It’s Sunday with a wave of heat in the Central Valley and Sacramento. Finding a place to unwind through a hike may be tough because it’s not that great to be in the sun while it’s over 95 degrees. We decided to head towards the coast for both the nice weather and beach access.
Arriving early to Stinson Beach is a must. This is a widely popular location for everyone in the area. You will have people from San Francisco and the surrounding areas in masses. Bad traffic is common at 9 AM. With that said, arrive before 9 AM for both parking and procuring a nice spot with a picnic table. Luckily, we arrived at 9 AM at the Stinson Beach parking lot with only 3 parking spots left.
The Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail
The Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail consists of three major trails. First, the Dipsea Trail. Second, the Steep Ravine Trail. And lastly, the Matt Davis Trail. The trails in the area are the Matt Davis Trail, Steep Ravine Trail, and Dipsea Trail. All these trails are all accessible from Stinson Beach.
The Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail is located in the Mount Tamalpais State Park in Marin County. The drive is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Sacramento. At about 100 miles away, it’s a nice getaway from city life. The total length of the trail is 7.5 miles depending on where you start and begin.
The road trip to Stinson Beach started at 600 AM with stops here in there for coffee and snacks which is a must. The roads are windy along with several hairpin turns as you get into the hills in Marin County. Be aware, there are tons of cyclists up and down these hills. Parking is very difficult as I mentioned. Cell Phone service is very limited.
Alternatively, the Dispea trailhead starts at both Muir Woods and Stinson Beach. Additionally, you can start anywhere in between as the road aligns with some of the trails. Depending on where you start, it can take 2.5 hours to a whole day of hiking.
I would suggest hikers be dropped off at Muir Woods for the 9.7-mile hike to Stinson Beach or Pantoll Campground for a 4.9-mile hike to Stinson Beach. This way, you can have a designated driver find parking and setup at Stinson Beach. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle to Muir Woods which is $3 per adult as well as $8 for parking.
Location of Trail Entrances: Muir Woods
Trail: Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail
The Hike
Upon finding parking at Stinson Beach, we walked towards Mount Tamalpais. There are signs pointing you to the right direction of the trail. Past Highway One onto the Panoramic Highway, the beginning of the trailhead will be visible.
We followed the Matt Davis trailhead to the Pantoll Campground to the Steep Ravine Trail and down through the Dipsea Trail. This would be a loop instead of going in and out of the Dipsea Trail as well as provide more shade.
The trail is very straight forward and easy to navigate. In some areas, a lot of shade brings joys to walking through the tall trees along Web Creek. On the other hand, the trail is wide open along the lush fields as you near the coast.
At Pantoll Camp, find a restroom and a place to refill water if needed. It’s a great place to take a break from the hike. Additionally, it’s a pretty popular place for cyclists and hikers to stop. Also , notice the campsites here are typically filled.
A major point of interest is the Steep Ravine Ladder which is on the Steep Ravine Trail. During the wet months, this place is soggy and filled with salamanders. In the spring and summer months, you will find this ladder filled with people waiting for their turn.
The fields during the spring months of this trail are quite beautiful. The flowers are plentiful and the trees are lush. Each different area of the hike had something to offer. I enjoyed much if not all of the loop trail.
After the hiking the full loop, we arrived back at Stinson Beach. Tons of people were in the area. Also, the picnic tables were filled and BBQ smoked filled the air. We became hungry. Luckily, we had prepared lunch and was ready to relax on the beach.
Quick Links
Trail Head: Muir Woods
Trail: Dipsea Steep Ravine Matt Davis Loop Trail
Park Information: Mount Tamalpais State Park
Muir Woods Shuttle: https://gomuirwoods.com/muir/shuttleParkingInfo
