Steep Ravine Beach
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Steep Ravine camp area with its path to Steep Ravine Beach is reached from the Rocky Point Road junction with Shoreline Highway/CA Route 1, about 1 mile southeast of the Panoramic Highway/Shoreline Highway junction at Stinson Beach
Starting Point: For day visitors, start with roadside parking, Shoreline Highway/CA Route 1, across the road from the gate entrance for Steep Ravine Cabins, Rocky Point Road. Those with cabin or campground reservations will be given instructions on getting past the gate to drive down to the camp area.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Rocky Point info link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/rocky-point
Mount Tamalpais State Park brochure with map link (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Mount Tamalpais State Park info link (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471
Reserve California camping reservations link (California State Parks):
https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/
“Things to Do” link for Mount Tam, scroll down for “Rocky Point/Steep Ravine Environmental Campground” info (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28465
Distance:
For those making a day trip visit, from the Shoreline Highway/CA 1 parking area for Rocky Point Road/gate to Steep Ravine Cabins, the walk on the road is approximately 0.8 miles one way, for a 1.6 mile round trip. Walking down the cabin path to Steep Ravine Beach and along the beach, or along the camp area trails, allows visitors to add distance as they wish.
Considerations:
• There is parking space for several cars on Shoreline Highway/CA 1 across the road from the gate to Steep Ravine Cabins/Rocky Point Road.
• The gate code is only given to visitors with reservations for the Steep Ravine Environmental Campground camp sites or cabins, which is why day visitors have to walk this road or trails down to the camp area. See Rocky Point Road to Steep Ravine Cabins for a day hike down to Steep Ravine cabins and camp area without staying overnight.
• There are sometimes parking restrictions and road closures due to construction and/or storm damage. Check for traffic conditions and alerts, especially during rainy season.
• There are toilet facilities at the campground, but not near the parking area at the top of the hill.
• Rocky Point Road is a paved road with good visibility, except when on tight curves and around hills. Ranger trucks as well as campers driving in and out of the campground may not expect walkers around the curve. Use caution on blind curves.
The trail:
See Rocky Point Road to Steep Ravine Cabins for a description of the hike down to Steep Ravine Cabins and Beach for day hikers without reservations to stay overnight. See Steep Ravine Cabins and Camp Area for information on staying overnight and an extra large photo gallery of this stunning area.
The Steep Ravine cabins and camp sites are often spoken of as the holy grail of camping areas on the Marin coast. There is a very limited number of spots available, which makes it difficult to get a reservation, generating even more of a sense that this is the hot spot to camp. You don’t have to get overnight reservations to enjoy the trails around the camp area and a visit to Steep Ravine Beach.
Once visitors are at the camp area, whether by walking Rocky Point Road for day visitors, or by driving for overnight guests, views to the immediate north include Stinson Beach and Bolinas. The Point Reyes coast is visible on clear days farther to the north, and Muir Beach and other points in Marin are visible to the south.
Visitors can reach Steep Ravine Beach by walking down the steps near the cabins and then taking the trails that lead north facing Stinson Beach. This beach is beautiful in early morning, sometimes covered in mysterious mist. There is a rocky area on the way down but also open beach to walk on, especially at low tide. There is a great selection of tidepool creatures to look at. We’ve seen crabs, sea anemones, chitons, barnacles, starfish, and a variety of seabirds on our visits.
Low tide opens access to a natural hot spring that locals are aware of, but visitors might not know to search for. A hot spring sounds great but there’s also a strong mineral smell that may not be appealing to everyone.
For those staying overnight, Steep Ravine Beach offers glorious sunset views. The orange sun reflecting on the waves is hard to beat for heart stirring visual effects. Whether making a day visit to Steep Ravine Beach or enjoying it as part of an overnight stay, take some time to just look out at the ocean and listen to the waves come in.
For those who want a taste of beach town liveliness after the natural quiet of Steep Ravine Beach and the camping area, nearby Stinson Beach offers a classic California beach experience and access to cafes and shops.
