In brief:
This loop is a tour de force of the mountain's magic: you'll experience dense forests, aromatic chaparral, rushing creeks, waterfalls, and flower-dotted meadows.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
6.3 mile strenuous loop, with about 1600 feet in elevation change.

Exposure:
Back and forth through shade and sun.

Trail traffic:
Moderate on Cataract Trail, otherwise light.

Trail surfaces:
Dirt fire roads and trails

Hiking time:
4 hours (includes lunch break)

Season:
Good any time; trails are muddy in winter.

Getting there:

Gas, food, and lodging:
Restaurant, and stores either west at Stinson Beach or east at Mill Valley. Gas in Mill Valley. The only camping option in the immediate area is the Pantoll campground, a walk-in site just off the parking lot at Pantoll.

Trailhead details:
No fee. Pit toilets at the trailhead and at Laurel Dell. No water or paper maps.

Rules:
Dogs are permitted on leash only and are not allowed in the adjacent state park.

The Official Story:
Sky Oaks Ranger Station:
415-945-1181.
MMWD recreation page

Map Choices:

 This hike is described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order this book from Amazon.com.
• Trail map from Redwood Hikes shows all Tam trails -- highly recommended.
• 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.
• Mount Tam Trail Map, published by Tom Harrison Maps (order from Tom Harrison Maps). Comparable to the Pease Press/Olmsted map.
• Tamalpais Trails, by Barry Spitz (order this book from Amazon.com), has a simple map and good descriptions of Cataract Trail.
• Don and Kay Martin's Hiking Marin has a useful map and descriptions of this trail (order this book from Amazon.com).


Cataract Falls-Potrero Meadows loop in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike (coming soon).