Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail from Pantoll is a 7.4 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Stinson Beach, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
Park at Pantoll
Another version of this loop is to start down by Stinson Beach: http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/dipsea-steep-ravine-matt-davis-loop
Parked up a bit from Stinson beach went clockwise ending at sunset, highly recommend
Great trail. I did the reverse path and it was still good - easier for a rookie hiker such as me. You miss out slightly on views - just slightly. Make a slight 50m detour at the highway - at the midpoint - to check out breakers cafe. Good refreshments and coffee. You could also start the hike midway and get a peak in the middle instead of the trough.
Nice loop with beautiful views, and a mix of shady redwood forest and open areas. I recommend starting from Stinson Beach and going counterclockwise to get the ocean views when coming down.
It was a great hike. I started hiking around noon on Thursday and I only one person behind me for almost 2-3 miles. I hike alone usually and got super scared for the first 2 miles. It was a bright daylight but it’s dark near streams. There were some huge birds flying up, size of a turkey. I’ve seen those scary looking birds as evil characters in some animated films like ‘Horton hears a who’. I felt like I was in a Disney movie where everything looks so gray and dark, and evil looking creatures looking down at me. And I heard a growl and I ran.. ( I realized soon that it was a car) lol.. It was absolutely gorgeous and smells amazing. Just what I needed for my soul. The trail really offers everything. Lucious nature, mud, water, shade and sun, and view of the beach. On half way Point, I saw some some people at the parking lot. Maybe 5-6 people, then I got to relax a little. I will definitely get a pocket knife and some sprays I can use next time. It was 7miles for me. Someone suggested to try fish tacos at Breaker’s cafe and she said that I’d thank her later. And she was absolutely right. I ordered Cod tacos and it was amazing! Half it’s because I was dead hungry. If I went there with my friends, I would have had some beer as well. It seems like a beloved local cafe. There was outdoor sitting area. It’s just a perfect place to go after a long hike. Oh, except two people, they all wore masks.
this is one of my favorite hikes. it's so beautiful and lush. it's technical and you must stay mindful throughout the hike.
Did this loop on a Thursday and only saw about 16 people all of whom masked while passing. Medium-hard ascent, breathtaking views coming down Matt Davis, final switchbacks a little rough on tired legs, but all in all, this is a top 10 loop for me!