In brief:
1.2 mile loop hike at the top of Mount Tamalpais, with some steep sections
of trail.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.2 mile loop hike is easy. Trailhead elevation is about 2400
feet, and Plankwalk Trail reaches Tam's highest point, 2571 feet. Plankwalk
is somewhat steep, narrow, and very rocky. Verna Dunshee is very easy and
almost flat, although the trail is not well-suited to wheelchairs, as it
has no bumpers. Total elevation change for just Verna Dunshee is 200 feet. Total elevation change for Verna Dunshee and Plankwalk together is about 420 feet.
Exposure:
Mostly exposed.
Trail traffic:
Heavy.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trail and one paved trail.
Hiking time:
Less than 1 hour.
Season:
Nice all year, although hot (or foggy) in summer.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit CA 1/Mill Valley/Stinson Beach and drive
on Shoreline Highway to the junction with Almonte, about 1 mile. Turn
left, remaining on Shoreline, and drive on Shoreline about 2.5 miles to
the junction with Panoramic Highway. Turn right on Panoramic and drive
about 1 mile to the junction with Muir Woods Road; stay straight on Panoramic
(right lane). Continue about 4.5 miles to the junction with Pantoll Road. Turn
right onto Pantoll, and drive about 1.5 miles to the junction with Ridgecrest.
Bear right and drive the remaining 3 miles to the trailhead at the end of
East Ridgecrest.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
37°55'38.37"N
Longitude 122°34'48.18"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
The nearest gas station is about 12 miles back at Tam Junction. Restaurants
and stores in Tam Junction or Stinson Beach, which is a few miles west of
the Pantoll/Panoramic junction on CA 1. There is a walk-in campground
at Pantoll.
Trailhead details:
Large paved parking lot. $10 day use fee (self register). There are several
designated handicapped parking spots, and Verna Dunshee Trail is wheelchair
(and stroller) friendly. Facilities include wheelchair-accessible restrooms,
pay phone, drinking water, snack bar (seasonal), and small visitor center
(open weekends). There's a map under glass, but unless the visitor center
is open, there are none to take with you. On the way to the trailhead, you
can stop at Pantoll Ranger Station (at the junction of Panoramic and Pantoll)
for a map. There is no direct public transportation to this trailhead; on
weekends and major holidays cyclists can take Golden Gate Transit bus #63
to the junction of Pantoll and Panoramic, then ride uphill to the trailhead:
visit the Transit
Info website for more details.
Rules:
Park is generally open from 7 a.m. to sunset, when the gate at the Pantoll/Panoramic
junction is locked. During high fire danger, access to the summit is restricted
24 hours a day. Bikes are not permitted on the two main paths at the trailhead
(Plankwalk and Verna Dunshee), but cyclists can ride many other trails that
depart a short distance from the parking lot. Leashed dogs are permitted on the
trails described for this hike. Dogs are not permitted on unpaved trails or
fire roads in Mount Tamalpais State Park.
The Official Story:
CSP's
Mount Tam page.
Pantoll Ranger Station 415-388-2070
Map Choices:
• Trail map from MMWD (pdf)
• Download the park map pdf from CSP's website.
• Trail map from Redwood Hikes shows all Tam trails -- highly recommended.
• Barry Spitz's Tamalpais Trails (order this book from Amazon.com), a book with a pullout map of Tam, is a great guide.
• A Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands,
map from Pease Press (order from Pease Press) is useful.
• Mount Tam Trail Map, published by Tom Harrison Maps (order from Tom Harrison Maps). Comparable to the Olmsted map.
• Hiking Marin by Don and Kay Martin (order this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and trail descriptions.
• The official State Park map is available (for a fee) at the Pantoll ranger station.
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