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For information on upcoming trail days, please visit our News and Events Page. Condition Reports This page is a compilation of reports on conditions and maintenance needs of Mount Tamalpais trails. The TCC's Trails Committee maintains this page as a service to hikers, and for use in planning future trail maintenance projects. We rely upon you, the users of the mountain's trails, to provide information on trail conditions. There are well over 100 miles of hiking trails on the mountain. We cannot be everywhere at once. Please take the time to send us any information you do not see already posted on this page. We would appreciate reports of any maintenance needs you see, and also reports of any trails you find to be in good condition. Our goal is to provide comprehensive information on all trails. Scroll down this page to see the list of reports. The area covered is generally the same as included in Barry Spitz' book, Tamalpais Trails. This area is bounded by Highway 1 through Green Gulch to the southeast, and by Bolinas-Fairfax Rd. and Audubon Canyon Ranch to the northwest. This page also covers a small part of the Pine Mountain area. To submit a report, please click here and fill out the form.
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Hogback Fire Road to Bootjack Picnic Area (MMWD): 6/5/04, Bill Stevens, Randall Fuller, & CVR: This route has received much attention in recent years from the MMWD staff and from the TCC trail crew. There remain, however, somewhat rutted sections just east of the Nora Trail junction. The entire section is by now moderately in need of brushing. There is a fallen madrone east of Nora Trail that is blocking the trail. The bridge just past Nora Trail has a broken bottom step. The National Trails Day project in June 2004 replaced a second bridge, near Bootjack. Many parts of the tread along this end of the segment are in poor condition, needing rehabilitation and erosion control. Bootjack Picnic Area to Pan Toll (MTSP): 12/19/01, CVR: In several places, this section of the trail could use tread repairs, to correct berm development or slippage of the outside edge of the trail, although the problems are not severe. A few new water bars would improve drainage in places. One of the steps at Pan Toll has rotted out, and needs replacement. Pan Toll to Stinson Beach (MTSP & GGNRA): 10/7/02, Roger Diehnel & CVR: Brushing is needed at the first bridge below Pan Toll, in order to prevent decomposition of the bridge during the the rainy season. The TCC crew has recently done considerable brushing and other minor maintenance from some distance above Table Rock to the state park boundary. The bridges over Table Rock Creek and Easkoot Gulch need repairs. One step in the vicinity of Table Rock Creek needs replacement. A number of sections of cedar rail fencing in this area need major repairs. |
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7/12/04, Paul Minault: The trail, especially the lower half, is heavily overgrown with coyote brush and fir, to the point of being all but closed. There is a little poison oak. The tread is in good shape, no erosion. |
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Mickey O'Brien Trail (MMWD) |
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1/24/03, CVR: This trail is mostly clear of brush. The trail has short steep spots. A number of short segments of the trail are badly eroded, and require drainage and the repair of stone steps. The TCC rehabilitated the portion of the trail closest to Barth's Retreat in January 2003. |
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8/13/04, CVR: In cooperation with the MMWD, the TCC and the Sierra Club completed a project to rehabilitate the upper leg of this trail, in 2001 and 2002. At the start of the trail, at Ridgecrest Boulevard, a culvert pipe draining the road was relocated, so that the trail no longer crosses it. Flights of steps were completed here, at three locations in the middle of this stretch of trail, and at the final short but very steep descent to the crossing of Old Railroad Grade. Many water bars were added. A small amount of brushing (largely final cleanup from major work already accomplished) remains to be completed. A few sections of eroded tread still need to be rehabilitated. At Old Railroad Grade, in the spring of 2001, the MMWD placed a sign stating that the lower leg of Miller Trail was closed due to hazardous conditions. The first 400 feet or so descended very steeply through serpentine soil. This part of the trail was undrained, eroded, rocky, slippery, and moderately overgrown. The Marin Conservation Corps completed improvements here in early 2003, adding rock and timber steps. Not every bit of this work is in ideal condition, so it might benefit from followup in the next year or two. From the point that the trail approaches and crosses the creek, although the tread is narrow, the route is adequate and stable, needing just minor repairs. The substantial bridge, crossing back to the left bank of the West Fork of Fern Creek, is a surprise, because the trail on each side of the bridge is so small. After the trail enters the redwood grove, the level of maintenance increases greatly. The trail descends extraordinarily steeply to Old Railroad Grade on several flights of well-constructed steps, added in 1989. |
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From Shoreline Highway to Dias Ridge Fire Road: From Dias Ridge Fire Road to Redwood Creek Trail: 11/21/06, Bill Stevens & CVR: The TCC and state park staff worked from 1999 to 2002 to rehabilitate this trail, starting at the top. This segment was a major volunteer project for Earth Day in 2001. The first half mile or so was thoroughly rehabilitated. State park staff continued with similar work for another half mile or so, continuing downhill. Unfortunately, regrowth of vegetation has been extremely rapid. This entire upper part of the route is in critical need of annual mowing, to cut off sprouting brush and to keep the route from narrowing and ditching once again. The tendency of the tread to narrow is reinforced by relatively heavy horse traffic. In addition, many existing water bars need to be rehabilitated, and additional drainage work is required to prevent the recurrence of erosion problems. Water bars along this segment were recently cleaned as a TCC trail day project, but about another 50 still need cleaning. From the point at which the trail enters the woods, the remainder of the route, to Redwood Creek Trail, is in reasonably good condition, requiring only the cleaning and improvement of water bars, and minor brushing (especially to cut back poison oak) |
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7/21/00, CVR: This trail (or network of trails) sees hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and most of the time is impeccably maintained by the National Park Service. |
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5/9/05, CVR: The TCC trail crew accomplished considerable improvements to the upper part of this trail in the summer of 2002. Most of the brush has been cleared, but parts of the central section remain lightly overgrown. Water bars and a number of steps were installed. There was an October 2004 report of a dead pine having fallen, partially obstructing the trail. The lower end of the trail is extraordinarily steep (use great caution!), and no work has been done here. Reconstruction would be difficult. One option would be to relocate the lower end of the trail so that it curved back into the canyon of Cascade Creek, crossed the creek, and then descended using the old dead end trail along the east bank that passes by some old building foundations. |
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MP3 
WMA 
