Baltimore Canyon-Dawn Falls
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Dawn Falls Trail, Larkspur, CA 94939
Starting Point: The main Dawn Falls trailhead for this hike is at the end of Madrone Ave. in Larkspur, where it joins with Valley Way (limited number of parking spots available near trailhead)
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Baltimore Canyon Preserve information link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.marincountyparks.org/parkspreserves/preserves/baltimore-canyon
Baltimore Canyon map link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.marincounty.org/~/media/images/departments/pk/open-space/baltimore-canyon/map-3-baltimore073114.pdf
Also recommended:
Baltimore Canyon information link (Marin Magazine):
https://marinmagazine.com/community/local-news/baltimore-canyon/
Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve information link (Local Travel Tips):
https://localstraveltips.com/baltimore-canyon-open-space-preserve-marin-county/
Distance:
Brief (approximately 0.1 mile) from Madrone Ave. parking down across footbridge to where Piedmont Trail and Dawn Falls Trail connect. From that junction, it is about 0.4 miles along Dawn Falls Trail to the junction marker for the Ladybug Trail, and from that point, another approximate 0.8 miles along Dawn Falls Trail to Dawn Falls itself. If you do a simple out and back along the same trails, this is about 2.6 miles. Most of this is along fairly level trail, except for the end section climbing up to Dawn Falls which is steep and twisty.
Considerations:
• Trailhead parking is limited, so as always, weekdays and earlier in the day on weekends typically mean fewer visitors.
• There is no toilet facility here. Dolliver Park near the intersection of Madrone and Magnolia has bathrooms for a quick stop when the park is open.
• Watch out for poison oak. A scrub like Technu is handy for accidental exposure.
• Dress in layers. Bay Area weather is known for quick temperature changes.
• Pay attention to trail safety and wildlife information signs.
The trail:
Various friends from Marin have posted photos featuring charming wooden stairs turning onto welcoming earthy paths, and the reply, “Dawn Falls” came back repeatedly when I asked where the trail was. I put it on my must-go list because it looked magically inviting with its woodsy lighting.
Turns out that Dawn Falls itself is just one feature on the charming Dawn Falls Trail through Baltimore Canyon Preserve. There are a variety of places to start a walk in Baltimore Canyon, but this trailhead is a logical start, and gets hikers to an information board with a pretty good map of the area within a short distance of hitting the trail.
From the trailhead on Madrone Ave at Valley Way (this is a dead end turnaround spot), take the wooden steps down to the dirt path that then leads to a wooden footbridge. The footbridge leads across a scenic but often dry creek bed (due to frequent drought conditions) to more stairs, which lead up to the main trails. This is where Piedmont Trail and Dawn Falls Trail connect. Take the Dawn Falls Trail toward the information board, where visitors can get their bearings for Baltimore Canyon and King Mountain within the Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve.
Redwood trees line earthy trails that run parallel to the creek bed. Another footbridge marks the area where the Ladybug Trail to King Mountain branches off the Dawn Falls Trail. For this hike, we continued along Dawn Falls Trail. Moss covered trees and ferns along the trails add to the mystical charm of this hike.
Though much of Dawn Falls Trail is fairly even and flat, there are stretches with a lot of roots jutting out, for those who have to be more cautious with footing. Twisty root-covered trails lined by ferns are some of my favorite images, but it’s always good to avoid twisting an ankle. After passing through a lovely stretch of redwoods that feels a bit like something from a fantasy movie, a large rock catches the light from within the dark forest shadows.
From here the trail gets twisty and steep for the ascent to Dawn Falls. I have yet to visit the falls when there was a significant volume of water running in Larkspur Creek. I hope to visit again when there has been enough rain to really have the falls running strong.
On the trickling falls visits, however, Dawn Falls makes for a great place to sit on the rocky creek bed and have a little snack break, or just be quiet and soak up the scenery.
We turned back and returned by the same trail from Dawn Falls, but a very inviting set of old stone stairs beckons hikers further up the hill to connect for further hiking along the Hook Koo E Koo Trail. We’ll save that for a future adventure, but the in and out hike along Dawn Falls Trail makes for a very pleasant outing with only a short stretch that has a more challenging climb.
