Our favorite route to Mt. Tam's western peak.

Climb Summary

This climb is one of the 5 primary climb routes to the top of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County and may be the most scenic of them all.  The climb is mild throughout and the roadway, as with most, if not all, Marin roads, is in great shape.  There is no shoulder to speak of, but motor vehicle traffic is light and not a real issue during this climb - you will likely encounter at least twice the cyclists as motorists in this part of Marin.  

The first 2.5 miles to the intersection of Bolinas Fairfax Road and Ridgecrest Blvd is at 6% average grade, gaining 867' along the way.  

The next 4 miles to the fork at Ridgecrest / Pantoll Road is 2.8% with 650' gained.  

The final leg up to the top of Mt. Tam West Peak is  1.5 miles at 6.5% with a gain of 517'.  The views San Francisco and the Bay are absolutely spectacular along the last leg.