Bay Area Ridge Trail: Bolinas Ridge to Samuel P. Taylor State Park

This 12.5-mile point-to-point section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail starts on Fairfax-Bolinas Road in Bolinas and ends at the Samuel P. Taylor State Park entrance by Platform Bridge Road and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. From the south access, it follows Bolinas Ridge to the Jewell Trail junction, drops east to Lagunitas Creek, then turns northwest on Cross Marin to the entrance. Allow about six to seven hours on foot, plus the vehicle transfer. This is a through-hike, not a loop, so arrange a second car or pickup before you set out. The route ends at the park entrance near Platform Bridge, not down at the campground.

Most of the long middle leg follows an unpaved ranch and fire road along the ridge. The tread shifts between soft leaf duff in damp forest, bare rocky ground through chaparral, and open, cattle-grazed grassland. Clear openings look over Olema Valley toward Tomales Bay and Black Mountain; chaparral breaks can open south toward Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach, and the Pacific. The ridge section is mostly downhill, but the distance is still a full-day commitment. There is little shelter in the open ground, so sun, wind, fog, and heat can change how the same miles feel. Cattle graze along the route; give them room, especially cows with calves. Tall grass can hide ticks. For a ridge photo, keep some grassland in the foreground and let the forested ridge carry the distance instead of cropping tightly on the far hills.

At the Jewell junction, turn east and downhill; continuing north on Bolinas Ridge heads toward a different trailhead and is not part of this route. Jewell follows an old road down to Lagunitas Creek. At Cross Marin, turn northwest toward Platform Bridge. This broad paved stretch follows the old North Pacific Coast Railroad grade beside the creek through streamside woodland, meadows, and a few small redwood groves. It is a calmer finish after the open ridge, though the path is shared with bicycles and horses. The route stops at the entrance-side access; it does not continue southeast into the state park's campground area.

The southern start is just before West Ridgecrest Boulevard, where a few small roadside parking areas sit on the southwest side of Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Park completely off the road. At the north end, roadside parking is available along Platform Bridge Road just north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The transfer between ends is part of the trip. No food or water service is confirmed at the southern access, and the ridge has few public facilities.

Dogs are allowed on Bolinas Ridge, Jewell, and the Cross Marin section used here; keep them leashed to six feet or less and stay on this route, since nearby state-park trails have different pet rules. Fairfax-Bolinas Road is often closed for winter landslides and summer fire hazards, so check access before driving to the start. If you want a shorter, flatter outing instead, walk the paved Cross Marin from Platform Bridge and turn back where you like; its full one-way span is 5.3 miles.