AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Lake Lagunitas.jpg
AlexAH · CC BY 3.0
Mount Tamalpais Watershed

Alpine Lake–Bon Tempe Lake, 12 sights

13.5 mi · ▲ 2,113 ft · 5 hr 33 min

Alpine Lake–Bon Tempe Lake, 12 sights is a 13.5-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Fairfax, CA. The route passes Lake Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lake before reaching Alpine Lake at the turnaround, 6.7 miles in. It climbs 2,113 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade. It scores 71/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi197 – 1,070 ft · steepest grade: 17%14.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bullfrog Fire Road 37.96638, -122.60510
Nearest town Fairfax, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Alpine Lake–Bon Tempe Lake, 12 sights

13.5 mi · ▲ 2,113 ft · 5 hr 33 min

Elevation 199–1,070 ft

Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed

Trailhead: Bullfrog Fire Road · 37.96638, -122.60510

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 95°F / low 56° · precip 0% · wind 11 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 150 ftTurn right onto Alex Forman Trail, heading SE.
  3. 0.3 miBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading E.
  4. 50 ftContinue straight onto Alex Forman Trail, heading E.
  5. 200 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading SE.
  6. 50 ftContinue straight onto Alex Forman Trail, heading SE.
  7. 150 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  8. 250 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading N.
  9. 0.2 miBear right onto Elliot Trail, heading E.
  10. 0.3 miSharp right onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  11. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Concrete Pipe Road, heading S.
  12. 150 ftBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading SW.
  13. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Hidden Meadow Trail, heading E.
  14. 150 ftBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  15. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SE.
  16. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Filter Plant Road, heading SE.
  17. 150 ftTurn left onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SE.
  18. 1.3 miContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading SW.
  19. 0.2 miTurn left onto Pilot Knob Trail, heading NW.
  20. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading W.
  21. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  22. 0.1 miPass Lake Lagunitas.
  23. 350 ftTurn right onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading SW.
  24. 0.1 miPass Bon Tempe Lake.
  25. 350 ftContinue straight onto Shadyside Trail, heading SE.
  26. 1.4 miTurn left onto Bon Tempe Dam Road, heading NW.
  27. 50 ftReach Alpine Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 100 ftTurn right onto Shadyside Trail, heading NW.
  29. 1.4 miContinue straight onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading NE.
  30. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  31. 0.2 miTurn right onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading S.
  32. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Pilot Knob Trail, heading SE.
  33. 0.8 miTurn right onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading SE.
  34. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SE.
  35. 1.3 miTurn right onto Filter Plant Road, heading SW.
  36. 150 ftContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading W.
  37. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  38. 0.4 miBear right onto Hidden Meadow Trail, heading NW.
  39. 150 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NW.
  40. 0.4 miBear right onto Concrete Pipe Road, heading NW.
  41. 150 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading W.
  42. 0.1 miSharp left onto Elliot Trail, heading SW.
  43. 0.3 miBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NW.
  44. 0.2 miSharp right onto Alex Forman Trail, heading SW.
  45. 150 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading S.
  46. 50 ftContinue straight onto Alex Forman Trail, heading S.
  47. 200 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading S.
  48. 50 ftBear right onto Alex Forman Trail, heading SW.
  49. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  50. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/bon-tempe-lake-bon-tempe-lake-out-back-17-km-df5f

Trail surface

52% dirt48% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 95°F56°
Precip0%Wind11 mphUV8Humidity42%
Hourly temperature
95°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:19 PM
Tue 85°55°
Wed 81°51°
Thu 93°53°
Fri 98°54°
Sat 99°51°
Sun 93°52°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.5 mi in (~136 min). Leave by 5:43 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:42 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Bullfrog Fire Road Trailhead

Hikes near Fairfax, California