Northside of Mt. Tam

When you think of driving up East Ridgecrest Rd, you would think of taking the 0.6 miles round trip up to East Peak or hiking 0.7 miles on the Verna Dunshee trail loop around East Peak. Do not get me wrong, I love those trails because you can see the Farallon Islands (and further,) mountains as far as Mendocino County, the Sierras on the clearest of days, your house, your friend's house and your friend's friend's house. Okay, this is a bit off topic but you get the point. The problem with the East Peak is that you might be stuck behind a line of people who want the best viewing spots too. Did you know there are hikes around East Peak that are fantastic but are not crowded on those summer weekends? The Eldridge Grade, Northside and Colier hike is 4.5 miles long and it traverses through all of Mt. Tam's climates: chaparral, mixed forest, douglas fir forest and redwoods.

Difficulty: Moderate
Terrain: Mix of Douglas Fir, hardwood, chaparral. One extremely steep part.
Crowds: Small
Best times: Fall, winter or spring. The summer brings tons of flies.
Length: 4.5 miles

Directions: From Mill Valley: drive up Shoreline Highway to Panoramic Highway. Continue on Panoramic Highway until you reach Pantoll Rd which starts at Pantoll ranger station. Take Pantoll road until you reach Ridgecrest. Take a right at Ridgecrest and drive up until you reach the East Peak parking lot at the end of the road.

The hike: Walk down East Ridgecrest Rd until you reach Eldridge Grade. The fire road's terrain immediately turns rocky while the trees on the side are hardwood trees and Douglas fir. This area used to be chaparral but hardwood trees and Douglas firs have invaded and the chaparral appears to be losing. Along the fire road, there are many spots where the chaparral plants are dead. Still, there are many spots where the chaparral is holding its ground. There are also occasional view spots along the fire road. Watch out for bikers because some speed down Eldridge Grade quickly. At about 0.5 miles in, East Peak fire trail descends downhill. It is unsigned but it is wide and there is a large rock nearby. This trail cuts the hike's distance by 0.6 miles but it is very steep. If you choose to continue on Eldridge Grade, the terrain remains mostly the same until you reach Northside trail 0.7 miles after passing East Peak Fire trail. An old sign marks the intersection between Northside trail and Eldridge Grade. Right after leaving Eldridge Grade, Northside trail hits the inspiration point with East Peak Fire trail. It is a tad overrated but there are still wonderful views here (at least when there is no fog.)

Continue straight on Northside trail and you will be on that trail for 1.8 miles. It starts out level and remains mostly flat with a few slight ups and downs. Look for holes in the mixed forest of chaparral, hardwood and Douglas fir where views appear to extend forever. Keep in mind you get the views to the north and west without the crowds of East Peak. About 0.7 miles into the hike, loose rocks cover the trail so be careful. Around this time, Northside trail crosses the East Fork of Lagunitas Creek which descends down to Lake Lagunitas. There are a few more small stream crossings which create small cascades. During the winter, you can hear the roar of the creeks as they fall down the mountain. Soon, you should pass the unmaintained Lagunitas Fire trail descending down to Lake Lagunitas. The rocks end but the terrain and climate remain the same until you reach the first redwood grove. Pat yourself on the back, you are 0.3 miles away from Colier Spring which is at first a blessing but then a curse. Once you reach Colier Spring, you will know you are there. A sign saying "Colier Spring" marks the spot. Redwoods tower over the spring, many of them at or taller than 100 ft. A bench is nearby so if it is open, you can go down and sit there. This is one of Mt. Tam's secret places. I sat here for more than 30 minutes, immersing myself in the nature and I did not see anyone until a few minutes before I left. It was a very friendly elderly couple who I could tell were locals knew the mountain well. I went up on the Coiler trail.

I immediately realized how grateful I was to have the flat Northside trail earlier because the Coiler trail is extremely steep. At least you are climbing up because descending steep slopes are dangerous and you can fall down. According to Shel Silverstein, you can also fall up so be careful while climbing! 0.4 miles and umpteenth huffs and puffs later, you will reach the International trail Turn left and you will hit East Ridgecrest Rd in about a minute. Nope, the hike is not finished yet. To your left, there is Lakeview trail which goes to Middle Peak FR in 0.3 miles. You should take this trail if you want to avoid the road. It hits Middle Peak FR which goes back to East Ridgecrest Rd in 0.4 miles. Once the fire road ends, continue up the road until you reach the parking lot in five minutes.

Additional option:
If you wanted to avoid the strenuous climb, you could continue on the Northside trail after Colier Spring until you hit International trail. The climb there is not as steep but this adds 0.7 miles to the hike.

Overall, go on the hike for Colier Spring, the views, the diversity of habitats, the small crowds (for most of it) but remember the short but very steep climb.