Mount Tamalpais State Park
The Park is currently OPEN.
Please check the hours of operation.Summer Heat
Mount Tamalpais State Park usually has a temperature inversion in summer, with higher elevations in the park being much hotter than lower elevations and general forecasts. While temperatures at lower elevations on the coastal side of the mountain may be cool and comfortable, or even chilly when fog is present, temperatures at higher elevations on the mountain, especially East Peak, tend to be 20 or more degrees warmer, with limited shade and often less breeze. With this in mind, please consider the following if planning outdoor recreation in the park:- Drink plenty of water. Carry extra water and check on park maps or with park staff where water fountains are located. Electrolytes and/or salty snacks are also recommended to replace salt lost in sweat.
- Plan activities to finish by noon or start after 5pm, when temperatures are cooler.
- Plan activities at lower elevation on the coastal side of the mountain or in the redwood forest. These include: Rocky Point Road & Trail, Steep Ravine Beach, Steep Ravine Trail, Coast View Trail (multi-use), Heather Cut-off, Redwood Creek Trail, Dipsea Trail, Deer Park Fire Road (multi-use), TCC Trail, Stapleveldt Trail, Bootjack Trail below Bootjack Campground, Bootjack picnic area, Alice Eastwood Road to Alice Eastwood Group Camp (dog-friendly as far as the campground), Matt Davis Trail, Canopy View Trail, Lost Trail, Lower Fern Creek Trail, Sierra Trail, and Troop 80 Trail.
- Take frequent breaks in the shade. Cooling towels are also a good idea.
- Know the symptoms of heat-related illness and check for them as you recreate. https://www.cdc.gov/extreme-heat/signs-symptoms/index.html
Park Facilities
Environmental Campsites
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Hike or Bike Campsites
Alternative Camping
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Hike or Bike Campsites
Alternative Camping
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
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
REDWOOD CREEK TRAIL
The Redwood Creek will be CLOSED from the Shoreline Highway (Hwy 1) trailhead at the South Entrance of the park to the Heather Cutoff Spur Trail for trailwork. This closure will last until work is completed. Bridges on this stretch of trail will be removed and replaced and it will be unsafe for trail users. Attempting to use the closed section of trail will delay work completion and can endanger trail workers as well as trail users.
The spur trail from the Muir Beach Community Center (gated area with volleyball court and structures) will also be closed. Those coming off Heather Cutoff will need to head for the Horse Camp Gate and ford Redwood Creek on the Heather Cutoff Spur to access Redwood Creek Trail to the Miwok Trail, Deer Park Fire Road, and Muir Woods National Monument. Those taking Redwood Creek Trail between Muir Beach and Muir Woods will have to divert to Frank Valley Road (Muir Woods Road) between Shoreline Highway and Frank Valley Horse Camp (Santos Meadow).
We apologize for any inconvenience and we thank you for your patience as trail crews complete the final phase of renewal for the Redwood Creek Trail.
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.
