Bon
Tempe Trailhead,Mount Tamalpais/Marin Municipal Water District,
Marin County
In brief:
5 mile loop through chaparral and deep woods, on the northern flank of Mount Tamalpais.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake. Drive west on Sir Francis Drake about 5 miles to the town of Fairfax. Turn left on Pastori, make the first right onto Broadway, and then turn left on Bolinas. Drive about 1.5 miles on (what is now signed as) Fairfax-Bolinas Road, then turn left onto Sky Oaks Road (signed to Lake Lagunitas). Once past the entrance kiosk, drive about 0.4 mile, and turn right (to Bon Tempe) at a signed junction onto a gravel road. Drive about 0.3 mile, then bear left (unsigned) to the trailhead (if you get to a second parking lot at the end of the road you've gone too far).
Trailhead details:
$7 entrance fee (self-register is entrance kiosk is unattended). Gravel parking lot. Maps available (for a fee) at the kiosk when it is staffed. No drinking water. There's one portable toilet near the trail entrance, and a second at the end of the dam. No designated handicapped parking. People in wheelchairs may be able to squeeze through the stile at the trail entrance, but trails are not wheelchair-friendly. There's a pay phone at the Lake Lagunitas Trailhead, at the end of Sky Oaks Road. There is no direct public transportation to this trailhead.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, restaurants, and stores back in Fairfax. No camping in the immediate area.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 5 mile loop hike is moderate, with about 700 feet in elevation change. Trailhead elevation is around 690 feet. The featured hike's high point is around 1253 feet. The elevation change may seem minimal, but the featured hike is not easy. There are steep sections along Rocky Ridge and Kent Trails, and some short scrambles over fallen trees and rocks along Alpine Lake. Rocky Ridge is indeed well-named and the trail can leave your feet sore so wear sturdy boots. High temperatures exacerbate hiking difficulty here. There are easier and harder hikes originating from Bon Tempe. A map with topography, such as the Olmsted Brothers, A Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands, is a good source for hike planning.
Rules:
Bicycles and horses permitted on a few trails (mostly fire roads). Most trails are open to hikers only. Dogs are permitted on the hike described below: they are allowed on leash on the water district trails but are not allowed on the adjacent state park trails.
The Official Story:
Sky Oaks Ranger Station: 415-945-1181.
MMWD recreation page
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Trail map from MMWD (pdf)
• Olmsted Brothers map, A Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands is great (order this map from Amazon.com).
• Hiking Marin, by Don and Kay Martin has good maps and area descriptions (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Mount Tam Trail Map, published by Tom Harrison Maps (order from Tom Harrison Maps). Comparable to the Olmsted map.
• The map and text in Barry Spitz's Tamalpais Trails (order this book from Amazon.com) are particularly useful when you're searching for obscure Tam trails, and it's a nice tandem to the Olmsted Brothers map.
Bon
Tempe in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured
hike.• View photos from the featured hike
Mount Tamalpais' northwestern flank provides a diverse
hiking experience. Although there are always plenty of fishermen by the lakes,
and throngs of cyclists favor the wide fire roads, when you turn onto one of
the smaller trails, you'll most likely leave the crowds behind. It's a different
world of undermaintained trails that are often narrow and overgrown with tall,
dense thickets of shrubs. Minor trails are unsigned. Huge Douglas fir and redwood
trees block out the sky, fallen limbs and trunks sometimes obstruct the trails,
and dead tanoak and madrone leaves obscure the paths. You might find yourself
in dark quiet woods, miles from another soul, with no idea which direction you're
heading, or even if you're on the correct trail. It's a little patch of lonely
wilderness very close to civilization. However, trails like this are not for
everyone. Hikers with a poor sense of direction, or folks in a hurry should
look elsewhere. Students of nature, or thwarted explorers and outdoor adventurers
searching for a trek to fully engage all the senses may want to give this hike
a try. I've found that there's nothing like the panic of being lost in the woods
to quiet my busy mind.If you're not up for a day long expedition, the Bon Tempe trailhead
offers short and easy hikes too. A 2 mile loop around Bon Tempe Lake is a good
choice for beginners, with excellent wildlife and bird watching opportunities,
and no real danger of getting lost. Hikers seeking challenging loops have a
few options. Rocky Ridge Fire Road begins close to the trailhead, but you can
also ascend on nearby Rock Spring-Lagunitas Fire Road. Let your endurance level
be your guide; climb as far as you want, and return to the trailhead on minor
trails and/or fire roads. Bring plenty of water, particularly in warm weather.
Trails get muddy in winter and early spring, when it's best to stick to the
fire roads. Smaller trails are often blocked by fallen trees and prone to storm
damage. Start the featured by walking uphill on the gated fire road departing from the Bon Tempe Trailhead. After about 40 feet, a road forks left, on the way to Bon Tempe Sunnyside. Stay right. The trail crosses the spillway, then crests at the dam. Walk across the flat dam, with Bon Tempe Lake on the left and Alpine Lake on the right. Both are man-made reservoirs which hold drinking water for Marin County residents.
There's
a nice view of Tam's peaks across the water to the southeast. At 0.32 mile,
you'll reach a junction in front of a portable toilet. Bon Tempe Shadyside heads
left around the lake. Unmarked Casey Cutoff (a steep shortcut path to Rocky
Ridge) heads uphill near the start of Bon Tempe Shadyside. Turn right.A few steps later at 0.35 mile, under a canopy of valley oaks, Rocky Ridge Fire Road begins at a signed junction. Bear left.
