Devil’s Gulch Fire Road Trailhead Devils Gulch Fire Road, Nicasio, CA 94946

"Great hike, all properly sign and lots of wildlife to see"

"What a lush and lovely little spot. The light catches beautifully through here."

"Great spot for a hike, bike ride and car camping. On foot, I recommend going up along the creek and coming back over the road. As you walk upstream you will be on pavement running to the left of the water. A trail splits off to the right staying close to the creek until it arrives at a junction at a bridge crossing the stream. There is an old growth redwood by the bridge. It is the only large redwood I saw. Oaks, laurel, pine and a mix of other trees with a wide mix of ferns and plant make the walk lush and cool. Further up there are a half dozen large, older eucalyptus. If you cross the bridge away from the redwood both options (Bills Trail and Madrone) are a serious uphill walk. Madrone will take you to the Taylor gravesite and Madrone group area, cabins and you will be near the day use area of Samuel P Taylor State Park. If you want to continue upstream, there are 3 trails. The one closest to the stream (the one most on the right without crossing the bridge) is a nice hike along the water. There are some smaller bridges crossing the feeder streams. The trail is well kept. The trail eventually meets the "road" at the edge of an open field. The map calls it a road, but that is a technical and historical term. In some places it appears to be only a narrow path across retired pasture. At the point where the creekside trail joins the road, it is unpaved and is more of a path. Look out, that includes a bike path. A right tern follows the road further upstream and then ends. A left turn crosses fields and eventually becomes the paved road at campsite #1. The campsites have parking, bathrooms, water, picnic tables, bbq and fire pits. They are at the edge of the field right next to the creek. (You are back at the junction with the redwood and bridge). There are some facilities for horse camping and the remains of some cattle fencing."

"The Marin headlands across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco offer tons of sightseeing potential, but doesn't everyone know it. Areas like Muir Woods and Stinson Beach are choked with traffic every fair weather weekend. Choose to drive an extra few miles, leaving the mellee behind you and you'll be rewarded with empty roads and quiet trails. We recommend the Mount Barnabe hike, which rewards with views of Tomales Bay, Mount Tamalpais and the surrounding headlands. Once you've kitted up, cross the road and enter the trail marked 'Devils Gulch Horse Camp'. Veer to the right and follow the stream to a bridge, walk across the bridge and then head left into dense forest. The first three miles of this five mile route will take you on a gradual rise up the mountain and through the forest, suddenly breaking out into sunlight, surrounded by grassland and turkey vultures. When you head up to the summit of the mountain be sure to check out the fire tower. Manned during fire season, the fire-watchers sometimes welcome visitors into the tower which affords some even greater views, and some local insights. The return trip is a relatively fast one, directly down the fire road and back to the trailhead."

"Great hike, awesome scenery, perfect afternoon adventure!"