Great Marin County Hikes – East Peak Mount Tamalpais

Bask in views of San Francisco, three bays, and beyond atop Mount Tam.

On a clear day at East Peak on Mount Tamalpais, you’ll be treated to awe-inspiring views of San Francisco, three bays, and beyond. Several moderate to challenging routes will deliver you to the peak, at an elevation of 2,571 feet, the highest point in Mount Tamalpais State Park. For a more leisurely excursion, drive to the parking lot and hike less than a mile to the peak.

Note: At about 6 miles round-trip, the hike described below is tricky in a couple of spots, though not terribly so if you’re in reasonably good shape.

Up the Fire Roads

Park in the lot across the Panoramic Highway from the Mountain Home Inn. If the lot is full, look for spaces to the south along the highway. On foot a few hundred feet north of the lot, take the right fork as Panoramic curves westward, and then immediately walk up Hogback Road, a dirt fire road that’s the left of the three roads splitting off just beyond this point. (If you’re on the correct route, the county fire station will be on your right a few hundred feet north.) Follow Hogback to Old Railroad Grade Road, another fire road, to Fern Creek Trail.

Fern Creek Trail

The elevation rise (more than 1,500 feet) is significant for the entire hike, but the Fern Creek Trail section, though the shortest, is also the most challenging because the path is steep, narrow, rocky, and contains many switchbacks. Each twist and turn yields a different perspective, from city and ocean vistas to the peak itself. By the time you reach the paved road near the East Peak Visitor Center, you’ll have had an exhilarating workout.

At the Peak

Near the visitor center, the 0.3-mile East Peak Summit Fire Lookout trail leads to the peak. When the clouds cooperate, the view extends southeast to Mount Diablo in the East Bay and beyond. The easier, though longer (0.7-mile) Verna Dunshee Loop Trail circles below the peak.

Gravity Car Barn Museum

On most weekend afternoons, a museum showcasing a curious piece of Marin County history opens to visitors. From 1896 to 1930, the Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway operated what came to be known as the “World’s Crookedest Railroad” between Mill Valley and the peak. Gravity was the sole power required for the ride down, which by all accounts was like being on a roller coaster. The museum explains the particulars via videos, photos, and a replica gravity car.

The Way Back

The trip back to the Mountain Home Inn is almost entirely downhill. Either return the way you came or head west (recommended) from the paved road or the parking lot to the Old Railroad Grade Road trailhead (this is a different part of Old Railroad Grade than on the hike up). Follow the road about 1.5 miles south, just past the West Point Inn, continuing east on Nora Trail and the Matt Davis Trail to Hogback Road. From there, head south (right) to Mountain Home Inn.

East Peak Details

Difficulty level:  Moderate to challenging.

Why locals love it:  Good workout; perfect views; top-of-the-world feeling.

Cut to the chase (easy):  Drive west on Panoramic Highway, north on Pantoll Road, and northeast on East Ridgecrest Boulevard to the East Peak parking lot and take the 0.3-mile trail to the fire lookout. 

Cut to the chase (moderate): To avoid the toughest portion but still get in some hiking, walk up Hog Back Road and Old Railroad Grade Road. Instead of taking Fern Creek Trail, continue on Old Railroad Grade Road back down to the West Point Inn, picking up the Nora and Matt Davis Trails as described above. Walk back to your car and drive up to the peak. This hike is about 4 miles round trip, and though steep in a few parts, is entirely moderate. 

Reward yourself:  Soak in more mountain views, enjoying a beverage and bar bites or a light meal at the Mountain Home Inn.

---

Getting Here

Panoramic Highway winds north off Highway 1 (also signed as Shoreline Highway) in Mill Valley. To get to Panoramic, take U.S. 101’s Exit 445B (Stinson Beach/Highway 1) and follow Highway 1 west. After about 3.5 miles, turn right on Panoramic Highway and continue for another 2.5 miles. 

Info

Parking lot across from Mountain Home Inn
818 Panoramic Hwy., Mill Valley 94941

More Hikes Locals Love

Abbotts Lagoon
Battery Mendell to Battery Townsley
Coastal Trail to Bass Lake and Alamere Falls
Coastal, Wolf Ridge, Miwok Trails Loop
Dipsea Trail
Mount Tamalpais Muir Woods Loop
Olompali State Park
Rodeo Lagoon to Point Bonita Lighthouse
Rodeo Lagoon Trail Loop
Roy’s Redwoods Open Space Preserve
Steep Ravine to Matt Davis Loop
Tennessee Valley
Tule Elk Preserve

This story originally appeared online in 2016. It was most recently fact-checked (one step at a time) and updated in 2025. Lead photo shows the view south to San Francisco from the East Peak Fire Summit Lookout.