As summer sets in, it’s starting to get pretty warm in Marin County. As a kid, I hated hiking. My memories involved trails in the hills under the full sun, where everything was dry and dusty. When I started hiking as an adult, I discovered Marin has a lot of wooded trails. And there’s nowhere better to hike in the heat of summer than the redwoods.
Redwoods are incredible trees, not just because of their size. They can live for over two thousand years and their thick bark has a natural resistance to fire and insects. At Muir Woods and Roy’s Redwoods in Marin, you can see the burnt trunks of otherwise perfectly healthy trees. And despite the heat of summers in Marin, redwoods survive here because of the banks of fog that roll in from the Pacific Ocean. Understandably, hiking in the redwoods is incredibly popular!
I try to go in the morning, before the heat really hits, but the redwoods are tolerable at any time of day. Even so, always bring plenty of water! And if we’re in the middle of a heat wave, save the hike for another day.
Muir Woods is the best-known destination in Marin for redwoods, but it’s not the only one. It’s also necessary to book a parking spot ahead of time, and the entry fee is higher than the state parks, so I prefer these alternatives:
Pioneer Tree Trail at Samuel P. Taylor State Park
This state park in Lagunitas is one of my favorite summer hiking destinations. You can nearly always find parking at Camp Taylor and the trails are shaded. Sadly, the last old-growth redwood, Pioneer Tree, was destroyed in a fire only a few years ago, but you can still see redwoods all over this park.
The main campground at Camp Taylor is an amazing place to have a picnic lunch beneath the redwoods. For an easy, accessible hike, you can walk across the bridge, then take a right onto Cross Marin Trail. (If you go far enough, you’ll hit upon the site of the old paper mill, the first on the West Coast.) But the best hike is Pioneer Tree Trail, where you wind along the hill through redwoods. This hike is fully shaded and not overly strenuous.
Parking is $8, and dogs are allowed on the Cross Marin Trail, but not on Pioneer Tree Trail.
See my full post on Pioneer Tree Trail.
Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail at Roy’s Redwoods Preserve
Located in the San Geronimo Valley, Roy’s Redwoods is one of Marin’s county parks. There’s one stretch of this trail that’s in full sun, so, as I typically hike this loop in the morning, I go in counter-clockwise direction, to get the open portion done while it’s not too hot out. (Apply sunscreen and wear a hat—the part of the trail that’s under open skies is not short.) The redwood grove, which includes some truly impressive old-growth redwoods, will then be at the end of the hike.
Parking is free and usually available along Nicasio Valley Road. Dogs are allowed.
See my full post on Roy’s Redwoods.
TCC Trail at Mount Tamalpais State Park
Ok, so this is sort of cheating, as the redwoods of Mt. Tam are basically the same redwoods as Muir Woods. But this hike doesn’t actually enter Muir Woods officially, so no parking reservations or entry fees are required. One of the best trails for redwoods at Mt Tam is the TCC Trail, which you can easily access from either the Pantoll or Bootjack trailheads. I’ve also heard that Steep Ravine Trail has some decent redwoods, though neither hike has the large old-growth redwoods you can find at Muir Woods.
Parking at Pantoll Ranger Station and Bootjack Campground are both $8. Dogs are not allowed on these trails.
See my full post on a hike that included the TCC Trail.
