Marin Headlands Loop

Description:

• Accessible via a long bike ride from the city over the Golden Gate, but starting from Tennessee Valley Rd. cuts to the chase. This mega-loop (which can be broken up into two separate loops, one with two variations) is the definitive Marin Headlands experience, containing two of the only legal singletrack sections left in the area (one uphill only). Ride up from the east edge of the parking lot at the end of Tennessee Valley Rd. to a height of land, then descend to the bottom of Miwok Trail. An aerobic switchbacking fire road ascent puts you at the top of an ocean-view vista. Slightly past this point, veer to the left onto singletrack for your high-speed reward all the way back to the parking lot. If you still have some energy to burn, continue on the Mega Loop by veering west out of the parking lot along the Tennessee Valley Trail. Climb up the Coastal Trail (painfully steep) and begin following the ascending ridgeline. From here, you again must ask "Am I feeling lucky today?" If yes, bomb down the steep Coastal Fire Road to Muir Beach and follow it up with a great singletrack ascent (bikes allowed uphill only) back to the ridgeline. Then it's a meandering downhill down the Miwok Trail back to by now your favorite parking lot.
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