Steep Ravine Trail

Our hike of the day?
Matt Davis — Steep Ravine — Dipsea Trail
Beautiful. Loved it. Can’t wait to do it again.
We hiked 10 miles total. Thanks to some Unilocal reviews… we went straight to the fire station at Stinson Beach and found the trail right behind it. We got lucky and found parking right in front of the trail.
The Matt Davis trail is mostly a trek upwards with high elevation. I recommend starting here as the Dipsea Trail is mostly downhill on your way back.
This trail is beautiful. Although we found ourselves mostly in the shade, bring sunblock and quite a bit of water. We went through a good couple of liters for the entire trek. There is so much greenery, areas of flowing water, and nature at its finest. The Steep Ravine Trail is known for its ladder. 14 rung ladder… not difficult at all… even for those with a few of heights. When we went, certain areas were slippery so be cautious of where you’re walking.
Take a day and check out this trail. 5 stars.

After a particularly rough week, the great outdoors was calling. I was looking for a hike that would be moderately challenging, not super long and involved a variety of terrains and scenery. The Steep Ravine Trail fit the bill perfectly! Following directions to the Pantoll Ranger Station, we arrived to a full lot. After doing a loop, we snagged a spot from someone leaving and paid the $ 8 to park for day use. Super helpful ranger helped us map out our route and off we went. Following the Old Mine Trail, we didn’t turn right on the Dipsea right away, but instead followed that a bit more to the east and connected with the Dipsea route in the direction of Muir Woods. It’s not the path to take if you are just doing the Dipsea/​Steep Ravine Trail, but we veered off course a bit just to get a feel for the other trail heads in the area. After having our fill of that route, we doubled back and began the loop hike in earnest. The first part of the Dipsea trail after the Old Mine is open with expansive views of the coast. We saw the fogline and all the way out to the Sutro Tower-​pretty epic and amazing. After scrambling down a narrow trail with chapparl you start to head down in to the forest. For the rest of the hike, it’s a wonderland of redwoods, ferns, streams, footbridges and stairs. Once you reach the bottom of the Dipsea you will see a clearly marked sign to the Steep Ravine trail, which runs about 1.7 miles back towards the Pantoll station. There is a creek (which was down to a trickle but still present) that runs along the trail and what appear to be some small waterfalls (hard to tell in this drought but come winter, I can imagine it’s all quite magical.) With several miles behind us, the hike back up through Steep Ravine was somewhat challenging (not strenuous, but at the tail end of our hike, we felt every step up that hill.) We made it to the infamous ladder, which is actually quite easy to scramble up and then after that just wound our way back up to the ranger station and campground.
If you do the Old Mine Trail (which you can pick up immediately to the right of the restrooms) to Dipsea to Steep Ravine, I believe it’s about a 3.9 mile loop. However, as we did, you can connect with a variety of other trails and I even saw signs indicating the distance to Muir Woods. There were plenty of other folks on the trail, but it wasn’t overcrowded either. With clean restrooms, maps and easy access to the playground that is Mt. Tamalpais, the Steep Ravine Trail via Pantoll is a moderate and wonderous shorter hike. I can’t wait to go back after some rain and experience the creek in winter or spring.
Other tips: Bring plenty of water (although much of the hike is shaded, the up & down creep up on you,) layer (it was cooler in the forested areas,) take care with your footing-​some of the stairs were damp and slippery and go with a buddy (while it seems like a safe and well traveled trail, there are a lot of rocks and roots and drop offs-​so best to be with someone who can look out for you.) Enjoy and have fun!

One of the best trails in the Bay Area! Bridges to cross, fallen trees to go under, ladders to climb and creeks to see and elevation changes to test your endurance. At the end, you get to a beautiful beach, Stinson beach. Recommend it for first time hikers!

I just hiked the Steep Ravine Trail /​Matt Davis Trail yesterday and wow it is so beautiful; it feels like you are walking into an another world. The transition in nature and the vibe is very quick whether you start from Steep Ravine (from Pan Toll Ranger Station/​Campground) or from Matt Davis (the fire station in 32 Belvedere St in Stinson Beach). It is a total of about 7 – 8 mile hike. It really isn’t that bad, trust me and I am not as fit.
I recommend anyone wanting to hike these two trails /​the loop to park at the Fire Station in Stinson Beach which will start from a much lower sea level aka an incline hike first and then end your day making a loop back, hiking down to your car or make a stop by Stinson Beach which is not even 5 min from the fire station.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Once you park around the FIRE STATION IN BELVEDERE ST (the bottom), you have the option to whether start from Matt Davis or Steep Ravine (aka Dipsea Trail which changes into Steep Ravine). Whether you start from one or the other, you will for sure see the famous 10ft ladder spot and all the other pictures you may have seen on Unilocal lol. So no worries.
If you decide to start from Dipsea /​Steep Ravine first, you are gonna head south on Belvedere St and turn left on Shoreline Hwy. You will walk about 3 – 5 mins and you will see a sign to your left with with indications of the trail: Dipsea Trail to Pan Toll Station /​Steep Ravine.
If you decide to start from Matt Davis, you are gonna head north on Belvedere St. You will see a sign to Matt Davis Trail on a trail a couple steps right of the community center.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
If you decide to start from the top aka from PAN TOLL STATION /​CAMPGROUND, try to park at the small parking lot immediately to your right on your right turn to Pan Toll Rd, if not you can park at the Pan Toll campground.
If you would like to start from Steep Ravine trail, you have to walk towards the parking lot for Pan Toll Campground and continue southwards. You will see two signs to two trails, the one on the right will be Steep Ravine Trail. Before you start I recommend you to go to the bathroom. Lol
If you would like to start from Matt Davis, you are gonna start from the small parking lot in Pan Toll Road to the right of the street and cross the street. There will be a trail sign diagonally to the left. Follow Matt Davis all the way down to the fire station/​Stinson Beach.
I recommend to not hike the trails when it’s a couple hours away from the sunset because due to incline in elevation and the chilly environment, it can get quite chilly, very foggy and will get dark very quickly. Especially on a cloudy day. Just be prepared for any weather condition and calculate a good time to hike back!
There is also a swimming hole towards the beginning or end (depending on where you start) of Steep Ravine Trail so choose the time to hike this one carefully!
I hope I was a help with this post and enjoy the beautiful loop as well as the town!

