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Length: |
4 miles round trip |
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Hiking time: |
3 hours |
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High point: |
100 feet |
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Total elevation gain: |
100 feet |
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Difficulty: |
easy |
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Season: |
year-round |
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Water: |
bring your own |
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Maps: |
USGS 7.5' Point Bonita |
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Information: |
Golden Gate National Recreation Area |
The Tennessee Valley gradually unfolds into the Pacific Ocean on this family journey as you trek past wildflowers and grasslands to a lagoon and scenic Tennessee Valley Beach.
On Highway 101 about 5 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, take the Highway 1 exit marked Muir Woods/Mount Tamalpais. Follow the highway 0.5 mile, then turn left onto Tennessee Valley Road, which takes you to the large parking lot 2.2 miles farther.
The trail (an old road) begins paved and level as it travels past numerous flowers, including wild radish, mustard, fennel, dock, and California poppy. A large grove of tall eucalyptus decorates a creek at 0.2 mile. Wild oat grass mingles with cow parsnips at 0.3 mile, where you bear left at the marker indicating Tennessee Valley Beach.
For the next 1.7 miles, head directly west in the bottom of the U-shaped canyon down to the beach. Ignore the two trails on the right along the way, staying instead on the wide gravel path that hugs the creek.
At 1.8 miles you reach a waterbird-frequented freshwater lagoon surrounded by bush lupine and cow parsnip. Continue 0.1 mile farther to popular Tennessee Valley Beach for picnicking, wave watching, beachcombing, and castle building.
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100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, Copyright © 2000 by John R. Soares and Marc J. Soares, published by The Mountaineers Books, Seattle. Maps by Jody MacDonald.