Samuel
P. Taylor State Park,
California State Parks,
Marin County
In brief:
9 mile loop to Samuel P. Taylor State Park's highest peak.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake. Drive about 15
miles west on Sir Francis Drake to the park entrance on the left side of the road.
Trailhead details:
Lots of parking inside the park; room for about 8 vehicles just before the park
entrance on the left side of Sir Francis Drake. Pay $6 entrance/parking fee at
entrance kiosk (self-register if unattended). Additional fees for camping in the
park. If the ranger station is open, you can pick up a map there. Restrooms and
drinking water available throughout the developed area of the park. There are
at least two designated handicapped parking spots in the park, and while the trails
are not technically all-access paths, wheelchair users should be able to navigate
more than a mile of Cross Marin Trail and Riding and Hiking Trail, the first stretch
of this hike. West Marin Stagecoach
offers public transportation to this trailhead.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phones, restaurants, and stores about 5 miles northwest, in Point Reyes
Station, or about 10 miles southeast, in Fairfax. Several restaurants and stores
can be reached by driving a few miles in either direction on Sir Francis Drake
(Lagunitas to the southeast or Olema to the northwest). I recommend Two Bird Cafe
on San Geronimo Valley Drive in San Geronimo (visible from Sir Francis Drake).
The park has good individual campsites.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 9.3 mile loop hike is moderately tough, with about 1400 feet in elevation
change.
Rules:
About half the trails are multi-use. A few are designated hiking only. Dogs are
only permitted in the developed parts of the park (campground and picnic areas)
as well as on paved park roads and the dirt "bike path" from the Redwood grove
picnic area east to Shafter bridge, and always must be on leash. Park hours are
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Official Story:
CSP's
Samuel P. Taylor page.
Park office 415-488-9897
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Download the park
map pdf from CSP's website.
• 
60 Hikes
within 60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator
of this website) has a simple map and a featured hike. Order
this book from Amazon.com.
• Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a great map and descriptions of a Barnabe Mountain
hike.
• Point Reyes by Jessica Lage (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and descriptions of trails at Samuel
P. Taylor.
• Trail Map of Point Reyes National Seashore, by Tom Harrison (order
from Amazon.com)
also shows the trail network of Samuel P. Taylor.
• David Weintraub's North Bay Trails has a useful map and trail descriptions
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
• Don and Kay Martin's Hiking Marin has a useful map and trail descriptions
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
• 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area, by Ann
Marie Brown (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and descriptions of a featured
hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker's Devil Gulch Trailhead page.
• View 53 photos from the hike.
It's a surprise to find such a spectacular viewpoint in
Samuel P. Taylor State Park. When you drive past and through the heart of the
park on Sir Francis Drake, the redwood and Douglas fir forest does not permit
even a single glimpse of the surrounding countryside. But when you take a steep
hike from the valley floor to Barnabe Peak's treeless summit you are rewarded
with one the of the best panoramas in Marin County.
In addition to the view from Barnabe Peak, Samuel
P. Taylor offers a variety of hiking experiences. Pioneer Tree Trail is an easy
1.7 mile jaunt through the redwood forest near Papermill Creek. From the park
headquarters, you can join the Bay Area Ridge Trail as it climbs to Bolinas Ridge,
and then heads south toward Mount Tamalpais.
The park is named after Taylor, who made his money
in the California Gold Rush, and with those funds bought 100 acres of land around
what is now called Papermill Creek. He established a paper mill there, and later
built a resort hotel. Taylor's grave site is near the junction of Riding and Hiking
Trail and Barnabe Trail. And by the way, the peak is named for Barnabe, his mule.
Start at one of the parking areas near the ranger
station (or, if you've parked on Sir Francis Drake, walk in along the park road).
Walk
toward the campground, cross Papermill Creek on a bridge and bear left (signed
"group picnics only.") Once past the picnic area and a gate, Cross Marin
Trail (sometimes just called Bike Path) meets one end of Pioneer Tree Trail at
a signed junction. Continue on Cross Marin Trail. The wide multi-access
trail runs at an almost perfectly flat grade along the creek, and is lined with
Douglas fir, redwood, tanoak, huckleberry, ferns, and hazelnut. At about 0.5 mile,
you'll approach the bridge over Papermill Creek and Sir Francis Drake, and the
signed junction with the other end of Pioneer Tree Trail. Continue straight
across the bridge. On the other side, Riding and Hiking Trail departs on the
left at a signed junction. Keep walking straight on Cross Marin Trail.
(Some maps refer to this next segment at Cross Marin, others call it Riding and
Hiking Trail. In fact, the next parks sign you encounter calls it Riding and Hiking
Trail.)
The level broad fire road passes Irving Group Picnic
Area, with Papermill Creek still audible, although not always visible, on the
right. Cars can also be heard traveling on Sir Francis Drake. As they pass over
the concrete road segments, they make a noise very similar to a fast horse trot.
