Mount Tamalpais (2571 ft) and Muir Woods, San Francisco, USA
A great autumn day out from San Francisco, taking a couple of buses up to Muir Woods, being amazed by the Giant Redwoods, before climbing nearby Mt Tam, enjoying a sweeping view over the Bay area, and seeing the sun set over the Pacific on the way down. The map identifies numerous trails around the area, extending down to the Marin Headlands.
- I remember those giant trees in Muir Woods, and chatting to people in the sunshine on the top of the East Peak with the Bay and city laid out below.
- The best bit was the sunset
- A word of warning would be to check the bus times carefully - the tourist bus only ran at weekends, and I think I caught the last one back.
Links including more public transport information:
Mt Tamalpais - California State Parks - http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=471
Muir Woods National Monument http://www.nps.gov/muwo/directions/
Bus:
- Route 10 from San Francisco (7th & Market) weekend & holiday service every hour at around 44 mins past the hour from 7.44 a.m., takes 40 mins to Marin City.
- Connect with Route 63, Marin County Local Service to Stinson Beach, weekends and holidays from Marin City (Donahue and Terners)
- Last bus from Tam Junction 6.52 pm gets into Marin City 6.59
- Weekday “West Marin Stagecoach” service - details at http://www.marin-stagecoach.org/
Trail Maps of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area at http://www.nps.gov/goga/maps.htm
Contributed by Andrew Llanwarne
Key Facts
| Location | 10 miles north of San Francisco on the Marin peninsula |
| Date walked | 2 November 1997 |
| Walk type | High hills and mountain hikes |
| Difficulty | Suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness |
| Distance | 9 miles approx (15km) |
| Height climbed | About 2500 ft |
| Time taken | 6 hrs 0 mins |
| Map used | A Ramblers? Guide to the Trails of Mt Tamalpais ? The Olmsted & Bros Map Co, Berkeley, CA 94705 Scale 1:28,575 |
| Walk source info | The Map showed the trails in enough detail. |
| Getting there | Regular bus from San Francisco to Marin City, then weekend tourist bus to Muir Woods (destination Stinson Beach). Also now a West Marin Stagecoach service on this route, weekdays (see Links opposite) |
| Places to stay | I was staying in Berkeley - but there are plenty of places to stay in San Francisco itself, and towns around the bay such as Sausalito. |
| Other features | To get there, you go over the awesome Golden Gate bridge |
| Disabled access | No |
