Cataract Trail–Laurel Dell Fire Road, 3 sights is a 6.8-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Stinson Beach, CA. It climbs 1,119 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi1,680 – 2,047 ft · steepest grade: 20%6.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Laurel Dell Fire Road 37.91919, -122.62889
Nearest town Stinson Beach, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Cataract Trail–Laurel Dell Fire Road, 3 sights
6.8 mi · ▲ 1,119 ft · 2 hr 50 min
Elevation 1,682–2,046 ft
Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed
Trailhead: Laurel Dell Fire Road · 37.91919, -122.62889
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 92°F / low 74° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM
- Start on Laurel Dell Fire Road, heading E.
- 1.6 miTurn right onto Simmons Fire Road, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mickey O`Brien Trail, heading SW.
- 1.7 miReach Laurel Dell Fire Road, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.7 miContinue straight onto Simmons Fire Road, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Laurel Dell Fire Road, heading NW.
- 1.6 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
59% dirt41% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 92°F74°
Feels like79°Precip0%Wind3 mphUV8Humidity32%
Hourly temperature
95°70°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:19 PM
Tue
80°65°
Wed
75°51°
Thu
67°48°
Fri
70°47°
Sat
70°46°
Sun
62°46°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:59 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 8:19 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:48 PM.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Laurel Dell Fire Road Trailhead
- Coastal Trail 3.1 mi · ▲ 341 ft
- Benstein Trail & Laurel Dell Fire Road 4.3 mi · ▲ 749 ft
- CC Boys Trail–Kent Trail, 3 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 985 ft
- Serpentine Point–High Marsh Trail, 3 sights 4.9 mi · ▲ 954 ft
- Benstein Trail–CC Boys Trail, 4 sights 5.7 mi · ▲ 1,103 ft
- Benstein Trail–Laurel Dell Fire Road, 4 sights 6.3 mi · ▲ 1,351 ft
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