Cataract Trail from Rock Spring

Rock Spring and the Cataract trail are two well known hot spots. Cataract trail from Fairfax Bolinas Rd leads to Cataract Falls which is magnificent in the winter. Rock Spring is close to the Mountain Theater and is at an intersection of Ridgecrest and Pantoll Roads. Also, the Old Mine trail begins at Rock Spring which leads down to Pantoll and is a popular connector between the two. Even Cataract trail itself is a popular route descending slowly to Laurel Dell because of Cataract Falls. Although this 3.5 mile hike involves walking on Cataract trail, it takes you through some of Mt. Tam's lesser known treasures and trails. You will see forests of Douglas Fir, chaparral and views extending northwest into Sonoma County. The hike is not difficult either although there is one steep section. The hike feels all downhill and barely any uphill (I was talking about the terrain, not the beauty or the views.) Without further ado, here is the hike and its directions:

Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Primarily Douglas Fir forest and chaparral. One very short steep climb.
Crowds: Small. Cataract trail moderate depending on the season.
Best times: Good year round, sections can be hot in the summer.
Length: 3.5 miles

Directions: From 101, go onto Shoreline Highway until you hit Panoramic Highway. Continue on Panoramic Highway until you hit Pantoll Road. Turn right on it and go up Ridgecrest Rd. Across the street is the Rock Springs parking lot. At the parking lot is Cataract trail.
From Fairfax: From Sir Francis Drake Blvd, go onto Fairfax Bolinas Rd until you reach West Ridgecrest Rd. Go on that until you reach the intersection with Pantoll Rd where the Rock Spring parking lot is to the left.

The hike:
It begins at the sometimes crowded Rock Spring parking lot. The Cataract trail is not the only option so the hike should be less crowded than you think. Begin your walk by walking through the grassy meadow with Douglas Firs on the other side. In just a few minutes, you will reach Simmons Trail. This goes 1 mile to Barth's Retreat. Turn right on it to enter the forest. Immediately, Douglas Firs cover the trail and the trail follows a short canyon passing a stand of redwoods. A few minutes later, the trail turns left and crosses the small creek. Then the trail steeply goes toward the ridge. This short bit is the only steep climb on the hike. A bit into the climb, chaparral becomes the dominant plant and the soil is filled with serpentine rocks. If serpentine were valuable, Mt. Tam would be mined to death. In a few minutes, the trail levels out on a ridge with Sargent cypresses dominant. These trees usually grow 20 ft tall but the tallest ones in the world are on the nearby Mickey O' Brian trail. Simmons trail descends through a mix of Douglas Firs and chaparral. All too soon, Simmons trail ends at Barth's Retreat. This is a nice quiet picnic area with restrooms in an old Douglas Fir forest. You could take the Mickey O' Brien trail to the left for a shorter hike. The Mickey O'Brien trail goes .7 miles to the Laurel Dell picnic area, cutting the hike by .4 miles. My usual choice is going straight on the connector to Laurel Dell FR though. Continue on the connector through chaparral until reaching Laurel Dell FR in .1 miles. It is 1 mile to the left to Laurel Dell.

Continue left on Laurel Dell FR, staying with the chaparral and a few Douglas Firs. Soon, views open up to the north, going to St. Helena and past it. On a clear day, you can see past Jenner in Sonoma County. Laurel Dell starts to descend with small steep downhills and then flattening out again. The terrain also changes too with Douglas Firs becoming more dominant the further you walk. You will know you are only a quarter of a mile to Laurel Dell when the fire road turns to the right and you can see a small canyon below you. This is a deeper Douglas Fir forest. All too soon, you will reach the meadow with Laurel Dell. Picnic tables are to the right. To the left are the restrooms and a tiny grove of redwoods. Go left because this is where the Cataract trail continues 1.3 miles back to Rock Springs. The Douglas Fir forest continues to the habitat on the hike. Also, the Cataract trail may be crowded on weekends due to people going to Laurel Dell or visiting Cataract Falls. In 0.1 miles, the Mickey O' Brien trail goes to the left. Continue on the Cataract trail which goes uphill ever so slowly. It follows Cataract creek which falls straight to Alpine Lake near Alpine Dam. A bridge connects to Laurel Dell and this is the last intersection of another trail for 1 mile. A minute later, you should be able to see an old airplane engine if you look really closely into the creek. There was an airplane collision in 1945 above the canyon. I usually find the engine when hiking but for me, its location and look seems to change every time I visit. Soon, there is a small fence and Cataract trail crosses the creek. Cataract trail was rerouted in the 90's and early 2000's so follow the new routes. The forest opens up to some grassland. The exchanges between forest and grassland continue for the rest of the hike. The slope remains as usual, slightly uphill. You will know you are close to Rock Springs when you see a water tank to your right partly shrouded by some trees. After you pass the water tank, you will see the Simmons trail intersection and the Rock Springs parking lot ahead of you.

Additional options: From the Laurel Dell picnic area, you can turn right towards the picnic tables. You can continue 0.4 miles to the right on Cataract trail if you want to see some of the falls or further. It is one of those areas that make Mt. Tam one of the best mountains where you can hike. Unlike most of the hike, going back from the falls will be a steep uphill so you decide how far down you want to go.
Also you could take the Benstein trail instead of the Simmons trail. The Benstein trail adds about .4 miles to the hike. Right after you start on the Simmons trail, the Benstein trail branches off to the right. It is not steep and remains in a Douglas Fir forest until it intersects with Laurel Dell FR in 1.2 miles. It intersects with Rock Spring Lagunitas FR but picks up in 0.1 miles. Once hitting Laurel Dell FR, Potero Meadows is to the right but the route takes you to the left where you pick up on the rest of the hike. Trust me, it is amazing this part of Mt. Tam is packed with picnic areas.

Overall, the hike's highlights are views, variety, special places, almost no uphill and (mostly) small numbers of people.