Bolinas Ridge Run - Marin County

Every once in a while I find some long outdoor trip that intrigues me. I then proceed to plan it out but then realize how much effort it will take to train and actually do said activity in a fun way. Most of the time I never end up getting around to doing said trip because of timing, fitness, or interest but every once in a while I actually get around to it. The 32 mile point to point run along Bolinas Ridge starting near Olema, California and back into San Francisco is one of those runs. So on a quick trip back to the Bay Area with little training and to much confidence I managed to convince another silly human being to join me on the adventure.

Trip Logistics

This is a long one and a point to point so it makes logistics a bit complicated. The run is 32 miles and starts at Bolinas Ridge Trailhead closer to Point Reyes National Seashore and finishes in the city of San Francisco. There is a bus managed by Marin Transit that goes past the trailhead but I am unclear on where it drops off. We were thankfully dropped off at the Bolinas Ridge end and picked up once we got into the city so that made life easy. You could theoretically park cars and both ends, it just means you will do a lot of driving. No water at the start but you can fill up at Pantoll Campground which is about 17 miles in. For food you will need to carry everything with you, unless you have friends to help you re-supply, as there are no places to purchase food along the route.

For us, we both had 1 liter of water capacity which was more than enough with the refill at Pantoll.  I brought mostly bars and apple sauce while my compatriot brought mostly gels and stroop waffles. We did not end up needing to haul too much gear as the weather was quite moderate (50s, 60s w/ some wind) but summers can bring warmer weather and exposed sections which may warrant more supplies and water. It took us about 6 hours and 40 minutes.

You will be traveling through land owned by Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Water District, and California State Parks so you will need to check them for conditions and trail closures.

Trip Statistics
32 miles
 5500 ft of elevation gain

Map

Trip Report

Our day started at Bolinas Ridge Trailhead at 8:30 am on an lovely fall morning. The day was overcast with some fog hanging out above us. A single cow wandered the field in front of us as shoes were put on and jackets were shed to attempt to embody the "be bold start cold" attitude. With packs dawned and shoes tied we began our day.

 

After about  100 yards we ran into some issues. The original bovine friend that we met when we started was not the only cow out there that day. We crested a hill to see about 12 cows and their calves wandering around the fire road before us. The two of us were worried about getting too close especially with their young around so we tried to route around them. Eventually we got stuck; Cows were to our left, cows were to our right, we were trapped. After weighing our options our savior came over the ridge behind us. A man on a quad bike came roaring through bleeping his horn. The sea of cows was parted (for the most part) and we were able to pass around on their left side, a bit off trail.

Now the running begins! We rolled up and down the hills through the low visibility fog.  The huge expansive views were hidden but the trail was nice and smooth. Weaving in and out of the trees we felt water dropping from the trees and the wind from the open hills.

Eventually we dropped into the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. This is where the redwoods began! The fire road undulated up and down, weaving in and out of the trees. We ran through puddles and got what felt like rained on a bit because of all the water the trees were accumulating from the fog. After a while we transitioned to gorgeous manzanita groves which sadly did not host great views due to the heavy fog. 

 

We finally made it to our first road intersection, Fairfax-Bolinas. Crossing the road we continued south. The terrain transitioned from coastal redwoods to open grassy hills. The trail hugged the side of the mountain, moving in and out. The golden grass brushed against our legs, utterly drenching our shorts and our feet as well. Normally this section of Bolinas Ridge trail would host amazing views of the Pacific but we were relegated just to fog yet again. 

After a while on Bolinas Ridge Trail we intersected with Matt Davis Trail which we followed to Pantoll Campground. At Pantoll we got a nice water fill up, goldfish break, and some time to rest the legs. We sat watching folks chat about their expensive bikes, hikers come in and out, and campers hastily put on their rain flies to their tents.  After a bit we were feeling very good and continued onward to the second half of our journey. 

We started the back half of the run with our descent south. We headed down Dearpark Fire Road which zig zagged in and out with the Dipsea trail. There were tons of other folks on these trails and even huge groups. After turning a corner we passed by a group of at least 40 folks munching down on sandwiches a mile or so from Pantoll. Not sure how they got there but the sandwiches smelled amazing. For the most part this is when the pain began. Both of us felt like our legs were getting beat up a ton on this descent. We continued cautiously but very worried about how our legs would feel especially with two of the main climbs left in the day, both requiring steeper descents. 

Deerpark Fire Road

After making it to the bottom we crossed Frank Valley Road and started up Miwok Trail. This would be the first longer sustained climb of the day. It actually went pretty well and we ran most of it without issue. Our downhill legs got to recover on the ups but once we needed to cross Highway 1 our legs started to feel heavier. 

We continued along Miwok enjoying some nice longer walk breaks as we headed up. Eventually we got to descend back down Miwok on the other side into Tennessee Valley. This was definitely when it started to hurt a lot more. Our quads felt beat up and when we crossed to start Monticello trail, our final climb, we definitely started to walk and shuffle. 

Shuffling up Miwok

Our climb up Monticello continued to be slow but eventually we made it to the top. Blisters were forming at this point and our legs were definitely pretty dead. We made our way over to Alta where we did our final little climb. Eventually we transferred onto some great singletrack on SCA trail. The trail flowed extraordinarily well and the fog started to dissipate a bit. 

Grove of eucalyptus on Alta Trail

 

Looking down SCA

Eventually we got our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. This marked our final descent and the last leg, crossing the bridge. We descended the final portion of SCA trail towards the bridge, finally being able to take in the views of the bay which we missed the whole day.

We see the bridge!

 After making it to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge we had to embark on the final and worst part of the journey. Our legs were dead, there were many tourists, and holy cow it was loud. We had to weave in and out of tourists, raising our voices occasionally to get folks to not block the path. This is all while our legs were falling apart and the promise of food and rest were at the front of our minds.

 

Finally we made it across the bridge after weaving in and out of the chaos. We dropped down to Crissy Field where we got to sit and take off our shoes. It was a long day but definitely a fun one. Would highly recommend this as a great point to point in the Bay Area. Great views (when the fog is not there) and really fun trails. 

 

Final view of the bridge from the south end.

Happy running 

-m