Sky Oaks Trailhead, Mount Tamalpais

Featured hike
Mile:
0.0: Start at the parking lot near the Lagunitas picnic area. Look for the signed start of Lakeview Fire Road. Walk uphill to the left on Lakeview, and then continue straight past a signed junction with a private road.
0.1: Junction. Lakeview Fire Road continues to the right. Turn left onto Pilot Knob Trail.
0.3: The trail crests, and from an unsigned junction, the path to Pilot Knob departs on the right. Turn right.
0.4: Hilltop and turnaround point. Retrace your steps back to the previous junction.
0.5: Back at the junction with Pilot Knob Trail. Turn right.
0.7: Junction. Turn right onto Lakeview Fire Road.
1.1: Junction. Turn left onto Lagunitas Fire Road.
1.3: Tiny Lagunitas Fire Trail departs unannounced on the left side of the trail. Continue straight on Lagunitas Fire Road.
1.5: Colier Trail climbs uphill to the left, from a signed junction. Continue to the right on Lagunitas Fire Road.
1.8: Junction with Rock Spring-Lagunitas Fire Road. Continue to the right on Lagunitas Fire Road.
1.9: The trail splits at an unsigned junction near the damned end of Lake Lagunitas. You can go either way: to the left the fire road ends at a gate and the parking lot. Stay to the right.
2.0: Look left along the side of the spillway for a descending trail. Turn left.
2.1: Back at the parking lot. Walk through the lot, past the pit toilets and the old barn-like building, and continue to a little parking lot cul-de-sac near the end of Lagunitas Fire Road. A trail that runs around Bon Tempe Lake departs straight ahead. Step over the log barrier onto the trail.
2.3: This path seems to end at a broad gravel road. Turn left, and almost immediately turn onto a faint path on the right side of the road.
2.5: The trail reaches a paved road near a small parking area. Cross the road.
2.8: The trail splits at an unmarked junction before a thicket of poison oak. This is a very easy junction to miss. Sky Oaks-Lagunitas Trail continues to the left. Turn right onto Madrone Trail.
3.0: Path crests and joins Pumpkin Ridge Trail. Turn right.
3.0: Madrone Trail continues downhill to the left. Stay to the right on Pumpkin Ridge Trail.
3.3: The trail ends at Lagunitas Road. Cross the street and walk down an unnamed gravel road.
3.4: A previously encountered junction. Turn left onto Sky Oaks-Lagunitas Trail, and retrace your steps to the trailhead.
3.5: Back at the parking lot.

Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake. Drive about 5 miles west on Sir Francis Drake to Fairfax. Turn left on Pastori, make the first right onto Broadway, and then drive a few blocks and turn left onto Bolinas. Drive about 1.5 miles and turn left onto Sky Oaks Road (signed to Lake Lagunitas). Drive to the end of the paved road, following the signs to Lake Lagunitas. If possible, park near the pit toilets.

GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude 37°56'55.88"N
Longitude 122°35'50.28"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)


Read about this hike in more detail and view photos at http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/skyoaks.html


© 2002 Jane Huber/Bay Area Hiker