I’ve recently hiked this with a friend because I was so curious as to why people loved it so much. Now I see why! This place is a beauty, and I love that for the very first time ever, I wasn’t lost. The trees are lusciously green despite the water drought. Just wish I could see more water and creeks in the future IF the drought is ever over.
When I first drove here, it was quite confusing to find the place, so I kept driving until I saw a huge parking lot with people there only to find you have to pay $ 8 to park here. I believe it was at the Pantoll Ranger Station. Not too bad since the staff directed me to where the trail was supposed to start.
We didn’t continue the trail after seeing the huge ladder, instead we just hiked back, and went on the Old Mine Trail to check out the bench area. It was a good day to hike for us despite the small fog that came by afterwards; however, I would love to explore many other possibilities and trails the next time I come!

One of the best trails Ive ever been to !! The forest is amazing. Its a fairytale experience! Lots of stairways along the hike. Beautiful place. It felt like I was touring than hiking! A MUST SEE! Cant wait to revisit! :)

It was a fun first time hiking here. The trail that leads to the beach is beautiful. The sunset, the fog, and the sky form some kind of heaven.

Holy Moly this trail is difficult. It’s a GREAT hike, just bring water and wear good shoes.

Steep Ravine Trail is one of the best trails in the Bay Area (it’s also the only trail to feature a giant ladder which is great for photos). It is a steep trail (elevation change can be tough depending on what kind of shape you are in but it’s definitely worth the trip.
The shortest route would be to go back the same way you arrived or you can do a loop and connect with the Matt Davis /​Dipsea trails. Really, the possibilities are endless. You can connect to the East Peak trail if you like and make it all the way to the top of Mt. Tam, connect to Muir Woods, or connect to the ocean views (all great options).
With all the options, you can start from various points (depending on where you are coming from, how far you want to hike, and whether or not you prefer to hike uphlll or downhill to start/​end your hike).
If you start at the Pantoll station, parking can be a challenge so be prepared to wait or be prepared to park far away from the start of the trail.

This is one of my favorite hikes ever! It is a moderate hike (~5.8 miles I believe), but definitely do-​able. Takes me about 3 hours round-​trip (add an extra hour for lunch).
This is my typical route:
START by parking at the PANTOLL RANGER STATION (if you come early enough, there are some free spots in the dirt across the street, otherwise there’s a small fee in the station lot). This place gets packed during weekends so go early or go on weekdays. There are bathrooms here so go before you hike. The entrance to the STEEP RAVINE TRAIL is just to the right of the ranger station.
One of my favorite things about this hike is all the different environments you pass through. First you start on a number of switchbacks. It’s very shady and wooded at first. Eventually you will climb down a ~10ft wooden ladder. It gets more and more green and lush as the steep ravine trail meets DIPSEA TRAIL. And then all of a sudden it opens out to open meadows with ocean vistas. It’s quite amazing. I hike all the way down to STINSON BEACH and have lunch somewhere down there and start the hike back up and END back at the station. I start getting pretty tired once I’m close to the top.
The best part is I’ve been in a few different seasons and at different times of the day. It’s amazing how different the same place can appear. It can be so mystical in the early morning when the fog is still hanging around the groves of trees. And yet it can look like a sleepy beach town when the sun is shining its brightest in the afternoon. That said, the weather varies. I’ve hiked in a long sleeve and a jacket to a tank top.
Everyone who I have taken here loves it. My boyfriend had a double rainbow moment while hiking this place. It’s that wonderful.
Love this place!

Challenging topography, gorgeous views, and enough natural shade for even the hottest days. We linked a few trails together, but spent the most of our time on Steep Ravine Trail. There’s lots of tiny waterfalls and the trail follows the flow of the water for a soothing soundtrack to your hike. There’s also LOTS of stairs (up and down) and a ladder! This is probably one of my favorite trails so far!
NOTE: $ 8 for parking (credit card only at the machine).

