Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 7 sights is a 9.3-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Fairfax, CA. The route passes Alpine Lake and Bon Tempe Lake before reaching Helen Markt Falls at the turnaround, 4.6 miles in. It climbs 1,933 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 87/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi659 – 1,266 ft · steepest grade: 25%9.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Bon Tempe Dam Road 37.95929, -122.60997
Nearest town Fairfax, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 7 sights
9.3 mi · ▲ 1,933 ft · 4 hr 4 min
Elevation 661–1,267 ft
Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed
Trailhead: Bon Tempe Dam Road · 37.95929, -122.60997
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 90°F / low 59° · precip 0% · wind 12 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Bon Tempe Dam Road, heading S.
- 0.3 miPass Alpine Lake.
- 50 ftPass Bon Tempe Lake.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Rocky Ridge Fire Road, heading W.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Stocking Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Kent Trail, heading SW.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Helen Markt Trail, heading NW.
- 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 miTurn left onto Rocky Ridge Fire Road, heading NE.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Bon Tempe Dam 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.
Weather
ClearTemperature 90°F59°
Precip0%Wind12 mphUV8Humidity51%
Hourly temperature
90°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:19 PM
Tue
80°59°
Wed
80°54°
Thu
93°53°
Fri
98°54°
Sat
99°51°
Sun
93°52°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~54 min). Leave by 7:05 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:10 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Bon Tempe Dam Road Trailhead
- Colier Spring–Alpine Lake, 9 sights 7.7 mi · ▲ 1,440 ft
- Serpentine Point–Alpine Lake, 8 sights 10.1 mi · ▲ 2,044 ft
- Mount Tamalpais East Peak–Colier Spring, 11 sights 11.3 mi · ▲ 2,299 ft
- Alpine Lake–Bon Tempe Lake, 11 sights 12.9 mi · ▲ 2,002 ft
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