Mt Tamalpais — Local services in Mill Valley

Went there with a friend who was from Oakland, and had a pretty good day -- even though I have a ligit disability so walking the trail was a little hinky in a few spots and other hikers were kinda distracted by scenery or other things, but I only got bumped kinda hard once and it really was not too bad .. Anyway, when we stopped at a bit more than half way, my friend handed me an ice cold beer, that Really hit the spot.... When I finished it he took the empty and put it in the day pack he had and asked me what I wanted to do with the next one .. Immediately I told him I d take it sitting there amongst at least twelve other day hikers I quickly evaluated the Trip up to that point, thinking about the challenges facing the walk back down,so I immediately turned and handed the STILL cold bottle of beer to a man resting by me.He enthusiastically told me his name Pat and he stated he 'd gladly buy me any beer I wanted at a nearby pub he and his wife were planning to visit when they were done here; it was a surprisingly warm/ hot day. So we're all no longer going to make the whole trip. So my friend and I started to walk back down the trail with my beer buddy Pat and his wife and their daughter. Once we arrived at the parking lot my friend and I got in our car and followed Pat and his wife to the Pub . As we sat there exchanging small talk Pat asked my friend and I what kinda beer we wanted my friend ordered a draft and Pat reminded me that I could have ANYTHING in the place,b/c he was so impressed that I had given him the beer on the trail, so I asked him if a black n tan is okay, he responded anything U want so I had one a very tall beer Genius/ Harp my friend had the drafts (2) after a bit more conversation with friendly back and forth.. They NEEDED to get their daughter from the park across the street from the Pub.. Eventually they went their way and my friend and I ours. This DEMONSTRATES the good SPIRIT I have experienced almost every time I have been in the bay area.. NOT only was the hiking a worth while adventure with GREAT views of the bay and the mountain was impressive too..Also the most unexpected positive people were had; it more than made up for those folks who had bumped me before while I was on the trail... So if you in the area I'd DEFINITELY take a trail to the mountain.of course there are other shorter ones that are in the John Muir Park it's self.Though I NEVER made it back it's a memory not faded quickly either... THANKS: Sean, Pat and Mt.Mount Tamalpais, for the friends may have long since parted ways but...

Giving this five stars since the experience I had was really positive due to the people I was with, but I recognize that this isn't a 5-star hiking location for everyone:

There's a lot of hiking here. You can follow any one of many many many trails. This is great for people who want to re-visit over and over. This is less great for people like me who have a hard time understanding some of the signs placed at forks in the road. I honestly probably went the 'wrong' way a few times. Out of all the places I've ever hiked, this is one of the most likely for me to have gotten lost in.

Being close to San Francisco, when we started walking, under the thick evergreens, it was cold, damp, and dripping. And once we hiked above the initial layer of trees and the thin layer of fog, it was HOT (around 10am during the summer at this point). Going again, I would've worn a t-shirt and jeans.

The view of the city was predictably gray. We could see the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out, but not much inside the city.

Really lovely place, and right by...

Just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais State Park rises majestically from the heart of Marin County. Its deep canyons and sweeping hillsides are cloaked with cool redwood forests, oak woodlands, open grasslands, and sturdy chaparral.

The breath-taking vistas from Mount Tamalpais’s upper mountain includes the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County hills, San Francisco Bay and City, the East Bay, and Mount Diablo. On rare occasions, the snow-covered Sierra Nevada can be seen 150 miles away.

The park offers superlative hiking, picnicking, wildlife watching. Up top, on most weekends volunteers at the East Peak Visitor Center provide information, sell merchandise and snacks. Volunteers at the nearby Gravity Car Barn relate the stories of the old Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway. A couple of miles below,a beautiful outdoor theatre, the Mountain Theater, hosts outdoor plays and...