Willow Camp Fire Road to Stinson Beach

Long hard climb up to rolling 2 mile stretch of unobstructed ocean views before tucking back into the tree-forty switchback descent to Stinson

Exposed death march in the beginning beautiful finish

Great hike. Dipsea and Matt Davis very crowded on Labor Day weekend. The ascent / return is very exposed.

Amazing sunset loop down to Stinson.

510 Hikers Tough

Amazing views but steep from the moment we shut the car door. Incredible views of Stinson plus the waterfalls in cataract was an amazing combo.

What wonderful that begins right in Stinson Beach! On a clear day you marvelous views out onto the Pacific and south to San Francisco. There’s some climbing at the beginning, but it’s well worth it.

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.

Saw a rattlesnake on the trail. Shit my pants. Ran the last 4 miles. Beautiful hike.

The whole Muir Woods, Dipsea Trail, Tamalpais Coastal Trail enchilada. Grab an ice cream in Stinson Beach before heading back.

very good spring views of the luscious green hills and wildflowers with awesome coastal views.

Very exposed to sun. Slow hiking down because of need to take small steps on a steep trail. Beautiful views of Stinson Beach and the ocean.

Willow Camp is a steep, rocky, narrow trail with stunning views of Bolinas Lagoon and Stinson Beach below. Coastal trail follows the curves of the mountain and then you drop down Matt Davis Trail.

I wanted to do a one-way bike ride to Stinson to meet friends who could bring me and my bike back home to Ross. I wanted a route that minimized the distance that would be so steep, I'd have to walk my bike. For a lot of people, this trail would be perfect but I still had to walk my bike a lot of the time and that's the main reason I gave this route four stars and not five. As a hiking trail, it would probably be a solid five stars. It's a beautiful route that takes you through a variety of scenery. From Natalie Coffin Green Park, you have an easy ride up Shaver Grade Road to Five Corners and on to Sky Oaks Road, at which point, you turn right, drift downhill 200 feet, and turn left onto Bon Tempe Road, and drift downhill to the parking lot where you then have a short uphill to get the dam, which you cross. On the other side of the dam, turn right, go a hundred feet, and veer left onto Rocky Ridge Fire Road. The beginning of this trail is easy but quickly gets steep, ascending 300 feet of elevation in about a half-mile...about an 11% grade. I walked my bike on this part. It the flattens out for about a mile which is very nice, but then you continue to ascend for a couple more miles over a fairly steep grade of about 8% which is bike-able but challenging for me. Until this point, the terrain and scenery is spectacular, with frequent overlooks spanning great distances and the lakes below. But then as you descend into the Laurel Grove area, you're rewarded with a pleasant downhill, winding through forests, meadows and creeks. After the long and modestly technical uphill of Ricky Ridge, this is a very welcome and pleasant relief. You then get to Cataract Creek, which feeds the waterfalls that make Cataract Trail so beautiful. Crossing this creek can be a little challenging. I was there in March, after a lot of rain the previous week. The rock and gravel trail continues through the creek so I rode right through but the water was deep enough that as my pedals were at the lowest point in their cycle, they were underwater, so my feet were soaked from that point on. But hey, I was mostly to my destination! Immediately after crossing Cataract Creek, it's time to make the short but fairly steep ascent to Ridgecrest Blvd., where you are rewarded with your first view of the Pacific Ocean and Bolinas. From there, I turned left, and went up a gentle uphill for 400 feet, where I then turned right onto Willow Camp Fire Road but it's not much of a "fire road" at all, but actually a single-track trail. In retrospect, I think it would be better to turn right (west) onto the first trail you see as you are riding up Ridgecrest Blvd. It gets you to the same place and is probably better. As you start your descent to Stinson Beach, you will see trails that descend to the right and left but I continued straight again, along the top of a rounded ridge line, towards a forested area below. As you pass through this forest, you get a break from the almost constant wind on this seaward-facing slope. After passing through another grassy area and then another forested area, the trail turns to the right and traverses down a steep part of this descent, punctuated with frequent and spectacular panoramic views. You will see a fork in the road with one route leading to two big white water tanks. Do NOT go in that direction. Instead, continue downhill and you will find yourself coasting down Avenida Farralone in a residential neighborhood of Stinson Beach. From there, just go whichever way leads downhill and you will soon find yourself at Stinson Beach Market, at the corner of Calle del Mar and Highway 1.