China Camp
Phoenix Lake
Tennessee Valley
San Francisco Golden Gate Park Ride

China Camp State Park - Back Ranch Meadows Campground Trailhead - San Rafael

Get a Map

1. Take the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580), continuing north to Highway 101.
2. Take the Civic Center / North San Pedro Road exit Eastbound (right on offramp).
3. Stay on North San Pedro Road for about 1.5 miles through a residential area.
4. The road continues into China Camp State Park (big brown sign on side of road).
5. Drive 500 feet past the sign and take the first right hand turn. This is at the Back Ranch Meadows Campground.
6. A sign on the right shoulder of the road will say Back Ranch Meadows.
7. After you turn into the campground, drive past the entrance station into the parking lot.
8. We will be there with our big white Trips For Kids van.

1. Take Highway 101 going north through Marin County.
2. Take the Civic Center / North San Pedro Road exit Eastbound (right on off-ramp).
3. Stay on North San Pedro Road for about 1.5 miles through a residential area.
4. The road continues into China Camp State Park (big brown sign on side of road).
5. Drive 500 feet past the sign and take the first right hand turn. This is at the Back Ranch Meadows Campground.
6. A sign on the right shoulder of the road will say Back Ranch Meadows.
7. After you turn into the campground, drive past the entrance station into the parking lot.
8. The big white Trips For Kids van will be waiting there.

Trail Description:
The mighty oak forests of China Camp stand watch over some of the most spine-tingleing singletrack to ever raise dust beneath a mountain bike. Located squarely on the Bay, this state park plays host to a 10-mile round-trip ride with lunch on the beach as a bonus — right at the very spot where the original Chinese shrimp fisherman, who gave the park its name, first settled the area long ago.

China Camp is a blast to ride through, with only a few steep hills on the twisty, narrow trail. But it'll definitely challenge a rider's handling skills, so competence on the bike is key before tackling this one.

Phoenix Lake - Natalie Coffin Greene Park - Ross

Get a Map

1. Take the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580).
2. Immediately after the bridge take the Sir Francis Drake / San Francisco exit to the right.
3. Stay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd for a few miles, past College Avenue & College of Marin.
4. You will enter the town of Ross.
5. Turn left onto Lagunitas Rd (there is a curved brick fence on the right, housing The Art and Garden Center, and a fire station on the left corner with a stone bear in the front yard).
6. At the end of the road is the entrance to Natalie Coffin Green Park.
7. Please park in the dirt parking lot (you may have to pull aside and wait for a space to open up).
8. The big white Trips For Kids van will be waiting there.

1. Take Highway 101 North and exit at San Anselmo / Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
2. Stay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd for a few miles, past College Avenue & College of Marin.
3. You will enter the town of Ross.
4. Turn left onto Lagunitas Rd (there is a curved brick fence on the right housing The Art and Garden Center and a fire station on the left corner with a stone bear in the front yard).
5. At the end of the road is the entrance to Natalie Coffin Green Park.
6. Please park in the dirt parking lot (you may have to pull aside and wait for a space to open up).
7. The big white Trips For Kids van will be waiting there.

Trail Description:
The second-best part of this ride from the base of Mt. Tam is the uphill climb — a few miles long — that's bound to bring out your inner Lance (or Kristin) Armstrong. The best part is the screaming downhill descent, after lunch by the lake at the top of the climb — which happens to have amazing views of Mt. Tam. All this through varied, mostly wooded terrain belonging to the Marin Municipal Water District.

Tennessee Valley - Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Mill Valley

Get a Map

1. From the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580) take the Sir Francis Drake / San Francisco exit (to Highway 101 South, past Larkspur Landing).
2. Turn left onto Highway 101 South.
3. Take the Stinson Beach / Highway 1 exit.
4. Make a right turn.
5. At the second stop sign make a left turn.
6. Rounding the next curve you will see a sign for Tennessee Valley Road on the left.
7. Turn left onto this road, and go to the very end where you can park in the parking lot.
8. The big white Trips For Kids van will be waiting there.

From San Francisco

1. Take Highway 101 North.
2. Exit at the Stinson Beach / Shoreline Highway 1 / Mill Valley exit.
3. You will be on Shoreline Highway.
4. After about a 1/2 mile you will see a sign for Tennessee Valley Road on the left.
5. Turn left onto this road, and go to the very end where you can park in the parking lot.
6. The big white Trips For Kids van will be waiting there.

Trail Description:
This six-mile roundtrip, fire road cruise through part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the Marin Headlands is the easiest trail we ride; but it also just might be the prettiest. Just one steep hill is all that stands between riders and jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean. For a group with riders of mixed skills, Tennessee Valley offers additional trails to challenge the stronger riders.

San Francisco Golden Gate Park Ride

Get a Map
We meet across from the Beach Chalet in the Beach Parking lots accessed off of Ocean Blvd.

From Marin

1. Take 101 South to Golden Gate Bridge.
2. After the toll booth, bear right to 19th St. exit (Park Presidio Blvd).
3. Turn right on Fulton St.
4. Take Fulton St. to the end/beach, turn left on Ocean Blvd.
5. Get into far right lane and enter the 1st parking lot (across from the Beach Chalet).
6. We will be there with our big white Trips For Kids van.

From East Bay

1. Take the Bay Bridge to 101 South.
2. Take the Fell St./Octavia Blvd. exit.
3. Continue on Octavia until you reach Fell St.
4. Turn left onto Fell. Fell veers right onto JFK Dr.
5. Follow JFK Dr. through park to Great Hwy/Ocean Blvd.
6. Get into far right lane and enter the 1st parking lot (across from the Beach Chalet).
7. We will be there with our big white Trips For Kids van.

From San Francisco

1. Take Fulton St. or Lincoln Ave. west to Ocean Beach/Great Hwy.
2. From Fulton, turn left onto Great Hwy; from Lincoln turn right onto Great Hwy.
3. Park in lot on beach across from Beach Chalet.
4. We will be in the lot with our big white Trips For Kids van.

Trail Description:
Starting at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, the trail meanders through the trees ducking in behind the old windmill passing the dog park, rose garden, disc golf course, redwoods, DeYoung Museum on the way to Hippy Hill (famous hippy hangout, sunspot) for lunch taking in a few throwback 1960s wannabees donning their tie-dye t-shirts and hula hoops. The trail offers 90% single and double-track winding through the Park's grandiose vegetation and lesser known backwoods hiking and biking trails. With the initial climb from the beach taking about 1 hour on average to the lunch point – the return is sure to offer weary riders plenty of fun as the entire trip back to the van is all downhill and sure to bring the ear-to-ear smiles.

Difficulty rating - slightly harder than the China Camp shoreline trail...but not as difficult as China Camp's full 13 mile loop.

If your group has done the Shoreline trail, this step up is a must ride. The rides difficulty can also be altered to accommodate shortened time frames and less difficulty if needed.