Mount Tamalpais East Peak–Fern Creek Trail, 3 sights is a 2.9-mile out-and-back in Mount Tamalpais Watershed near Mill Valley, CA. The route reaches Mount Tamalpais East Peak at the turnaround, 1.5 miles in. It climbs 1,436 ft, with sections as steep as 36% grade. It scores 43/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Mount Tamalpais East Peak–Fern Creek Trail, 3 sights
2.9 mi · ▲ 1,436 ft · 1 hr 41 min
Elevation 1,094–2,546 ft
Out & Back · Mount Tamalpais Watershed
Trailhead: 37.91381, -122.58025
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 94°F / low 64° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:19 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Transit-accessible: Panoramic Highway & Edgewood Avenue stop 461 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Hogback Road, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Matt Davis Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Hogback Road, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Old Railroad Grade Fire Road, heading W.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Fern Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading NE.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right onto Plank Walk Trail, heading E.
- 400 ftSharp right onto Plank Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miReach Mount Tamalpais East Peak, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Plank Walk Trail, heading E.
- 350 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 350 ftBear left onto Fern Creek Trail, heading NW.
- 0.6 miSharp left onto Old Railroad Grade Fire Road, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Hogback Road, heading SE.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Matt Davis Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Hogback Road, heading E.
- 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 surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.4 mi in (~70 min). Leave by 6:48 PM for the 8:19 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:07 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Transit-accessible: Panoramic Highway & Edgewood Avenue stop 461 m from the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Gravity Car Road–Hogback Road Loop, 3 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 252 ft
- Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Fire Road–Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail Loop, 3 sights 3 mi · ▲ 761 ft
- Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail & Old Railroad Grade Fire Road 3.1 mi · ▲ 349 ft
- Plank Walk Viewpoint–Fern Creek Trail, 3 sights 3.2 mi · ▲ 1,534 ft
- Hogback Road–Miller Trail, 3 sights 3.5 mi · ▲ 1,103 ft
- Verna Dunshee Viewpoint–East Peak Fire Trail, 5 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 1,797 ft
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