Dipsea Trail Head — Attraction in Mill Valley

Hiked from Mill Valley trailhead Stinson Beach trailhead. Trailhead starts in Old Mill Park, which conveniently had public toilet rooms and drinking fountains. There was also plenty of free street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

Note: the shuttle bus does not stop at Old Mill Park. Closest stop is about 0.5 miles up the trail where it crosses Panoramic Hwy at Bayview Drive.

Point A to point B took me about 4 hours, which included lots of stops for viewpoints and pictures.

This is a very beautiful and fun hike, but it can be a bit challenging as it’s almost entirely uphill or downhill.

Trail passes charming residential neighborhoods, redwood forests, climbers over 2 summits with ocean and city views, cross several meadows and creeks, and ends on the coast.

FYI, Stinson Beach is a very small town. There are only a few options in town for a celebratory snack/lunch/dinner. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful connecting with a Lyft/Uber to take me back to Mill Valley. To make matters worse, mobile phone service is very spotty. The shuttle bus (see above note) is the best way to get back, however, service is far and in between. I missed one by 5 minutes and had to wait 3 hours for next one. Last image in pictures is bus schedule. Column highlighted in yellow is the Stinson Beach stop at the south west corner of Shoreline Hwy and Calle del Mar. Cost is $2 and driver only takes exact change or clipper card. There is an ATM in the grocery store across the street from the bus stop.

Highly recommended this hike. Not only does it have a unique history, but it’s incredibly scenic and...

One of the most scenic trails in all of the bay area, the Dipsea Trail is a 9.7 heavily trafficked hike beginning from Mill Valley and ending on the pretty shores of Stinston Beach. The scenery is wonderful, and after 3 hours of hiking you're able to enjoy all the amenities of civilization at the beach. The eateries are great, the park is fun, but be prepared to have a method of transportation to get you back to Mill Valley.

Transportation back to Mill Valley is very hard to come by. There's a bus, but because of Covid they are limited to a maximum capacity of 4 people. This bus also serves other locations, so getting a spot is incredibly difficult. Reception in Stinston Beach is also incredibly spotty, and I was never once able to get an Uber/Lyft back (I don't think either service this location). That leaves hiking as the only reliable means of transportation back, which is problematic as a ~20 mile round trip is difficult on most people. I've had to do this once and it was a real struggle for me to get back before night fell, so if you plan on doing the whole round trip don't be dumb like me and get there as early as possible, giving you time to rest and time to hike back.

With that out of the way, I still highly encourage anyone interested to explore this trail, even if you have to do it in pieces. Its quite beautiful and the redwoods are always a sight, the views of the ocean, as well as the occasional peal of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are really sights you can't get anywhere else. Pack well, and...

The Dipsea is the oldest trail race in the US and historic for more than just this fact! It’s a challenging hike or run, starting with 3 sets of stairs and involving lots of hills. Technically, the official race starts down by The Depot Cafe in downtown Mill Valley and ends at Stinson Beach (a little over 7mi) but doing any part of this trail offers beautiful forest views, insights into hilly Mill Valley neighborhoods, and a great workout. As someone who’s ran the race a couple of times before as well as hiked it with friends, insider info: there’s some “shortcuts” that are a bit more narrow and risky paths off the main paths sometimes, which you can attempt at your own risk. There can be a lot of poison oak at certain point in the trail so bring your tecnu or long pants/sleeves! If you go all the way to the end at Stinson beach, I’d recommend arranging a pickup or taking the bus back because walking or running all the way back...