Rock Spring, Mount Tamalpais 10/9/18

This is a classic hike on Mount Tamalpais. Wendy wrote a Marin Independent Journal article about this hike.  Click here to see Wendy's article.

Here's a brief description of the hike: Classic sites on Mt. Tamalpais popular in the heyday of hiking - Potrero Meadow Barth's Retreat and Rifle Camp. Learn about the Down and Outers Club and who Barth was!

Directions to trailhead: Go south on Highway 101 to the Mill Valley Exit, East Blithdale. Turn left on Camino Alto (use the left turn only lane). Turn right on Miller Ave. Turn left on Montford. (The 2AM Club is the landmark.) Turn right on Molino. There is a yellow dividing line on the road so if in doubt "follow the yellow line road".  Moline becomes Edgewood, which becomes Sequoia Valley Road. At the large intersection at the top, turn right onto Panoramic Highway. At the intersection for the Pantoll Ranger Station, the road divides. Turn right onto Pantoll and keep heading uphill for about one mile. You'll come to an intersection with Ridgecrest Blvd. You'll be facing a dirt parking lot which is Rock Spring. Park here. (Click here for a map showing the parking area at the trailhead.   Click on the teardrop icon or click on "Directions" on the left-hand side of the screen to get  driving time and directions from your location.)

Driving time from College of Marin 55 minutes.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park and Ride lot at 9:10 a.m. (Click here for a map showing the parking lot on Drakes Landing Road; right click on the teardrop icon to get driving time and directions from your location.)

There is an outhouse at the trailhead.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, September 19th, the National Weather Service forecast for the area around Rock Spring on Mt. Tam was mostly sunny with a high near 70. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: The "B17 Simmons - Potrero - Arturo Trails" hike in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows the trails that we'll be hiking on, although we'll probably follow a different route (Simmons to Benstein to Potrero Meadows to Laurel Dell and back up the Cataract Trail to Rock Spring). Page 6 of the state park brochure has a trail map that shows the area.

Here's the hike profile and route we'll follow.

The Google Earth image below shows were we'll be on the mountain. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).