The broad multi-use trail starts to climb immediately. In mid-spring, the bright yellow flowers of false lupine nicely frame a view down to Alpine Lake. Madrone, California bay, coast live oak, and Douglas fir shade the trail. Rocky Ridge's harsh grades persists as the trail steps out into chaparral. The trail is lined with chamise, manzanita, toyon, ceanothus, shrubby oaks, and a spattering of Douglas fir. There are a few azaleas on the right. The shrub, normally found in the damp woods,
blossoms
in spring. Nice views unfold to the north, west, and east. To the north, Pine
Mountain blocks any long views at this relatively low elevation. Bolinas Ridge
is visible to the west, and to the east you should be able to see Pilot Knob,
the bay, and Mount Diablo. Thankfully, the trail levels out, and there are even
a few short descents. Perhaps to compensate for this kinder, gentler grade,
the trail becomes increasingly rocky. Douglas fir pull back to the edges of
the ridge, leaving trailside vegetation dominated by shrubby plants preferring
serpentine soil, such as yerba santa, chamise, ceanothus, and manzanita. The
eastern segment of Stocking Trail feeds into Rocky Ridge Fire Road from the
left at an unmarked
junction at about 1.59 miles. This portion of Stocking appears on the Tamalpais
Trails map, but a water district sign proclaims it closed. Just down a short
hill the other section of Stocking Trail breaks off to the right at a signed
junction at about 1.63 miles (Stocking Trail is marked on the south side of
the post; the side facing the junction points the way to the continuation of
Rocky Ridge Fire Road, to the left). (If you'd like to extend your hike, you
could continue on Rocky Ridge Fire Road to Rock Spring- Lagunitas Fire Road,
climb another 500 feet to Lagoon Trail, then pick up Kent Trail and continue
the featured hike. This will add about 2 miles to your day.) Turn right onto
Stocking Trail.Narrow Stocking Trail is signed as hiking only. For a few steps the path remains out in the open, but Stocking Trail quickly is engulfed by tall shrubs of chamise, ceanothus, and toyon, as well
as
small Douglas fir. This stretch seems to have been carved out for woodland elves;
even hikers under 6 feet will be ducking the branches that arch over the cramped
trail. Gradually woods overtake the chaparral, as Douglas fir and redwood are
mixed through California bay and tanoak. Madrones are here too, and in early
spring they contribute tiny aromatic white flowers to the trail litter. Stocking
Trail crosses Van Wyck Creek on a bridge. A rough trail runs along the creek
all the way to Alpine Lake, but it is not maintained or signed. Huckleberry
shrubs are plentiful. Stocking keeps a mostly gentle downhill course, but there
are a few very short ascents. Some giant redwoods loom in fairy circles along
the trail, and old fallen
giants still retain their majesty on the ground. Very large giant chain ferns
thrive in this part of the woods. Stocking Trail skirts the shore of Hidden
Lake, and then, at 2.03 miles, ends at a signed junction with Kent Trail. Turn
right.Hiking only Kent Trail initially descends at a moderate pace. Redwoods, tanoaks, and Douglas fir dominate, and there are few plants in the deeply shaded understory. Dead leaves on the ground hide the trail in places. Look for fallen tree limbs arranged as trail borders, for guidance. The sound of running water becomes louder as you near the East Fork of Swede George Creek. Kent Trail steps past the tiny body of water known as Foul Pool, and then runs along a surprisingly deep gorge formed by landslides and water flow. Although trees block good views, the creek is somewhat visible downhill to the left. You'll want to pay attention to the narrow trail as it barely clings to the side of the ravine. A metal pipe emerges from the ground, running parallel to the trail. This pipeline makes occasional appearances on the remaining miles of Kent Trail.
Look
for shrubby California nutmeg nestled among the Douglas fir and redwoods. Kent
Trail turns away from the creek, and squeezes through a dense stand of huckleberry,
manzanita, chinquapin, and Douglas fir. This sunny stretch is short-lived, for
the trail soon returns to the forest. The grade steepens. You will probably
see white and purple iris in spring. Suddenly, the blue sheen of Alpine Lake
filters through the trees. Kent Trail meets Helen Markt Trail at a signed junction
at 2.83 miles (a second spur joins Kent Trail a few steps later, and is marked
by a sign affixed to a tree). Turn right, toward Bon Tempe Lake.This portion of Kent Trail is prone to storm damage. The water district has made improvements in the last few years, including bridges that eliminate scrambles across the two major creekbeds.
Still,
there are very short sections (a few feet at a time) that are steep, and fallen
trees sometimes block the trail. Except for a few rerouted areas, the trail
follows at a mostly level grade, very close to the lake. Redwoods and Douglas
firs (including a few really large specimens) are common, with ferns, Indian
warrior, and huckleberry in the understory. Look for coralroot in spring. You
may hear or see fishermen, but most likely your only company will be the ducks
floating along the lake. At the second bridge, Van Wyck Creek empties into Alpine
Lake at a particularly scenic spot. This shaded location is a good place for
a lunch break. Water spills downhill, over a few large boulders and cascades
into the lake, practically begging a sweaty hiker to take a dip on a hot day
(unfortunately, "water contact" is forbidden). Kent Trail continues,
hugging the shoreline, but offers a break from the woods on a foray through
rocky grassland. You might see clarkia, mariposa tulips, and false lupine in
mid spring. Although the dam comes into view and seems a stone's throw away,
the trail veers back into the woods one last time. At 4.19 miles, the path ends
at a broad gravel road, and a signed junction. Bear right.In Tamalpais Trails, Barry Spitz refers to this stretch as Alpine-Bon Tempe Fire Road, but it's unnamed on the signpost. Douglas fir and coast live oak block Alpine Lake from view as the flat fire road winds back to the previously encountered junction with Rocky Ridge Fire Road at 4.68 miles. Bear left and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: 5.05 miles
Last hiked: Friday, May 4, 2001
