a message.
Begin the loop at the pantoll ranger station parking lot off panoramic hwy. Park in the overflow lot and follow the signs at the northwest corner to muir woods. Stretching from mill valley to stinson beach, the famed dipsea trail is for hikers looking for a challenge. Heres a partial list of trail runs on the dipsea andor steep ravine trails with approximate. Read more about our trails below and help support this work by becoming a. O ne tams new trails stewardship program is an innovative and comprehensive trail corridor stewardship program designed to benefit both the trail footprint and its adjacent natural and cultural resources. Pounded by semiinsane runners every june since 1905, the dipsea stairs might be the most storied stairwell in the west. Mill valley to stinson beach, trail map, mt tamalpais state park dipsea trailhead in mill valley, san francisco. Steep ravine trail to dipsea trail loop outdoor project. It offers shady forest, historical points of interest, an actual water fountain on the trail, fernlined trails through towering redwoods, playful cascades and pools in a cool, deep canyon, and panoramic coastal views. The map centers on the muir woods national monument and the famous dipsea trail, running from the mountains to the sea and back, if you like. This guide describes the upsidedown route that begins and ends at. Marin headlands mt tamalpais point reyes, california.
Dipsea trail steep ravine trail loop mount tamalpais. This page provides links to the trail maps we provide, organized by park. It is home to one of the oldest trail races in the country the dipsea race first run in 1905. Pantoll and bootjack each have accessible camping, restrooms, and parking. Starts in downtown mill valley, goes through old mill park where the 800 or so steps begin the ascension over mt. Continue straight as the woods are left behind and the sky opens in front of you. Wooden stairs account for much of the initial gain, after which the.
Stretching from mill valley to stinson beach, the famed dipsea trail is for. It starts in downtown mill valley at old mill park where runners must ascend hundreds of stairs. The dipsea trail runs 7 miles from a quiet residential neighborhood in mill valley to stinson beach, tracing much of what historians believe is a similar route used by coast miwok to reach the sea from the west slope of mt tamalpais. A photo journal of the turns is posted on the website. Dipsea, steep ravine and matt davis trail loop norcal hiker. Trails were developed, and a wagon road was built to the top of. Mill valleys old mill park and the dipsea steps outdoor. We started from the trailhead at panoramic highway, and followed signs for dipsea trail for approximately six miles, and after resting at stinson beach we retraced our steps back.
Hiking mount tamalpais from stinson beach in marin county. Everything from the shaded descent, to the open hills, the verdurous seaside stairs and then the beach. When funding is available, the tamalpais lands collaborative plans to address serious drainage and erosion issues on the intertwined dipsea trail and deer park fire road and. Dipsea the greatest race, centennial edition by barry spitz. The dipsea trail is a 7 mile trail running from mill valley through muir woods and mt tamalpais state park all the way to stinson beach. The map, at the terrifically useful scale of one inch to one quarter mile, covers that portion of the marin headlands between mill valley on the san francisco bay side to stimson beach on the pacific ocean. Hiking the dipsea steep ravine loop in mt tamalpais. Immediately after traversing webb creek, the dipsea trail begins a sharp climb up a side drainage, the beginning of a 600foot ascent over the course of approximately one mile. It begins in downtown mill valley with a sprint down throckmorton to the old mill park, then up three flights of stairs as tall as a fiftystory building, and up some more through an old horse ranch to windy gap. If you have never run a handicap race before you will find that it gives you a whole new perspective. Across the crosswalk, the dipsea trail continues on the hill above the roadway. The steep ravine trail follows webb creek through a cascading canyon under a canopy of lush redwoods and fernfilled gullies. The trailhead for the dipsea trail is located in old mill park in mill valley, ca.
From the pantoll parking lot, take the paved service road west. Tam ridge, passes through muir woods, and descends to stinson beach. Map of dipsea trail steep ravine trail loop, mount tamalpais state park. Mount tamalpais state parks steep ravine trail is a worthy hike by itself, but when you add the western stretch of the dipsea trail to make a loop out of the hike, this becomes one of mount tams most spectacular jaunts. This lovely map by tom harrison may be helpful if you plan to hike in the. The dipsea race first run in 1905, the dipsea is the oldest trail race in america. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Dipsea trail mill valley 2020 all you need to know. The trail starts with 688 stairs as the trail leaves mill valley. The trail was a steep descent along the hillside to the muir woods parking lot, picking up the trail again on the opposite side of the lot. You could hike it in sneakers, but 14 miles is a long way to hike in sneakers imo, and if the trail is damp or wet, all bets are off mainly referring to the steep ravine canyon section.
The first part of this loop follows the dipsea trail. Steep ravine, dipsea trail to stinson beach return via. Walk up throckmorton avenue from the mill valley plaza, two blocks to old mill park. The dipsea trail is the oldest trail race in america. Muir woods and vicinity trail map national park service. We have free and paid options that provide you the details you need to have your next great adventure in tennessee. Because hiking the trail gets kind of annoying when a race is going on, its a good idea to check a trail race schedule first. The dipsea and steep ravine trails seem to be one of the most popular places in the bay area to hold organized trail runs.
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