NorCal Dog Trails: Mt. Tamalpais Fire Roads Loop

Near: Mill Valley
Trip Type: Trail Run
Distance: 8 miles (or 5 miles to West Point Inn and back)
Elevation: 900 - 2,300 ft (1,800 ft at West Point Inn)
Vegetation: Some pine forest, some scrubby manzanitas
Surface: Dirt with a lot of rock mixed in.
Last Visit: 5/28/18

I lived in the Bay Area for the better part of a decade before I realized that Mt. Tamalpais State Park only covers the bottom half of Mt. Tam and a tiny bit of the summit. Most of the upper slopes are Marin municipal lands and the trails and fire roads there are open to dogs, provided they're on a leash. The roads and trails around the summit make for a nice network with a mix of slow gradual climbs on wide fire roads and steeper single-track routes. This post describes a circuitous tour up to the peak on the old railroad grade for a steady, satisfying trail run with lots of nice views of the San Francisco Bay. You can also cut this down to a lighter run/hike with modest climb by popping out the the West Point Inn and back.

Rules and Permits

No permits necessary, but dogs should be leashed at all times. Most trails are marked, but you should consult a map of Mt. Tamalpais State park to stay in the dog-legal areas.

Trailhead

The dead-end of Fern Canyon Road. Take Summit Avenue up from Mill Valley. Parking is pretty limited in marked sections along the road, but we can usually find a spot near the start of the dirt road.

Route

CalTopo Map: http://caltopo.com/m/8LHT

The base route to get a grand tour of the upper mountain is to take Old Railroad Grade all the way up to the peak road, then loop back down via the Eldridge Grade Fire Road, Wheeler Trail, Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Fire Road and finally the Tamalpa Trail back to Fern Canyon Rd just below the car. Climibing via the Old Railroad Grade means never climbing anything steeper than a few degrees but steadily moving up the slope. There is limited shade on the route, but that means for a lot of nice views south west over the San Francisco Bay towards Oakland on Old Railroad Grade and views north towards Sonoma on Eldridge Grade.

If 8 miles and a couple thousand feet of climb sound like a bit more adventure than you're after, a trip out to the West Point Inn and back makes for a more sedate 5-mile trip with a bit under 1,000 feet of slow, steady climb and lots of nice views to the south. This shorter route makes a particularly attractive option on hot sunny days because water and a snack are available at the inn. Sadly, the nicely shaded porch is off-limits to dogs though. In early summer there are also a few small creeks crossing this lower section that make handy dog-watering stations on hot days.