Redwoods are less of a presence here, but you may see Douglas fir, coast live
oak, 
buckeye,
tanoak, and California bay. Trailside shrubs include creambush, hazelnut, and
ceanothus. At about 1.2 miles, Barnabe Trail departs on the left side of the trail
at a signed junction. Bear left onto Barnabe, which is open to equestrians,
hikers, and cyclists.
Whatever you think about this trail at the end of
the day, it does declare its intentions immediately, with an initial steep grade.
In addition to Douglas fir, Barnabe Trail is lined with coast live oaks, tanoaks,
and a few big-leaf maples and buckeyes. Before long you leave the forest to hike
through a mixture of woods and grassland, with two varities of broom, monkeyflower,
silktassel, California coffeeberry, sagebrush, coyote brush, Douglas fir, and
coast live oak on the sides of the trail. Views unfold as you climb. Look for
a faint unmarked path on the left side of the trail. A tiny clear spot has been
transformed into the perfect rest stop/viewpoint When I hiked up Barnabe in February
2001, there was a folding chair wrapped in plastic here, ready to cradle its owner
when he/she returns. Ignore a descending trail on the right at an unmarked junction
about half way up, and stay straight on Barnabe. As the trail ascends,
grassland begins to dominate the landscape, with occasional forays into pockets
of oaks and Douglas fir. You may notice a faint path running parallel to the fire
road on the left. This is Ridge Trail, unmarked as far as I could tell, but an
option for the journey to the top. Finally, you reach the upper reaches of the
mountain, and complete the climb through pure grassland.
At about 3.2 miles, Barnabe Trail turns left and heads downhill, just before the
actual summit. You can continue uphill about 50 more feet, but don't stray past
the lookout, as the no trespassing signs warn. If it's not too windy, you may
want to make the rocky outcrop near the base of the lookout your lunch break.
At a relatively low elevation of 1466 feet, the views are just incredible. On
crystal clear days you should be able to see Mount St. Helena to the north and
Mount Diablo to the east. Even with moderate visibility, see how much publicly-accessible
land you can identify from here. There's Point Reyes National Seashore to the
west, GGNRA's Bolinas Ridge southwest, Giacomini, MMWD lands (including a glimpse
of Kent Lake and its spillway), and Mount Tamalpais to the south, Loma Alta and
Big Rock Ridge to the east. When you're ready to continue, descend to the undersigned
junction where Barnabe Trail curves downhill, and turn right.
Barnabe descends about as steeply as it ascended,
through grassland and some trees. At a corner at about 3.5 miles, Bill's Trail
begins on the right side of the fire road at a signed junction. (You can shorten
your hike by continuing to descend on Barnabe Trail.) Turn right on Bill's
Trail, which is open to equestrians and hikers only. (By the way, the mileage
on the trail sign is wrong. Stairstep Falls is not 1.3 miles from this junction.
You'll hike more than double that to get to the falls.)
The narrow path
almost immediately heads into the woods. California bays are common, along with
tanoak, Douglas fir, and some coast live oak, madrone, California hazelnut, and
California nutmeg. In winter, look for flowering currants and gooseberry. In autumn,
red rosehips cling to the branches of wood rose. You also may see some early milkmaids
and hound's tongue nestled among the ferns. Bill's Trail is a delight; switchbacks
make the walking easy, and there are lots of charming little bridges across seasonal
creeks and waterfalls all the way downhill. Wooden fences protect against shortcuts
in some sections. At about 6.5 miles, at a signed junction, the path to Stairstep
Falls departs on the right. (Option: hike out and back on this path, which will
add about 0.5 mile to your day.) Continue straight on Bill's Trail.
Through the trees you can occasionally glimpse the
green, treeless rolling hills just north of Devil's Gulch. A few out-of-place
eucalpytus trees keep company with native oak and Douglas fir. Bill's Trail winds
downhill, ending at about 7.2 miles at a bridge and signed junction. The bridge
crosses the stream and meets Devil's Gulch Trail. Continue straight on Riding
and Hiking Trail.
The wide hiking, equestrian, and cycling trail is
a shock after gentle Bill's Trail. With a continual roller coaster profile, Riding
and Hiking is best suited for equestrians and cyclists. Hikers (at least me) probably
won't appreciate the short but steep ascents and descents this trail offers toward
the end of this long hike. Still traveling through the forest, you'll be shaded
by tanoaks and Douglas fir. 
The
trail is prone to storm damage, and may be rutted and muddy in winter and spring.
Riding and Hiking Trail steps out of the trees and sweeps downhill through the
lowest reaches of Mount Barnabe's grassland. A look uphill to the summit reveals
the fire lookout. Then it's back into the woods, past a closed section of trail
on the left, and up a hill to a signed junction on the edge of the forest. The
path to the right visits Taylor's grave site. Bear left and descend a sharp
grade to a signed junction at about 8 miles (if you've taken the option of descending
on Barnabe Trail, this is where you rejoin the hike). Bear right to stay on
Riding and Hiking Trail.
