Everest by the Bay

Mt. Tamalpais

location of Mt. Tamalpais details about the Mt. Diablo hike details about the Montara Mountain hike details about the Mission Peak hike details about the Rose Peak hike details about the Black Mountain hike details about the Mt. Sizer hike details about the El Sombroso hike details about the Loma Prieta hike

This page describes the specific hiking route used on Mt. Tamalpais for Everest by the Bay.

Fast Facts

Location of the route:
Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Marin Municipal Water District near Mill Valley in Marin County
Trailhead elevation above sea level:
935 feet (285 meters)
Summit elevation above sea level:
2571 feet (784 meters)
Elevation gained on our route:
2940 feet (900 meters)
Distance walked on our route:
13 miles (21 kilometers)
Parking or other fees
None at this trailhead

All distances and elevations are approximate [ more info ].

Trailhead

From US 101 near Mill Valley, exit at Stinson Beach/Highway 1. After 0.6 mile, turn left at the traffic signal, staying on Highway 1. After 2.6 miles, bear right at the fork onto Panoramic Highway (a sign says "Mt. Tamalpais"). After about 1 mile, at a 4-way intersection, take the high road, Panoramic Highway (again, a sign says "Mt. Tamalpais"). After about 2 more miles, Mountain Home Inn is on your right. Park in the lot on your left, across the highway from the inn.

The Route

From the trailhead, follow Alice Eastwood Road downward. Turn right and upward onto Troop 80 Trail and follow it to Van Wyck Meadow. Follow Bootjack Trail towards Mountain Theater, then take Alpine Trail to Pantoll (rest rooms, water). From there, follow Old Mine Trail to Dipsea Trail, on which you travel down towards Stinson Beach. At the stream junction, turn right onto Steep Ravine Trail and follow it right back up to Pantoll. From there, cross Panoramic Highway and follow Old Stage Road to West Point Inn (rest rooms). Then take Old Railroad Grade up to the end of the public auto access road, then turn right and stay to the right on a gentle grade to the visitors center area (rest rooms, water, food), and continue up to Mt. Tamalpais East Peak. Return to the parking lot via Fern Creek Trail, a lower section of Old Railroad Grade, and Hogback Trail.

Trail Maps

Elevation Profile

profile of our route on Mt. Tamalpais

This profile shows the entire round-trip route. [ More info about elevation profiles. ]

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