Mount Tamalpais State Park

Park Hours

Daily: 7:00 a.m. to Sunset, year round.

Contact Information

(415) 388-2070

Are dogs Allowed?

Yes: Dogs allowed only in developed areas. Dogs not allowed in the following areas: trails, dirt roads, and backcountry areas.

Reservation Availability

About Mount Tamalpais State Park

Just north of San Francisco's Golden Gate is Mount Tamalpais, 6,300 acres of redwood groves and oak woodlands with a spectacular view from the 2,571-foot peak. On a clear day, visitors can see the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County Hills, San Francisco and the Bay, hills and cities of the East Bay, and Mount Diablo. On rare occasions, the Sierra Nevada's snow-covered mountains can be seen 150 miles away. Coastal Miwok Indians lived in the area for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. In 1770, two explorers named the mountain La Sierra de Nuestro Padre de San Francisco, which was later changed to the Miwok word Tamalpais. With the Gold Rush of 1849, San Francisco grew; and more people began to use Mount Tamalpais for recreation. Trails were developed, and a wagon road was built. Later, a railway was completed and became known as the Crookedest Railroad in the World It was abandoned in 1930 after a wildfire damaged the line.

Get directions through Google Maps

The park is located North of San Francisco's Golden Gate. From Highway 101 take Highway 1 to the Stinson Beach exit and follow signs up the mountain. See Park Brochure Map for other entrances.

EV Information

e-bike icon E-Bike Locations
  EV Charger Locations

Overnight Facilities

  • Environmental Campsites
  • Family Campsites
  • Group Campsites
  • Hike or Bike Campsites
  • Alternative Camping
Other Facilities

  • Parking
  • Restrooms
  • Drinking Water Available
Day-Use Activities & Facilities

  • Historical/Cultural Site
  • Picnic Areas
  • Env. Learning/Visitor Center
  • Exhibits and Programs
  • Fishing
  • Guided Tours
  • Interpretive Exhibits
  • Scuba Diving/Snorkeling
  • Beach Area
  • Swimming
  • Vista Point
  • Nature & Wildlife Viewing
  • Windsurfing/Surfing
  • Museums
  • Family Programs
  • Geocaching
Trail Use

  • Hiking Trails
  • Horseback Riding

Welcome to Mount Tamalpais State Park

Just makin up poems in my head as I climb toward Mount Tamalpais.
See up there, as beautiful a mountain as you’ll see anywhere in the world,
 a beautiful shape to it, I really love Tamalpais.

                   – The Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac  

 

Tri-County Partnership to Create a Cleaner Coast

MARIN, SONOMA AND MENDOCINO COUNTY PARTNER TO CREATE A CLEANER COAST Teaching Leave No Trace Practices to Growing Visitor Audiences in Coastal Communities. Learn more by reading the Tri-County Partnership Press Release (6/15/2022).

Just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais State Park rises majestically from the heart of Marin County. Its deep canyons and sweeping hillsides are cloaked with cool redwood forests, oak woodlands, open grasslands, and sturdy chaparral.

The breathtaking vistas from Mount Tamalpais’s upper mountain include the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County hills, San Francisco Bay and City, the East Bay, and Mount Diablo. On rare occasions, the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountain Range can be seen 150 miles away.

The park offers superlative hiking, picnicking, wildlife watching. Up top, on most weekends volunteers at the East Peak Visitor Center provide information, sell merchandise and snacks. Volunteers at the nearby Gravity Car Barn relate the stories of the old Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway. A couple of miles below, a beautiful outdoor theatre, the Mountain Theater, hosts outdoor plays and astronomy programs.

First-come/first-serve camping is available at Pantoll or Bootjack Campgrouds. Visitors can also reserve a group campsite at Alice Eastwood Group Camp or a rustic cabin or seaside campsite at the Steep Ravine Cabins and Environmental Campground thorugh our agency Reserve California.

Arrive early to avoid heavy weekend and holiday traffic. Better yet, take the West Marin Stage Coach. 

Weather

Spring and summer temperatures are warm, with average highs in the 80s and 90s. Fall and winter can be cool, with temperatures in the 50s. Fog is common.

Important Rules

DRONES are prohibited at Mount Tamalpais State Park per Superintendent's Order 22-660-002.

Mushroom collecting is not allowed at Mount Tamalpais State Park. All natural and cultural park resources (rocks, flowers, wood, animals) are protected by law and must not be disturbed or removed. 

Dogs (except for service animals) are ONLY allowed on paved roads, Old Stage Fire Rd, Verna Dunshee Trail, in developed areas, campgrounds, and picnic areas.  Pets must remain on leash at all times.

Bicycles are allowed only on fire roads and Coast View Trail.

Be alert for: poison oak, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and ticks.

Smoking, camping and fires are never permitted in the upper mountain. If not under red flag alert, fires are permitted on the lower mountain only in provided firepits.

Horses are allowed only on fire roads and where specifically posted.

Camping in vehicles is PROHIBITED in all parking lots.

Accessibility

Some of the park’s wheelchair-accessible features include: 

  • The accessible 0.75-mile-long Verna Dunshee Trail at East Peak has fantastic views. Accessible tables, restrooms and drinking fountains are nearby. :
  • Spectacular vistas may also be seen from an accessible 0.4-mile portion of the Old Mine Trail from Pantoll Station.
  • Pantoll and Bootjack campgrounds each have accessible camping, restrooms and parking.
  • Cabin #1 and environmental campsite #7 at Steep Ravine are accessible.
  • The Mountain Theater has a wheelchair platform on the right side of the theater. The Mountain Play Association offers signed performances and descriptive services during the first three play performances each season. For more information, call the Mountain Play Association at 415-383-1100.

Visitors with disabilities who need assistance can contact the Pantoll Visitor Services Kiosk at 415-388-2070 before their trip.

Special Event Permits

Weddings and athletic events please contact: dkopler@parks.ca.gov.

Trail Updates

STEEP RAVINE TRAIL CLOSURE

Until further notice, the section of Steep Ravine Trail between the junction with the Dipsea Trail and Pantoll is closed due to unsafe trail conditions. Please detour onto Dipsea and Lower Old Mine Trails.

 map of Steep Ravine Trail closure and detour route on Dipsea and Old Mine Trails

If you have questions regarding trail closures, please contact the Pantoll Kiosk at (415) 388-2070.

MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Many trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park connect with trails in the neighboring Muir Woods National Monument. Please check their alerts page for information on any trail work or trail closures there.

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