Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 10 sights is a 10.1-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Kent Woodlands, CA. The route passes Bon Tempe Lake, Lake Lagunitas and Alpine Lake before reaching Helen Markt Falls at the turnaround, 5.1 miles in. It climbs 2,299 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade. It scores 84/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi659 – 1,417 ft · steepest grade: 19%10.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.95066, -122.59795
Nearest town Kent Woodlands, CA
Directions
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Helen Markt Falls–Alpine Lake, 10 sights
10.1 mi · ▲ 2,299 ft · 4 hr 31 min
Elevation 661–1,417 ft
Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed
Trailhead: 37.95066, -122.59795
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 94°F / low 56° · precip 0% · wind 0 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Bon Tempe Lake.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading SE.
- 0.2 miPass Lake Lagunitas.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Shadyside Trail, heading NW.
- 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 S.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Stocking Trail, heading NW.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Kent Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miPass Alpine Lake.
- 100 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 E.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Lagunitas-Rock Spring Fire Road, heading SE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Lower Berry Trail, heading E.
- 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 SE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Lakeview Fire Road, heading S.
- 200 ftBear left, heading S.
- 500 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
9% dirt91% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 94°F56°
Precip0%Wind0 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
74°51°
Sat
74°51°
Sun
67°51°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.8 mi in (~65 min). Leave by 6:54 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:19 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Pilot Knob–Bon Tempe Lake, 4 sights 1.5 mi · ▲ 455 ft
- Bon Tempe Lake–Lake Lagunitas, 4 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 382 ft
- Bald Hill Trail–Hidden Meadow Trail, 3 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 694 ft
- Alpine Lake–Bon Tempe Lake, 6 sights 4.1 mi · ▲ 234 ft
- Colier Spring–Bon Tempe Lake, 7 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 1,283 ft
- Verna Dunshee Viewpoint–Bon Tempe Lake, 6 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,910 ft
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