“Hiking Steep Ravine Trail is like being baptized by the divine spirit of nature, and those who set foot on it will find a place where they can get their own brand of religion.” Tom Stienstra, author of California Hiking

Today my son Wesley and I were “baptized by the divine spirit of nature” described by outdoor author and nature guru Tom Stienstra as we hiked the Steep Ravine Trail. The Steep Ravine Trail is located in Mount Tamalpais State Park which is located about 45 minutes from downtown San Francisco and is considered one of the great trails not only in the Bay Area but the West Coast. The Bay Area is an amazing place because it is surrounded by wilderness which include Redwood forests and canyons, incredible ocean and city lights vistas, rocky coastlines, and the largest elk herd in the state of California. It is a hikers and mountain bikers paradise just waiting and willing to reveal her hidden gems for those willing and able to explore her beauty.

Wesley and I spent the early afternoon hiking “up”, and I do mean “up”, the Steep Ravine trail. It is not the hardest trail I have ever hiked but the numerous boulder staircases encounters does make it a challenge, particularly, for those not in shape. Fortunately for me, all my hard work hiking up and down the bluff trails near my home three to four days a week made this hike relatively easy. I can’t speak for my son but I did notice him huffing and puffing quite a bit along the way. It should also be noted that the cool high 50 degree weather and the spectacular fauna, redwood forest, and “Amazon jungle like canopy conditions” does make the hike easier for those who are open to Mother Natures soothing massages. While I have never traveled to the jungles of South America this hike does have the feel that one is on the set of opening scenes of the first Raiders of the Ark movie for those fans old enough to remember. The Steep Ravine trail is my favorite Redwood forest hiking trail south of Eureka. I make this qualification because, imo, the best Redwood hikes, are located in or near Redwood National Park in the northwest corner of the state. If Redwoods and pristine ancient forests of the past are your cup of tea than you have to make the trek to this part of the state because that is where you will encounter one of the magnificent primeval forest of the world.

After hiking back down to our car from the top my son and I headed up to Mount Tamalpais. I have heard about Mount Tamalpais for years but have never actually been there for some reason. The hike to the top of “Mount Tam”, as the locals prefer to call it, is steep, but very short. I believe it is only a third of a mile, if that. The payoff for this short hike is the incredible, and I do mean incredible, view from the top. From the top you will have an uninterrupted 360 degree view of the entire Bay Area which includes the city, the bay, and the surrounding Santa Cruz mountains. I have included a few pics from the top but none of these pictures does the naked eye justice. It’s one of the great vistas I have ever seen, and that is coming from someone who has stood on top of various mountain passes in the sierras, the Grand Canyon, and numerous other vistas up and down the West Coast. On this particular day, late afternoon, the fog was beginning to creep up the rolling hills below and engulf everything in it’s sight, including the city and the bay. We couldn’t stay long at the top because we had one more stop to make before we headed back to San Jose but my brief stay at the top of the Bay Area world was more than well worth the time and effort to get there. I hope to get back up to Mount Tam again in the future because they say the sunsets up here are absolutely incredible. That trip will have to wait for another time so for now I will have to be content with knowing that “mother nature” still has more of herself to reveal to me when I have the time to indulge myself in her everlasting graces.