Point Reyes National Seashore encompasses 71,000 acres, well over twice the land mass of San Francisco, and is composed largely of low-lying grasslands. The highest point (Mount Whittenberg) is just 1,400 feet above sea level, and the view from the summit is obscured by conifers. Point Reyes is rough, sprawling, and oh-so-windy, and if you want to see the park's beloved tule elk, you'll need a ride. So stay in beautiful Olema . . . but hike iconic Mount Tamalpais for the Bay Area's most stunning vistas!
From public parking lot at Sir Francis Drake Blvd./Highway 1
HIKES START UPON ARRIVAL AT TRAILHEAD ~ 10:30 AM
Due West, the cozy tavern at the iconic Olema House, is the alpha and omega of our weekend excursions: We meet in the free adjacent public parking lot . . . and part ways after a rousing hike and a round (or two) at Due West! The shuttle's gathering point at the intersection of Highway 1 and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. is equally convenient to guests of Olema House and Olema Cottages.
Individual Due West tabs are not included in our price.
You're here to hike, not to negotiate. So let's make this easy: For $125, you reserve a round-trip shuttle from Olema to Mount Tamalpais, along with a hearty trail lunch, plenty of liquid and, should you need them, a backpack and treeking poles! A mere $50 deposit reserves your spot.
Did we mention the epic guided hike in between?
Stroll among towering Coastal Redwoods, climb ancient steps carved into cliffsides and see San Francisco from vantage points few ever access.
The world-renowned coastline of Big Sur begins 120 miles to the south, but it has nothing on the explosive surf slamming upon the cliffs of Marin's most dramatic shoreline.
The upper trails of Mount Tamalpais are ideal for a day in the sun. With gentle grades, a rich history and stunning panoramas, this hike is a favorite of photographers. But the ambitious can summit Mount Tam!
To the extent that anyone has credited my leadership style on the trails with any degree of success over the years, I'll let you in on a secret: The relationships I forge with clients isn't the key crieria for an epic experience. The relationship hikers forge among themselves is far more important.
Thus, my top priority is encouraging and facilitating that process -- then getting out of the way and letting nature take its course. And while I do my best to inject a few laughs into the proceedings, inspiring hikers is a task I delegate to the soaring redwoods, breathtaking waterfalls and world-class panoramas.
My legacy, should it come to that, will be measured by the long-term-friendships, business relationships, romances, and even a few marriages that I had some part in facilitating along the trail. Let's hike!