In
brief:
3.4 mile out and back hike on the lower flanks of Pine Mountain, outside of Fairfax.
Very pretty waterfall hike in winter.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.4 mile partial loop hike is moderate. Trailhead elevation is
about 1060 feet. The featured hike climbs to 1400 feet, descends to 1020
feet, returns to 1400 feet, and descends back to the trailhead. Total elevation gain is 865 feet.
Exposure:
Mostly exposed.
Trail traffic:
Light-moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt fire roads and trails.
Hiking time:
Less than 2 hours.
Season:
Best in late winter for waterfall.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake. Drive about
5 miles west on Sir Francis Drake to Fairfax. Turn left on Pastori, right
on Broadway, and left onto Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Drive about 4 miles on
Fairfax-Bolinas Road to the parking lot on the left side of the road.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude 37°57'49.17"N
Longitude 122°37'29.68"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phone, restaurants, and stores about 4 miles northeast in Fairfax.
No camping in the immediate area.
Trailhead details:
Side-of-road parking in a dirt lot. No entrance or parking fees. No toilet
facilities, or drinking water. Map under glass at information signboard,
but there are none to take with you. No designated handicapped parking spots,
and the trails are not wheelchair-accessible. There is no direct public
transportation to this trailhead.
Rules:
Most trails are multi-use. A few are hiking only. Dogs are permitted on
the hike described below.
The Official Story:
Sky Oaks Ranger Station: 415-945-1180.
MMWD
recreation page
Map Choices:
• Trail
map from MMWD (pdf)
• A Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands,
map from Pease Press (order from Pease Press) is useful.
• Don and Kay Martin's Hiking Marin has a useful map and descriptions
of area trails (order this book from Amazon.com).
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page