Marin County Hikes

Welcome back. I’m Tim Kizirian : Chico resident, former CPA, and a guy who still trusts a spreadsheet but prefers a dirt track. Today’s post reviews the well-known yet never dull Matt Davis–Steep Ravine loop on Mount Tamalpais. If you only have one daylight block in Marin and want a sure thing—waterfall ladder, ocean view, redwood shade—this 7.3-mile circuit checks every box. Starting logistics Park in the paved lot in Stinson Beach by 7:30 a.m. If you’re coming from the valley, that means leaving Chico a little after 5—which hurts less when coffee is already in the cup holder. My wife and I make the drive a few times a year; predictable parking is worth the early alarm. Drop a five-dollar bill in the lot envelope, shoulder a light pack, and head up the quiet side street to the Matt Davis trailhead sign. Climb strategy Matt Davis gains 1,400 feet over 3.4 miles, but the grade rarely passes ten percent. Switchbacks slice through Douglas-fir, then chaparral as elevation rises. Ocea...

I’m Tim Kizirian—Chico resident, former Ernst & Young auditor, ex-Chico State professor, and ongoing mileage accountant. When a weekday client call lands at 11 a.m. in San Rafael, I squeeze in a pre-meeting climb on Mount Burdell. The preserve’s basic loop—San Andreas Fire Road up, Cobblestone down—delivers 6.3 miles and 1,400 feet gain, all before most commuters pick a podcast. Parking and start Pull up to the San Andreas Drive gate (Novato) by 6:40 a.m. Weekdays you’ll find curb space; weekends fill by 8. I log odometer and start time—old habit from audit mileage sheets—then step through the cattle gate onto a hard-packed road. Up-track details (0–3.1 miles) First mile : grade 6 percent, shaded live oaks, footing like compact gravel. Mile 1–2 : steeper switchbacks (10 percent) through open grass; sunrise paints Big Rock Ridge opposite. Water trough at Mile 2.3: seasonal; I still carry two litres. Summit spur at 3.1: short detour to the Big Tank and radio towers—...

My name is Tim Kizirian. Long before I spent evenings polishing audit worksheets at Ernst & Young or mornings breaking down cost allocations for students at Chico State, I was out on coastal trails trying to figure out how far a ham-and-cheddar sandwich could fuel me. That hasn’t changed; only the sandwich is better, and I now write a short blog so fellow hikers can avoid wasted weekends. Today’s post covers a lesser-used slice of Point Reyes—North Beach down to Abbotts Lagoon and back—simple navigation, big sky, and solitude if you time it right. Why I like this route North Beach to Abbotts Lagoon is a straight 6.8-mile out-and-back on firm sand and a short boardwalk. Most visitors aim for the lighthouse or Alamere Falls and leave this section untouched. That means fewer dog tracks, cleaner tide lines, and wildlife that still acts like you’re not there—plovers darting at your boot tips, harbor seals bobbing just offshore. Getting there Park at the North Beach lot before 8 a.m. o...