Explore the most popular Beach trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
The best hike in the Bay Area in my opinion. So many different ways you can approach East peak from Stinson, this is a “figure eight” that gives you the most diversity of trails. Get to Stinson before 8am to beat traffic.
Our second time doing this hike, and we loved it even more this time. It was a clear day and we saw amazing views of downtown SF and the golden gate Bridge from the trail! Bring water, snacks and follow the trail map closely. We accidentally followed the dipsea trail instead of steep ravine and climbed up 1 mile of steps before realizing our mistake and turning back around. Good moderate hike, can be done by people who don't usually do this trail length as long as you go slow. Great for trail running!
Wonderful trail. The hike back up was a real workout for an average guy like me.
Beautiful trail! Showed up around 2pm and finished just at sunset. The ladder is real and will satisfy your fantasy hike needs
Stunning views and a great hike!
Fantastic day to hike! The trails were mostly damp , but we ran into a few pockets of muddy spots too. We arrived at 0930 and parking was already filled up in several parking lots. Too many people do this trail on the weekends. This trail is so much better on a weekday due to the high volume of crowds. The entire loop was 8 miles at 1883 ft elevation. Not recommended for a beginner hiker. Very strenuous upward climb the first 3 miles.
Try it on a clear say for the best views of the ocean. Saw a pack of coyotes not far into the hike off Matt Davis Trail about 500 yards off the path.
I did this Jan 26th so it was a little muddy and foggy but overall a beautiful hike but parking is hard to find
Well marked. Beautiful out and back.
I hiked this trail November 22 2019. Would love to hike is again. Beautiful elevation. Started early...not so many people which is great. Beautiful view all through the hike. Took me 3 1/2 hours to finished the whole hike.
Awesome views enjoyed the constant water sounds definitely keeps you calm as your climbing the mountain
Doesn’t get much better than this. You get to go through all types of landscapes.
New favorite hike. Definitely recommend. Started at the bottom near Stinson and went counter clockwise.
Gorgeous ! I recommend parking at Stinson beach and doing the loop clockwise!
Did the whole trail on 1/5/20, was great! Not too muddy, and the creek was beautiful.
This trail exceeded our expectations. We were looking for an alternative to paying the fees at Muir Woods so we picked this trail & it was free & even better! I’d recommend showing up early on a weekend & parking right before the trailhead in Stinson Beach off Willow Camp Way. There are some ‘no parking’ areas, but we lucked out going early & found a spot. Also, January was great for the cool weather & it was right after an early morning of rain so everything was green & muddy. Dipsea is more open, sunny & near the coast. Steep Ravine is shady, lush & surrounded by redwoods & ferns. Matt Davis is a little of both of those worlds. It was perfect & I’d totally hike again!
The most gorgeous waterfalls and foliage in January
Pretty trail. I started up Steep Ravine and went counterclockwise ending on Dipsea. The Steep Ravine is aptly named, but not a hard time. Pretty bridges and a ladder. There were people but not too many. Parked at White Gate on Panoramic Highway to start. Nice views of the coast as you come down Matt Davis. Took me 3 hours with a break for snacks & pics every now and again.
Beautiful hike with varied terrain. I would highly recommend going clockwise, starting at Steep Ravine/Dipsea and ending with Matt Davis Trail. You hike down into an enchanted forest and pop out in the town of Stinson Beach, walk along a road briefly and turn right at the firehouse then hike my Matt Davis. It is moderately steep but evens out eventually. You get great views of the ocean and San Francisco off in the distance. Cash only parking at Pantoll Campground.
The most beautiful trail . Lost of people . Was amazing .
Beautiful Trail, waterfalls, bridges, a ladder. Loved it.
Lots of steep up and downhill through beautiful mixed terrain. You get to go through hills and forests crossing several small streams. There is a view of the coast and Stinson beach at parts. The Dipsea trail includes about a mile of stairs which you’ll hike up if you start at the Dipsea trailhead. You can also do the trail in reverse and start on the Matt Davis trail. Overall beautiful and a great workout. Took us about 5 hours at a medium speed with one break for lunch. P.S. We started at the Dipsea trailhead though I didn’t press record for about 0.5 a mile so I think this loop is about 8 miles.
An enriching hike with an incredibly beautiful waterfalls that you follow the entire hike. The trail was well maintained and definitely not a easy hike, 3 miles of moderate to strenuous incline, then 4 miles down. We did it counterclockwise as another reviewer mentioned which I’m glad we did because as you hike up the mountain you will hike 3 miles (the hardest part of this hike) along a breathtaking and stunning waterfalls. The trail switchbacked often with lots of bridges that crossed over the falls. Pictures definitely do not give justice to the beauty and tranquility of this trail. Once at the top, we stopped at Mt Tampalasis state park and used clean flushing restrooms that had soap and water; then found a picnic table and had our packed lunch. The park was lovely with lots of picnic tables and tall redwood trees with plenty of shade. Coming down the mountain was just as beautiful as you see panoramic views of the ocean and beyond in many directions. Probably the only con to this trail was the amount of people that flocked to the trail today. Probably a good idea to hit the trails as early as possible to avoid the later crowds in my opinion. However, we still enjoyed talking to many nice folks just the same. This was an incredibly adventurous hike and the beauty of the forest just kept giving and giving. Definitely one of my favorite hikes now.
Hiked this route on 12/28. We scored excellent weather and magnificent views. Thanks to recent rains, the creeks had a lot of water too. It took us 11 hours, including a 30 minute breakfast at Pantoll and a one hour lunch at the summit. This is a technically easy but streneous hike. It took a lot longer than I had expected. My fitbit showed 19 miles total. We did it counter-clockwise, starting with the Steep Ravine Trail and coming down Matt Davis Trail. Either direction would be great I think. The price on this hike are the views towards the top of the mountain.
So beautiful! In the Top 3 hikes I’ve done in the Bay Area