(Baltimore Falls-Dawn Falls Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Steps” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Dawn Falls Trail, Larkspur, CA 94939
Starting Point: The main Dawn Falls trailhead for this hike is at the end of Madrone Ave. in Larkspur, where it joins with Valley Way (limited number of parking spots available near trailhead)
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Baltimore Canyon Preserve information link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.marincountyparks.org/parkspreserves/preserves/baltimore-canyon
Baltimore Canyon map link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.marincounty.org/~/media/images/departments/pk/open-space/baltimore-canyon/map-3-baltimore073114.pdf
Also recommended:
Baltimore Canyon information link (Marin Magazine):
https://marinmagazine.com/community/local-news/baltimore-canyon/
Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve information link (Local Travel Tips):
https://localstraveltips.com/baltimore-canyon-open-space-preserve-marin-county/
Distance:
Brief (approximately 0.1 mile) from Madrone Ave. parking down across footbridge to where Piedmont Trail and Dawn Falls Trail connect. From that junction, it is about 0.4 miles along Dawn Falls Trail to the junction marker for the Ladybug Trail, and from that point, another approximate 0.8 miles along Dawn Falls Trail to Dawn Falls itself. If you do a simple out and back along the same trails, this is about 2.6 miles. Most of this is along fairly level trail, except for the end section climbing up to Dawn Falls which is steep and twisty.
Considerations:
• Trailhead parking is limited, so as always, weekdays and earlier in the day on weekends typically mean fewer visitors.
• There is no toilet facility here. Dolliver Park near the intersection of Madrone and Magnolia has bathrooms for a quick stop when the park is open.
• Watch out for poison oak. A scrub like Technu is handy for accidental exposure.
• Dress in layers. Bay Area weather is known for quick temperature changes.
• Pay attention to trail safety and wildlife information signs.
The trail:
Various friends from Marin have posted photos featuring charming wooden stairs turning onto welcoming earthy paths, and the reply, “Dawn Falls” came back repeatedly when I asked where the trail was. I put it on my must-go list because it looked magically inviting with its woodsy lighting.
Turns out that Dawn Falls itself is just one feature on the charming Dawn Falls Trail through Baltimore Canyon Preserve. There are a variety of places to start a walk in Baltimore Canyon, but this trailhead is a logical start, and gets hikers to an information board with a pretty good map of the area within a short distance of hitting the trail.
From the trailhead on Madrone Ave at Valley Way (this is a dead end turnaround spot), take the wooden steps down to the dirt path that then leads to a wooden footbridge. The footbridge leads across a scenic but often dry creek bed (due to frequent drought conditions) to more stairs, which lead up to the main trails. This is where Piedmont Trail and Dawn Falls Trail connect. Take the Dawn Falls Trail toward the information board, where visitors can get their bearings for Baltimore Canyon and King Mountain within the Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve.
Redwood trees line earthy trails that run parallel to the creek bed. Another footbridge marks the area where the Ladybug Trail to King Mountain branches off the Dawn Falls Trail. For this hike, we continued along Dawn Falls Trail. Moss covered trees and ferns along the trails add to the mystical charm of this hike.
Though much of Dawn Falls Trail is fairly even and flat, there are stretches with a lot of roots jutting out, for those who have to be more cautious with footing. Twisty root-covered trails lined by ferns are some of my favorite images, but it’s always good to avoid twisting an ankle. After passing through a lovely stretch of redwoods that feels a bit like something from a fantasy movie, a large rock catches the light from within the dark forest shadows.
From here the trail gets twisty and steep for the ascent to Dawn Falls. I have yet to visit the falls when there was a significant volume of water running in Larkspur Creek. I hope to visit again when there has been enough rain to really have the falls running strong.
On the trickling falls visits, however, Dawn Falls makes for a great place to sit on the rocky creek bed and have a little snack break, or just be quiet and soak up the scenery.
We turned back and returned by the same trail from Dawn Falls, but a very inviting set of old stone stairs beckons hikers further up the hill to connect for further hiking along the Hook Koo E Koo Trail. We’ll save that for a future adventure, but the in and out hike along Dawn Falls Trail makes for a very pleasant outing with only a short stretch that has a more challenging climb.
(Baltimore Falls-Dawn Falls Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Steps” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
