Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 12 sights is a 15.3-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Kent Woodlands, CA. The route passes Lake Lagunitas, Bon Tempe Lake and Alpine Lake before reaching Helen Markt Falls at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 3,323 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi505 – 1,417 ft · steepest grade: 20%15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Filter Plant Road 37.95184, -122.58473
Nearest town Kent Woodlands, CA
Directions
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Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 12 sights
15.3 mi · ▲ 3,323 ft · 6 hr 46 min
Elevation 505–1,417 ft
Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed
Trailhead: Filter Plant Road · 37.95184, -122.58473
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 94°F / low 56° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM
- Start on Filter Plant Road, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading NE.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Pilot Knob Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miPass Lake Lagunitas.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miPass Bon Tempe Lake.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Shadyside Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Lower Berry Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading S.
- 0.5 miBear right onto Rocky Ridge Fire Road, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Stocking Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Kent Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miPass Alpine Lake.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Helen Markt Trail, heading N.
- 1.5 miReach Helen Markt Falls, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.5 miContinue straight onto Kent Trail, heading N.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Stocking Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Rocky Ridge Fire Road, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading SE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Lower Berry Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Shadyside Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Pilot Knob Trail, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Filter Plant Road, heading N.
- 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
32% dirt68% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 94°F56°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV8Humidity36%
Hourly temperature
95°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:19 PM
Tue
87°55°
Wed
82°52°
Thu
71°53°
Fri
75°51°
Sat
74°51°
Sun
67°51°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.4 mi in (~145 min). Leave by 5:34 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:37 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Filter Plant Road Trailhead
- Concrete Pipe Road–Eldridge Grade Fire Road, 4 sights 4 mi · ▲ 699 ft
- Pilot Knob–Filter Plant Road, 4 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 896 ft
- Lake Lagunitas–Filter Plant Road, 4 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 721 ft
- Phoenix Lake–Eldridge Grade Fire Road, 5 sights 7 mi · ▲ 1,034 ft
- East Peak Fire Trail–Filter Plant Road, 5 sights 10.2 mi · ▲ 3,304 ft
- Bootjack Trail–East Peak Fire Trail, 7 sights 15.7 mi · ▲ 3,565 ft
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