Dipsea Trail Head

"Great trail. Took the Stinson Beach up to Dipsea and steep ravine trial. Well marked all the way. Loved the fern coverage and all the trees. The ladder is what brings us here every time. Better going up than down. Steady ladder just watch your step and respect others when climbing up or down. 10/10 trail and area. Pretty decent parking . Either go very early in the morning or later in the afternoon to get a spot. Some ocean overlooks at the top of the trail."

"Amazing 4 hour trail! We started at Stinson beach and had a blast! It starts quite steep but still manageable with the steps on the trail as you gain elevation. Great views as you're going up and we experienced some small pockets of sprinkles due to the fog roaming around. Not too many wet areas but we did come across some muddier patches. Pretty solid moderate trail. It can feel hard in the beginning but it gets better. I felt really hydrated with all the moisture around me. It's mostly shaded so that helps as well. Highly recommend!"

"Challenging hike! Rewarding views! We visited on May 16, 2023. The day started out foggy. However, the sun came out and we were in for some amazing views along the way! We took amazing photos! We hiked from the Dipsea Trail Head parking lot. We ate lunch at the Pantoll Campground where we were able to use the bathrooms, fill our water bottles up, and use the shaded picnic tables. Our total distance round trip was 9.5 miles! Wow! It was an amazing workout! The hike is extremely challenging and steep. There’s lots of stairs. It’s very scenic and peaceful. The landscape is very diverse. It’s a nice mix of coastal and forest flora and fauna. There were lots of wildflowers on the way. Some parts are shaded but a large part of it is exposed to the sun, so I strongly recommend sunscreen! We encountered butterflies, lizards, one snake, a coyote, several deer, and about 6 bunnies! We heard some owls during our hike as well. There were also plenty of nice birds! It was a wonderful hike with great company! We will be back very soon!"

"We arrived at the entrance of Stinson Beach at 8:45am and there were already 2cars ahead of us waiting to enter. At about 9am, the queue line was already long about 15cars waiting to enter. The gate opened 9:05am. Parking is spacious and free. We parked then hiked going up to Mount Tamalpais through Steep Ravine Trail and back to Stinson Beach via Dipsea Trail. Dipsea trail is great and had a lot of canopy. Tall, large and amazing trees along the way. A lot of people hiking too. The trail is clean and well maintained. Stinson Beach is beautiful and we plan to go back for a picnic. Overall, this is a great hike, with a moderate difficulty but still depends on your fitness level. Recommend to hike on a clockwise route when starting at Stinson beach."

"The most beautiful hike we have done in California so far. Start in Stinson go up the dipsea trail and Make sure you go up the steep ravine trail. It is amazing. You do go right into the campground half way through so if you need a break it's great spot with bathrooms and water. From here head down the matt Davis trail which is on the other side of the panoramic hwy for some amazing views. About 8 miles when done."