Location: County: Marin. Nearest City: Mill Valley. See map 1.

Campsites, facilities: Pantoll Campground: There are 16 walk-in tent sites. Piped water, flush toilets, fire grills, food lockers, and tables are provided. Firewood is available to purchase. Leashed pets are permitted. Rocky Point-Steep Ravine Environmental Campground: There are six environmental walk-in campsites and ten rustic cabins on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. The cabins do not have running water. Primitive toilets and piped drinking water are nearby.

Reservations, fees: No reservations; $15-$16 per night, $1 pet fee. Cabins and Environmental sites at this park can be booked 10 days to 7 months prior to the arrival date. All other sites at this park can be booked a day prior to the arrival date.

Contact: Phone 1-415-388-2070, or call District Headquarters at 1-415-893-1580 or fax 1-415-388-2968.

Mt. Tamalpais SP
801 Panoramic Highway
Mill Valley CA 94941

Operating hours, seasons: Hours are posted at the Pantoll Ranger Station and at various locations on the upper mountains. The park is open every day at 7:00 a.m. and closes just after sunset, with hours fluctuating with the seasons. During the winter, the park is open until 6:00 p.m. daily, and during the height of the summer, the park is open until 10:00 p.m.

Directions: From U.S. 101 in Marin, take the Stinson Beach/Highway 1 exit. Drive west to the stoplight at the T intersection (Highway 1). Turn left and drive about four miles uphill to the Panoramic Highway. Bear to the right on Panoramic Highway and continue for 5.5 miles (past the turnoff to Muir Woods). Turn left at the Pantoll parking area and ranger station. A 100-foot walk is required to reach the campground.

Weather, clothing: Summer and spring are warm, fall and winter can be cool. Layered clothing is best.

Trip notes: 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 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 In lived in the area for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. More than 50 miles of trail are within the park and connect to a larger, 200-mile-long trail system. Bicyclists are challenged by the twisting road to the top of the park's summit. When camping at Pantoll, you are within close range of the divine, including some of the best hiking, best lookouts, and just plain best places to be anywhere in the Bay Area. The camp is set in the woods on the western slopes of Mount Tamalpais, which some say is a place of special power. The Steep Ravine Trail is routed out of camp to the west into a wondrous gorge filled with redwoods and a stream with miniature waterfalls. After a good rain when everything is oozing with moisture, this can be one of the most romantic places on the planet Earth. Another hike, on the Matt Davis/Coast Trail, provides breathtaking views of the coast. Another must is the nearby drive to the East Peak Lookout, where the entire world seems within reach.

Where to go Camping

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Miwok Lodge 439