STEP BY STEP

↑ From Ave Farralone, proceed through the neighborhood to Dipsea Trail Head.

← Bear left to follow Dipsea Trail.

← Make a left onto Steep Ravine Trail.

↑ Pass through the parking lot at Pantoll Ranger Station. Cross Panoramic Highway to connect to Matt Davis Trail.

→ At the fork, stay right for Coastal Trail, otherwise known as Bolinas Ridge.

← Make a left at the Willow Camp Fire Road. Continue until you return to Ave Farralone.

MUSINGS

This loop really swept us off our feet. We've hiked Mt. Tam several times before, and it's never failed to deliver, but the experience we had on this hike was particularly awe-inspiring.

Dipsea Trail is an excellent appetizer to the rest of your hike. After you make your way from the local neighborhood onto the trail, you'll begin your trek under gently arched trees with rays of sunlight filtering gently through. Dipsea Trail then evolves into an open coastal trail with lovely views of the ocean and glimpses of Stinson Beach.

Steep Ravine Trail envelops you into a cool, lush vegetation hug. Here, you'll follow a babbling brook and numerous miniature waterfalls as you brush past walls of ferns, dance over boulders, and scale the ever-famous wooden ladder. The trail is so tastefully tucked into the natural landscape that you're often not certain where the next turn will be until you reach it - we loved this aspect of the hike because it made us feel so immersed in the natural terrain.

In our opinion, Matt Davis Trail is home to one of the most beautiful viewpoints and detour-worthy spots in the Bay. The trail meanders through a partly wooded trail before emerging onto some gorgeous rolling hills. Numerous small deer trails take you up the hillsides and yield phenomenal views of the ocean and, on a clear day, a silhouette outline of downtown San Francisco, Twin Peaks, and perhaps even portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains deep in the background. We recommend taking a lunch or snack break on at least one of these hills so you can absorb these stunning views that quite literally took our breath away.

Bolinas Ridge Trail (or Coastal Trail, depending on the map you reference), continues to impress. We generally try to keep up a decent pace on our hikes, but once we reached Bolinas Ridge, we made the very easy decision to take our sweet. Ass. Time. Oh man. The views here were astounding. We were truly awestruck throughout the entire length of this trail, which follows a coastal ridge, presenting miles and miles of open ocean and rolling hills before you. From here, we could spot distant cargo ships, little fishing boats, and even the Farallon Islands at one point. Compared to the preceding trails, this one is largely uncrowded, even on weekends. Bolinas Ridge Trail delivers a unique sense of quiet and serenity - so much so that voices of other hikers can be heard echoing across the hills from a mile away.

Willow Camp Fire Road sends you tumbling down a steep descent back to the neighborhood. It's a rough awakening, a return to reality, and you may suffer nature withdrawals once you conclude your hike. We're willing to bet you'll be back very, very soon.