Mountain Home Inn to Muir Woods Hike (9/20) Preview

We continue the 2015 Fall 1 hiking series with a trip down into one of Marin's federal parks.

Here's Wendy's description of this week's hike:  "Today we’ll hike down to Muir Woods and learn how it became a National Monument. Lunch at Camp Eastwood where you’ll hear the fascinating life story of intrepid botanist Alice Eastwood."

(Click here for a recap of our September 2008 hike. There is an online album of photos from our past hikes here.)

Directions to trailhead: 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. Drive about 4 miles.

When you reach Mountain Home Inn on your right, park in the parking lot across the road on your left.

45 minutes from College of Marin.

Carpoolers can meet at the Greenbrae Park & Ride lot at 9:00 am.

Click here for a Google Maps map showing the Mountain Home Inn. Click on the teardrop icon for directions and driving time from your location.

Outhouse at trailhead and restrooms in Muir Woods and at lunch.

Weather Forecast: As of Tuesday, September 13th, the National Weather Service forecast for the day of the hike was patchy fog, otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 72.. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More On This Hike: Hike "B6 – Muir Woods – TCC – Dipsea Trails" and hike "B7 – Panoramic – Lost – Sierra Trails" in the Martin's book, Hiking Marin, shows the area where we'll be hiking, but our route will not cover all of the trails taken on either of those hikes.

Point Reyes: Then and Now

We spend so much time meandering in Point Reyes National Seashore each year that we tend to take its existence in our "backyard" for granted.

But this story in last month's Marin Magazine reminds us that turning the land around Point Reyes into a national seashore wasn't without controversy, and challenges over preserving and maintaining the park continue to the present day and probably will well into the future.

What A Difference A Year Makes!

As this video shows, last year's hike to the Pioneer Tree in Samuel P. Taylor State Park involved getting over an almost bootcamp-like "obstacle course" barrier: A large redwood tree that had fallen across the trail.


  (Click here if the YouTube player does not display)
But thankfully during the last twelve months the park removed so much of the tree, including the part blocking the trail, that we weren't positive that we even saw the remaining chunk as we hiked past it.

Tomales Point Hike (9/13) Preview

We return to Point Reyes National Seashore this coming week. Wendy says that "on this hike we'll look for the tule elk, once at the brink of extinction and now making a heartening comeback. This Point is also special for its views."  

(Click here for a recap of our September 2008 hike; here is an album of photos taken on past hikes in this area.)

Directions to trailhead: Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west from Fairfax. Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road.

Continue until you pick up Sir Francis Drake again. Go through Inverness.

Where the road veers left to Drake's Beach and the lighthouse, bear right. This puts you on Pierce Point Road. Follow it to the parking lot at the end of the road.

Click here for a Google Maps map showing the trailhead. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving directions and times from your location.

Restrooms:  Stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to use the flush toilets, or pull off Pierce Point Road at the parking lots for the trails to Abbott’s Lagoon or Kehoe Beach to use the porta-potties.

When you reach the parking lot for the Tomales Point Trail you can drive downhill toward McClure's Beach to use the pit toilet there before returning to the trailhead parking lot to meet the group.

Click here to view and print a map of the Seashore showing these roads and locations.

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes from College of Marin.  Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita’s at 8:35 a.m.

Weather forecast: As of Thursday, September 8th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was patchy fog, otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 60. (Click here for an updated forecast).

More on this hike: Hike "G18 – Tomales Point Trail" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, is 9.4 mile roundtrip hike to Tomales Point and back.  We’ll only do about half of that route, stopping well short of the Point.

This Google Earth image created by Theresa Fisher shows the path we'll follow out and back.

n>