Running from Stinson Beach to East Peak Observatory

Location: Mount Tamalpais State Park

Distance: 16 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,500 ft

Parking: Stinson Beach Parking Lot

Trails: Dispea Trail, Steep Ravine Trail, Old Mine Road, Matt Davis Trail

I am still in training to run the Tamalpa Headlands 50K race on August 25, 2018 and this week's training run was focused on elevation gain and getting used to the trail conditions on a portion of the upcoming race course. I decided to run from sea level at Stinson Beach to Mount Tamalpais East Peak Observatory, which is a total of just over 16 miles round trip to an elevation of 2,571 ft. My run stated at the Stinson Beach parking lot and proceeded up the Dipsea Trail then switch to the Steep Ravine Trail up to Pantoll Ranger Station. From there I ran up Old Mine Road to the East Peak Observatory. Once at the observatory parking lot, I ran around the scenic overlook trail the climbed the last section to summit, where the observatory sits. This was a total of just over 8 miles and nearly 2,600 ft elevation gain. As you can see from the videos and photo gallery, from this summit you get one of the best views of the entire SF bay area. I descended the same trail to the ranger station then switched to the Matt Davis Trail for the final decent back to Stinson Beach. You can see the full Garmin course map and my Strava data by clicking the buttons below.

Overall, I would classify this as a challenging running or hiking route. Not only does the elevation gain vary from moderate to steep for a total of 8 miles but the trail surface on the Steep Ravine (ascending) and Matt Davis (descending) trails are single track, very tricky and challenging with a significant number of roots and embedded rocks. But what makes this run worth the effort is the variation in scenery along the trails and the views from the top. As you ascend away from Stinson Beach on the Dipsea Trail, the views back to the beach are breathtaking. The trail up Steep Ravine is along a creek with many small waterfalls, stone steps, redwood trees, wooden bridges and the iconic Steep Ravine ladder. There is a great stopping spot mid-way up at Pantoll Campground at Mount Tamalpais State Park with both restrooms and water. From there, you can ascend to the summit up several routes. I chose the Old Mine Road, which is a fire trail road and passes the historic West Point Inn. From the inn, it’s only a few miles up the East Peak Observatory . The descent down the fire trail back to the campground is fairly easy but the difficulty picks up as you get on the Matt Davis Trail and continues the final 4 miles to back to the beach. There is a brief section midway down that leaves the woods and traverses grassy hills and provides spectacular views out to the ocean. From there to the bottom, the many switchbacks and root covered trails will keep your attention as you finish up this 16 mile adventure.

For me, the top 5 highlights of this route were (1) the views back at Stinson Beach from the Dipsea Trail, (2) the ladder on the Steep Ravine Trail, (3) West Point Inn, (4) views from East Peak Observatory and (5) the grassy hills along the Matt Davis Trail. Hiking or running, this is a great adventure that I highly recommend if you are up for it….but it’s not for the weak at heart or legs.

Remember, every run can be an adventure!

See you on the trails.