Just north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, is Mount Tamalpais State Park (MTSP), 6,300 acres of redwood groves, oak woodlands, grassland slopes, chaparral and rocky ridges. Offering spectacular views of the nearby Pacific and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area, from its ridges, slopes and the 2,571-foot, East Peak.
Combined with other lands in Marin County, California, bordering MTSP - including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County Open Space District, Marin Municipal Water District, Muir Woods National Monument, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and smaller privately held lands - Mt. Tamalpais itself is estimated to cover nearly 25,000 acres.
Located in the very heart of Marin County, Mount Tamalpais State Park (MTSP) offers a wealth of activities, including hiking, biking, tent camping, horseback riding, group camping, overnight cabins, and two, almost 100 year old inns, just over its boundary lines. With close by beaches and a tidal lagoon, offering kayaking, and surfing, in or just bordering the park!
In addition, Mt. Tamalpais State Park offers through its cooperative organization, the Mount Tamalpais Interpretive Association (MTIA), a full guided hiking program (from easy strolls, to rigorous multi-milers and everything in-between, including moonlight hikes and full moonrise viewing hikes). In the warmer months, weekly Wednesday night hikes for the work weary are offered. Schedules for these hikes can be found elsewhere on the web site.
Astronomy nights are offered monthly, April through September, with lectures and stargazing/star party events, and even public storytelling for children and the young at heart, at Rock Spring Parking Area and Mtn. Theatre. - all the above programs are free except parking fees at Pantoll Ranger Station, Bootjack Parking Lot and the East Peak Parking Lot, horseback riding charges, overnight accomodations and camping fees.
From mid-May to mid-June each year the Mountain Play Association offers a revival Broadway musical, featuring professional theatre personnel, recreating the great American musical theatre, high on Mt. Tam. Shows are presented in the 5000 seat, outdoor, Mountain Theatre. The show this year, playing to capacity audiences, was Fiddler on the Roof. (Next year, Hair is planned. See the Mountain Play web site for ticket prices.)
An on-going MTSP history project, with periodic lectures at Mill Valley Library, recalls the activities of past generations in the Park, offering a perspective to the present.
(For the new, July 1st, 2006, West Marin Stage Coach, bus schedule, serving Mt. Tamalpais State Park, call the West Marin Stage Coach, @ 415-526-3239. web site www.marintransit.org/stage.html