Best Flat Hikes In Marin: Southern Marin Fire Road

Hello Flat Hikers, we see you! Our Best Flat Hikes in Marin series of posts is consistently our most popular content so we are always out looking for new flat hikes for our Marin Hotels guests to enjoy. And guess what, we have a new addition for you! Just like Dawn Falls in Baltimore Canyon, this one is tucked into a neighborhood. It’s called the Southern Marin Line Fire Road in the Baltimore Canyon Preserve.

This trail has everything we love: lots of payoff with really no effort. It’s a very flat, very easy, very scenic stroll through a Redwood forest with some lovely views of Mt. Tam. And bonus, In the afternoon the trail is totally shaded. It’s perfection.

Note: if you have the urge to go up to Mt. Tam on the Hoo Koo E Koo Trail, you can do that. Or if you want to go down to Dawn Falls from here you can to that too. You’ll see signs pointing to both of those trails within the first few minutes your walk. Here’s a map.

Getting There: Crown Road Trailhead

The path starts in a neighborhood in the hills of Kentfiled at the Crown Road Trailhead. Just pop Crown Road Trailhead into your GPS and from Acqua Hotel you’ll be there in about 20 minutes; a few minutes more from Waters Edge Hotel and Mill Valley Inn.

Please pay attention to the no parking signs, those are closest to the trailhead. Within a block of the trailhead there around about 15-20 places to park. The best time time go? Afternoon on a weekday, the perfect time to be in nature before you head back to your hotel for our complimentary wine reception!

The Hike: Southern Marin Fire Road

The instructions could not be simpler for this trail, it’s an out and back. Our favorite way to do the trail is to walk to the point where you see the pump station on the right side of the path, walk another 5 minutes and then turn around. That out and back takes about an hour.

Enjoy your walk!