(Steep Ravine Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Jewels in the Shadow” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop 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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Steep Ravine camp area with its path to Steep Ravine Beach is reached from the Rocky Point Road junction with Shoreline Highway/CA Route 1, about 1 mile southeast of the Panoramic Highway/Shoreline Highway junction at Stinson Beach
Starting Point: For day visitors, start with roadside parking, Shoreline Highway/CA Route 1, across the road from the gate entrance for Steep Ravine Cabins, Rocky Point Road. Those with cabin or campground reservations will be given instructions on getting past the gate to drive down to the camp area.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Rocky Point info link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/rocky-point
Mount Tamalpais State Park brochure with map link (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Mount Tamalpais State Park info link (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471
Reserve California camping reservations link (California State Parks):
https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/
“Things to Do” link for Mount Tam, scroll down for “Rocky Point/Steep Ravine Environmental Campground” info (California State Parks):
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28465
Distance:
For those making a day trip visit, from the Shoreline Highway/CA 1 parking area for Rocky Point Road/gate to Steep Ravine Cabins, the walk on the road is approximately 0.8 miles one way, for a 1.6 mile round trip. Walking down the cabin path to Steep Ravine Beach and along the beach, or along the camp area trails, allows visitors to add distance as they wish.
Considerations:
• There is parking space for several cars on Shoreline Highway/CA 1 across the road from the gate to Steep Ravine Cabins/Rocky Point Road.
• The gate code is only given to visitors with reservations for the Steep Ravine Environmental Campground camp sites or cabins, which is why day visitors have to walk this road or trails down to the camp area. See Rocky Point Road to Steep Ravine Cabins for a day hike down to Steep Ravine cabins and camp area without staying overnight.
• There are sometimes parking restrictions and road closures due to construction and/or storm damage. Check for traffic conditions and alerts, especially during rainy season.
• There are toilet facilities at the campground, but not near the parking area at the top of the hill.
• Rocky Point Road is a paved road with good visibility, except when on tight curves and around hills. Ranger trucks as well as campers driving in and out of the campground may not expect walkers around the curve. Use caution on blind curves.
The trail:
See Rocky Point Road to Steep Ravine Cabins for a description of the hike down to Steep Ravine Cabins and Beach for day hikers without reservations to stay overnight. See Steep Ravine Cabins and Camp Area for information on staying overnight and an extra large photo gallery of this stunning area.
The Steep Ravine cabins and camp sites are often spoken of as the holy grail of camping areas on the Marin coast. There is a very limited number of spots available, which makes it difficult to get a reservation, generating even more of a sense that this is the hot spot to camp. You don’t have to get overnight reservations to enjoy the trails around the camp area and a visit to Steep Ravine Beach.
Once visitors are at the camp area, whether by walking Rocky Point Road for day visitors, or by driving for overnight guests, views to the immediate north include Stinson Beach and Bolinas. The Point Reyes coast is visible on clear days farther to the north, and Muir Beach and other points in Marin are visible to the south.
Visitors can reach Steep Ravine Beach by walking down the steps near the cabins and then taking the trails that lead north facing Stinson Beach. This beach is beautiful in early morning, sometimes covered in mysterious mist. There is a rocky area on the way down but also open beach to walk on, especially at low tide. There is a great selection of tidepool creatures to look at. We’ve seen crabs, sea anemones, chitons, barnacles, starfish, and a variety of seabirds on our visits.
Low tide opens access to a natural hot spring that locals are aware of, but visitors might not know to search for. A hot spring sounds great but there’s also a strong mineral smell that may not be appealing to everyone.
For those staying overnight, Steep Ravine Beach offers glorious sunset views. The orange sun reflecting on the waves is hard to beat for heart stirring visual effects. Whether making a day visit to Steep Ravine Beach or enjoying it as part of an overnight stay, take some time to just look out at the ocean and listen to the waves come in.
For those who want a taste of beach town liveliness after the natural quiet of Steep Ravine Beach and the camping area, nearby Stinson Beach offers a classic California beach experience and access to cafes and shops.
(Steep Ravine Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Jewels in the Shadow” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop 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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
