West Ridgecrest Hike (3/29) Preview

We kick off our Spring series of Meanders on this hike (not a loop) when we’ll explore a section of the Coastal Trail with views of Stinson Beach and Bolinas Lagoon.

When Ridgecrest Boulevard opened as a toll road in the 1920s it was proclaimed California’s “Most Scenic Drive.” It’s even better hiking!

(Click here for the recap of our 2010 hike.  Photos from past hikes are in this on-line album.)

Directions to trailhead:  THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:

1. From Central Marin: Take the Fairfax-Bolinas Road from Fairfax to Ridgecrest Boulevard. Park at the junction with the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. (About 1 hour driving time from the College of Marin; carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s at 9:00 am).
2. From Southern Marin: Take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit off Highway 101.  Go west through Tam Valley and up onto the ridge. Turn right onto Panoramic Highway and follow signs to Mt. Tamalpais. Turn left at Rock Springs onto Ridgecrest Boulevard. Park on left at junction with the Fairfax-Bolinas Road.  (Driving time from College of Marin about 1 hour).
3. From Novato:  Take the Fairfax-Bolinas Road out of Fairfax (about 1 hour and 17 minutes), or go through Tam Valley (about 1 hour and 6 minutes), or go to Point Reyes Station and head south on Highway 1 until you reach the right-hand turn to Bolinas but turn left there instead and head uphill to the junction of Ridgecrest Boulevard and the Fairfax Bolinas Road (about 1 hour and 14 minutes).

(Click here for a MapQuest which shows the trailhead as #1 and which can provide you with driving directions and time from your location.)

Restrooms:

1. No restrooms at trailhead. 
2. If you are coming through Fairfax, take a detour left off the Bolinas-Fairfax Road before it heads uphill and use the restrooms at Deer Park School. 
3. If you are going through Tam Valley, you can use the restrooms at Bootjack or Pantoll, or the porta-porty at Rock Spring. 
4. Driving through Point Reyes Station toward Bolinas, use the public restrooms on Mesa Road in Point Reyes Station or the port-potty at Five Brooks between Olema and Bolinas.

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, March 24th, the National Weather Service forecast for the time of the hike was mostly sunny, with a high near 57. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike:  This hike isn’t mentioned in any of Dick Jordan’s trail guides, but we’ll be hiking south on the Coastal Trail which parallels Ridgecrest Boulevard until we reach the junction with the McKennan Gulch Trail (which heads downhill to Bolinas Lagoon) and then we will retrace our steps back north.
 
(Click here and go to page 6 of the Mt. Tam State Park brochure for the park map; click on the percentage magnification box at the top of the page and increase to about 125%-150% to get a good view of the trail which runs just west of the road).



Here's the hike profile.

This Google Earth image provides a bird's eye view of the route we'll take.