It's a relief to descend a bit. Coyote brush occupies
the foreground, with forested hills looming west of Papermill Creek. The trail
passes a fire road leading down to Madrone Group Area, and some hikers shorten
their trek by turning right here, crossing Sir Francis Drake, and taking a creekside
trail to the left, back to the park headquarters. Continue straight on Riding
and Hiking Trail. The trail reverts to an earlier up and down course, passing
through woods and back into chaparral. Just past a water tank, the trail descends
steeply and then turns left a few feet from a green gate on Sir Francis Drake.
(Option: if you're parked in the pullout right before the park entrance, you can
shortcut the remaining hike. Walk past the gate to Sir Francis Drake, cross carefully,
turn right and walk along the side of the road about 0.2 mile to the park entrance
and your vehicle. Obviously, this option can be dangerous, as there is virtually
no side of the road to walk on, so exercise this option with care.) Continue on
Riding and Hiking Trail, to the previously encountered junction at about 8.8 miles.
Turn right on Cross Marin Trail and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: 9.3 miles
Last hiked: Tuesday, February 6, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
Samuel P. Taylor State Park. When you drive past and through the heart of the
park on Sir Francis Drake, the redwood and Douglas fir forest does not permit
even a single glimpse of the surrounding countryside. But when you take a steep
hike from the valley floor to Barnabe Peak's treeless summit you are rewarded
with one the of the best panoramas in Marin County. 
Walk
toward the campground, cross Papermill Creek on a bridge and bear left (signed
"group picnics only.") Once past the picnic area and a gate, Cross Marin
Trail (sometimes just called Bike Path) meets one end of Pioneer Tree Trail at
a signed junction. Continue on Cross Marin Trail. The wide multi-access
trail runs at an almost perfectly flat grade along the creek, and is lined with
Douglas fir, redwood, tanoak, huckleberry, ferns, and hazelnut. At about 0.5 mile,
you'll approach the bridge over Papermill Creek and Sir Francis Drake, and the
signed junction with the other end of Pioneer Tree Trail. Continue straight
across the bridge. On the other side, Riding and Hiking Trail departs on the
left at a signed junction. Keep walking straight on Cross Marin Trail.
(Some maps refer to this next segment at Cross Marin, others call it Riding and
Hiking Trail. In fact, the next parks sign you encounter calls it Riding and Hiking
Trail.) 
buckeye,
tanoak, and California bay. Trailside shrubs include creambush, hazelnut, and
ceanothus. At about 1.2 miles, Barnabe Trail departs on the left side of the trail
at a signed junction. Bear left onto Barnabe, which is open to equestrians,
hikers, and cyclists.
At about 3.2 miles, Barnabe Trail turns left and heads downhill, just before the
actual summit. You can continue uphill about 50 more feet, but don't stray past
the lookout, as the no trespassing signs warn. If it's not too windy, you may
want to make the rocky outcrop near the base of the lookout your lunch break.
At a relatively low elevation of 1466 feet, the views are just incredible. On
crystal clear days you should be able to see Mount St. Helena to the north and
Mount Diablo to the east. Even with moderate visibility, see how much publicly-accessible
land you can identify from here. There's Point Reyes National Seashore to the
west, GGNRA's Bolinas Ridge southwest, Giacomini, MMWD lands (including a glimpse
of Kent Lake and its spillway), and Mount Tamalpais to the south, Loma Alta and
Big Rock Ridge to the east. When you're ready to continue, descend to the undersigned
junction where Barnabe Trail curves downhill, and turn right. 
almost immediately heads into the woods. California bays are common, along with
tanoak, Douglas fir, and some coast live oak, madrone, California hazelnut, and
California nutmeg. In winter, look for flowering currants and gooseberry. In autumn,
red rosehips cling to the branches of wood rose. You also may see some early milkmaids
and hound's tongue nestled among the ferns. Bill's Trail is a delight; switchbacks
make the walking easy, and there are lots of charming little bridges across seasonal
creeks and waterfalls all the way downhill. Wooden fences protect against shortcuts
in some sections. At about 6.5 miles, at a signed junction, the path to Stairstep
Falls departs on the right. (Option: hike out and back on this path, which will
add about 0.5 mile to your day.) Continue straight on Bill's Trail.
The
trail is prone to storm damage, and may be rutted and muddy in winter and spring.
Riding and Hiking Trail steps out of the trees and sweeps downhill through the
lowest reaches of Mount Barnabe's grassland. A look uphill to the summit reveals
the fire lookout. Then it's back into the woods, past a closed section of trail
on the left, and up a hill to a signed junction on the edge of the forest. The
path to the right visits Taylor's grave site. Bear left and descend a sharp
grade to a signed junction at about 8 miles (if you've taken the option of descending
on Barnabe Trail, this is where you rejoin the hike). Bear right to stay on
Riding and Hiking Trail.