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April 2008
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How I went offroading in Marin
Hoofing it out of the suburbs and into the wild.
Metropolitan backcountry sounds oxymoronic until you consider that just across a pedestrian-friendly bridge from San Francisco, Marin features a collection of charming inns easily linked by wilderness trails you’ve probably gotten to know on day hikes. It got me thinking: Why couldn’t I simply walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for a European-style hut-to-hut hiking trip? After spending some time with trail maps, B&B brochures, and bus schedules, I fashioned my own route: three days, carrying little more than snacks, a credit card, and a change of clothes.
DAY 1: San Francisco to Muir Beach: 16.4 miles
There’s something vagabondish about crossing the Golden Gate Bridge wearing a large backpack. But as I slipped onto the Coastal Trail and ascended to the ridge above Rodeo Valley, the outfit suddenly suited my surroundings. For the next 12 miles, red dirt paths roller-coastered up and down the headlands, banking exposed grassy slopes. Etched into steep bluffs that glow with Technicolor hues during the golden hour, the Pirate’s Cove Trail connected Tennessee Valley with Muir Beach and dropped me, finally, at the Pelican Inn, where I wondered for a moment if I’d stumbled into the Scottish Highlands. The innkeeper led me through the dimly lit pub crowded with Saturday-evening pint drinkers to an upstairs room taste-fully appointed with English antiques.
DAY 2: Muir Beach to Stinson Beach: 6.3 miles
My stiff muscles, given only fleeting relief by English ale and a hot bath, warmed up slowly on the moderate walk inland from the Pelican Inn along Redwood Creek before working steadily up the Dipsea Trail. The reward was a view that spanned from the East Bay toward the Far East. Continuing in the direction of Stinson, the Dipsea descended a steep ravine, crossed moss-covered footbridges, and passed beneath redwoods before emerging above town. I followed the sound of the waves to the Redwoods Haus B&B.
DAY 3: Stinson Beach to Mill Valley: 11.6 miles
After an eggs-and-potatoes breakfast, I followed the Matt Davis Trail, which swung me up above town. Splayed ferns clustered on the slopes; moss enveloped scraggly oaks. The path exited the forest and traversed an undulating mountainside, cutting a rust-colored track through thick, green-gold grass. The horizon was a hazy blue, making the landscape seem airbrushed. I stopped in for lunch at the roadside Mountain
DAY 1: San Francisco to Muir Beach: 16.4 miles
There’s something vagabondish about crossing the Golden Gate Bridge wearing a large backpack. But as I slipped onto the Coastal Trail and ascended to the ridge above Rodeo Valley, the outfit suddenly suited my surroundings. For the next 12 miles, red dirt paths roller-coastered up and down the headlands, banking exposed grassy slopes. Etched into steep bluffs that glow with Technicolor hues during the golden hour, the Pirate’s Cove Trail connected Tennessee Valley with Muir Beach and dropped me, finally, at the Pelican Inn, where I wondered for a moment if I’d stumbled into the Scottish Highlands. The innkeeper led me through the dimly lit pub crowded with Saturday-evening pint drinkers to an upstairs room taste-fully appointed with English antiques.
DAY 2: Muir Beach to Stinson Beach: 6.3 miles
My stiff muscles, given only fleeting relief by English ale and a hot bath, warmed up slowly on the moderate walk inland from the Pelican Inn along Redwood Creek before working steadily up the Dipsea Trail. The reward was a view that spanned from the East Bay toward the Far East. Continuing in the direction of Stinson, the Dipsea descended a steep ravine, crossed moss-covered footbridges, and passed beneath redwoods before emerging above town. I followed the sound of the waves to the Redwoods Haus B&B.
DAY 3: Stinson Beach to Mill Valley: 11.6 miles
After an eggs-and-potatoes breakfast, I followed the Matt Davis Trail, which swung me up above town. Splayed ferns clustered on the slopes; moss enveloped scraggly oaks. The path exited the forest and traversed an undulating mountainside, cutting a rust-colored track through thick, green-gold grass. The horizon was a hazy blue, making the landscape seem airbrushed. I stopped in for lunch at the roadside Mountain
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