The loop… Old Mine, Dipsea, Steep Ravine.
a fairy tale experience, dreamy and cathartic. Narnia and in another world.
This hikes takes 2 hours for normal folks and 1 ½ hours for faster hikers. I also stop to smell the air and hug the trees and listen to the water flow.
Oh, and hey, dont hike in the dark… its not allowed in the State Park, silly people.
Give yourself plenty of time.

Best loop hike in the east bay! Make sure to hike back to ur starting point before dark or bring headlamps. We made the mistake of hiking in the dark and luckily used our iPhones to light our path. On the way from Stinson, we saw a park ranger at the Pantoll parking lot who didn’t offer us a ride to our car at Bootjack lot. Our options were to hike against traffic on the Panaromic Highway or on another trail (above highway). That trail wasn’t well marked in the dark and we got lost! Took forever to hike 0.2 miles! Overall a scary but great experience!

gotta love this trail. it was actually my first time hiking this trail or any trail at that in mt tamalpais, so my friend and I just decided to pick a trail and this happened to be the one we randomly chose. it was awesome. totally felt one with the nature.
i love that along the way we saw little garter snakes, squirrels, birds of all sorts, not to mention the beautiful redwoods that had the sunlight beaming through. Absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to come back and hike the other trails… must go to trail and experience it for yourself :)

My favorite trail

A great trail. Make a loop– Pan Toll Ranger Station down the Steep Ravine Trail 1.7 miles to the Dipsea then 1.7 miles to the Old Mine Trail and .5 miles back to Pan Toll. A steady decline down the Steep Ravine then most of the incline back up is packed into the steps on the first quarter mile of the Dipsea. The Steep Ravine Trail is a beautiful trail following the creek and shaded with redwoods.

Even though I had to «run» down SR to keep warm (from spending the previous hour hiking up from Stinson via matt Davis to Pantoll in pouring rain) it’s still gets a handful of stars. Great mix of terrain — great spring waterfalls, great sounds, smells and great to meet to gravity in such a supportive way.
I did the 6.5 mile loop clockwise from Stinson up MD, down SR and across Dipsea to return. Even on a wet afternoon in march I did see about 20 well out-​fitted hikers with kids — not crowded, but I guess that’s a sign that it’s busy in summer.
I’ll be back for the sights

OK. I have no idea what it is like to go *up* this trail. but going *down* this scenic little steeply inclined creek ravine trail. kinda kicked my ass! Must be my aging.
After making a half-​mile detour from the Dipsea trail to the Pan Toll ranger station to get a pooped out hiking partner on the bus. I noticed the Steep Ravine trail head there and figgered that might be an interesting, more scenic way to get back on the Dipsea to continue my walk from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. and since from the Pan Toll ranger station it was downhill, I figgered not a problem.
Well half-​way through my left leg was cramping up. I guess from the contortions I was putting it thru lowering myself down the high steps and rocks. I sort of had to limp and gimp along and it turned out to be the hardest part of my walk! I mean it was the hardest part for *me* … I got passed by two groups of young girls. who seemed to have no problems at all («chicked» I believe is the term). and towards the end I was nearly run over by a senior citizen who was *running* down the trail. Like I said, I have no idea what it is like going *up* the trail. though the people I met going up. the ones I met towards the top of the trail having worked their way up from below. had rather grim expressions on their face … which lightened up immediately when I told them the top was just two switchbacks away.
Finally reaching the end and limping back out on the wider and relatively more level Dipsea trail where the two trails met. I looked at the signpost pointing back to the Pan Toll station. Only 1.7 miles but pretty tortuous for me! A couple were turning onto the trail just as I came off. «See?» said the guy reading the same signpost to his complaining friend. «only 1.7 miles to the station. «and off they went up the trail. I was gonna say something. but in the end. decided to leave them to experience the walk themselves.» afterall they were still young. but when they get older. their little climb *up* the Steep Ravine will give them one more thing to reminisce about.

This is a truly magical hike, that starts either at the Pantoll Ranger Station or at the South/​East edge of Stinson. (I prefer to start at the Pantoll Ranger Station, go down to Stinson on Matt Davis Trail, have lunch in town, go to the ocean, and head back up Steep Ravine.)
The trailhead from Stinson end is marked as «To Dipsea” – but once you’re 20 minutes in to the hike you’ll start to see the signs for Steep Ravine.
The actual trail begins right at the base of a creek and seasonal pond. From there starts an incredible grove of redwoods that goes up the entire way to the ranger station.
It’s a journey through twists and turns, moss-​covered giants, fallen trees, and trickling waterfalls. There’s a ladder at one point (only way up a rocky part) – so it’s not wheelchair accessible, and not good for little kids.
Go in late spring when you’ll see all the shades of green Marin has to offer. You’ll be glad you did! I’ve taken a few out-​of-​town guests on this hike – and they’ve all been amazed. (Especially Oregonians: «Wow, there’s no place in Oregon in which you can hike for two hours to a town for a great lunch, then see redwoods!»)