AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Mount Tamalpais Watershed

Mayor's Lookout–Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, 9 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 3,366 ft · 6 hr 51 min

Mayor's Lookout–Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, 9 sights is a 15.5-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Fairfax, CA. The route reaches Mayor's Lookout at the turnaround, 7.7 miles in. It climbs 3,366 ft, with sections as steep as 31% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 54/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi197 – 1,519 ft · steepest grade: 31%16.3 mi

Getting there

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

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mayor's Lookout–Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, 9 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 3,366 ft · 6 hr 51 min

Elevation 196–1,519 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 E.
  6. 0.2 miBear right onto Elliot Trail, heading E.
  7. 0.2 miTurn left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading N.
  8. 200 ftBear left onto Elliot Trail, heading N.
  9. 100 ftSharp right onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  10. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Concrete Pipe Road, heading S.
  11. 150 ftBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading SW.
  12. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Hidden Meadow Trail, heading E.
  13. 150 ftBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  14. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SE.
  15. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Filter Plant Road, heading SE.
  16. 150 ftTurn left onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SE.
  17. 2.3 miTurn right onto Indan Fire Road, heading E.
  18. 100 ftContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading E.
  19. 0.3 miTurn left onto Indian Fire Trail, heading SW.
  20. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Indan Fire Road, heading NE.
  21. 500 ftSharp right onto Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, heading NE.
  22. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Horseshoe Fire Road, heading S.
  23. 50 ftTurn right onto Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, heading S.
  24. 1.2 miBear left, heading SE.
  25. 0.2 miBear right onto Maytag Trail, heading SE.
  26. 50 ftBear left onto Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, heading S.
  27. 250 ftReach Mayor's Lookout, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 250 ftBear right onto Maytag Trail, heading E.
  29. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  30. 0.2 miBear right onto Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, heading SE.
  31. 1.2 miTurn left onto Horseshoe Fire Road, heading NW.
  32. 50 ftContinue straight onto Blithedale Ridge Fire Road, heading NW.
  33. 0.7 miSharp left onto Indan Fire Road, heading N.
  34. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Indian Fire Trail, heading W.
  35. 0.2 miTurn right onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading W.
  36. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Indan Fire Road, heading SW.
  37. 150 ftTurn left onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SW.
  38. 2.3 miTurn right onto Filter Plant Road, heading N.
  39. 150 ftContinue straight onto Eldridge Grade Fire Road, heading SW.
  40. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NW.
  41. 0.4 miBear right onto Hidden Meadow Trail, heading W.
  42. 150 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading W.
  43. 0.4 miBear right onto Concrete Pipe Road, heading NW.
  44. 150 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NW.
  45. 0.1 miSharp left onto Elliot Trail, heading NW.
  46. 100 ftBear right onto Shaver Grade Road, heading W.
  47. 150 ftTurn right onto Elliot Trail, heading W.
  48. 0.2 miBear left onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  49. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Alex Forman Trail, heading N.
  50. 200 ftContinue straight onto Shaver Grade Road, heading NE.
  51. 50 ftBear right onto Alex Forman Trail, heading NE.
  52. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  53. 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/mayors-lookout-out-back-22-km-5c10

Trail surface

78% dirt22% 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 4.4 mi in (~139 min). Leave by 5:40 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:49 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