83. Mount Tamalpais: Pantoll Ranger Station to Stinson Beach

Length:	6.8-mile trip
Hiking time:	4 hours
High point:	1,500 feet
Total elevation gain:	1,500 feet
Difficulty:	moderate
Season:	year-round
Water:	bring your own
Maps:	USGS 7.5' San Rafael, USGS 7.5' Bolinas
Information:	Mount Tamalpais State Park

This hike takes you from open views on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais to Stinson Beach and the Pacific Ocean and, finally, under the shade of tall redwoods.

From Stinson Beach on Highway 1, turn east on Panoramic Highway, drive 3.8 miles, then park at Pantoll Ranger Station. Or, 5 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge on Highway 101, take the Muir Woods/Mount Tamalpais exit, go west for 3 miles on Highway 1, then turn right onto Panoramic Highway and go 5.5 miles to Pantoll Ranger Station.

To begin the hike, cross Panoramic Highway and turn left onto the signed Matt Davis Trail. After 0.1 mile stroll under the shade of Douglas fir, California laurel, and alder. After you cross a seasonal creek at 1.2 miles, look south for a view of San Francisco Bay joining the Pacific Ocean. Go straight at a signed trail intersection 0.1 mile farther, then climb the bare knoll for an impressive panorama that includes San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

At the far end of a California laurel grove at 1.6 miles, bear left at a signed trail junction. Reenter forest at 2.1 miles, then descend past sword ferns, coast live oak, Douglas fir, and California laurel. At 2.7 miles the continuous roar of the Pacific Ocean ahead accompanies the steady rumble of Table Creek on the right. Depart Table Creek's riparian habitat at 3.4 miles, then continue downhill past chaparral to forested Wooded Gulch just before reaching a signed trail fork at 3.7 miles, where you go right.

The trail ends at a paved street at 3.9 miles. At all street junctions, take the road that heads downhill to popular Stinson Beach, which offers excellent swimming, beachcombing, and picnicking. After enjoying the beach, pick up the signed Dipsea Trail at the intersection of Shoreline and Panoramic Highways just south of town (0.1 mile south of Arenal Avenue).

After a short climbing burst in shaded woods, enter open chaparral country, which allows continuous views of the sprawling sea behind you. Ignore the first unsigned dirt road 1.3 miles from Stinson Beach, then continue straight 0.1 mile farther at a trail junction.

Go left onto the signed Steep Ravine Trail when you get down to Webb Creek. This shaded footpath crosses the stream five times via wooden bridges as it travels past bouldery cascades that slide gracefully into small pools. You'll duck under toppled redwood archways several times, pass through profuse communities of thimbleberry and sword fern, and climb a fifteen-rung ladder during the 1.6-mile climb back to Pantoll Ranger Station. If you want to hike more, see Hike 84, Mount Tamalpais: The Summit to Pantoll Ranger Station.