MT. TAMALPAIS, CALIFORNIA

MT. TAMALPAIS, CALIFORNIA

Published: 09/26/2009 by D Travel

Mt. Tamalpais is the highest peak in Northern California’s Marin County, with its West Peak standing at 2,574 feet above sea level. Originally inhabited by the Coast Miwok Indians for thousands of years, it is believed that the name ‘Tamalpais’ comes from the Miwok words for “coast mountain.”

Although the mountain is not particularly tall as mountains go, Mt. Tamalpais nonetheless encompasses about 25,000 acres, 6,300 of which are managed by the California State Park Rangers and volunteers. Covered by magnificent redwood, oak, manzanita, pine, fir, bay and madrone trees, as well as over 750 different species of plants, the mountain virtually explodes with an abundance of flora and fauna, from the occasional mountain lion to foxes, deer, bobcats, raccoons, and as many as 150 different species of birds such as owls, woodpeckers, kites, red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures.

Residents of the San Francisco Bay Area and from all over the world gravitate to ‘Mt. Tam’ (as it is known) each year to hike, picnic, horseback ride, hang-glide and bike its over 200 miles of trails and fire roads. In fact, Mt. Tam is considered to be the birthplace of mountain biking in the 1970s and became so popular as a mountain biking area that controversy arose over the impact on the environment and the potential safety hazard for other trail users. Consequently, bicycles were banned on most of the single-track trails, although they are still allowed on the fire roads. Horses are allowed on fire roads and certain designated trails.

With so many different hiking trails, Mt. Tam offers hikers a full range of hikes in both degree of difficulty and length, accompanied by incredible views of San Pablo and San Francisco Bays, the Golden Gate, the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco skyline, the East Bay, Mt. Diablo and three bridges: the Golden Gate, Bay and Richmond-San Rafael. When the fog rolls in, the panorama takes on a special mystery and beauty. The world's second-oldest running race, the famous Dispsea Race, starts in downtown Mill Valley and winds its way over the slopes of Mt. Tam.

In addition to all the trails, there are four bodies of water located on and around Mt. Tamalpais: Alpine Lake, Kent Lake, Bon Tempe Lake, and Lake Lagunitas, and there are three campgrounds: Pantoll, Steep Ravine and Alice Eastwood Campgrounds throughout the area. If overnight accommodations are desired, basic rooms and cabins are available at the West Point Inn, which has been a getaway spot for over 100 years.

As if this wasn’t enough by itself, Mt. Tamalpais also has a magnificent open-air amphitheater. The Cushman Memorial Theater is located on a ridge near the top of Mt. Tam, and regularly hosts such activities as the Mountain Play, Broadway musicals, and astronomy lectures. The Edgewood Botanic Garden located on the southeastern side of Mt. Tamalpais is dedicated to the native plants of the region. On the mountain’s northeast slope is one of the world’s last remaining old-growth forests, the Muir Woods National Monument.

A discussion of Mt. Tam would not be complete without reference to its incredible spiritual nature. Whether this has to do with some geographic trait or perhaps its ancestral heritage from the Coast Miwok Indians, the mountain has long been sought out for meditation and spiritual cleansing and healing purposes. Its amazingly serene vistas and transformative energy have sent many people back to their homes renewed, refreshed and revitalized, and many ceremonies, weddings, and spiritual conventions have been held within its slopes.