And where shall we go today my love? The hubs hears this often from my lips. How do you decide where to go and explore every weekend? I read a lot of other people’s blogs, follow others on Instagram and sometimes I just stumble upon it. Thanks to the internet the hubs and I get to find those wonderful little hidden gems.
It had been raining (because that’s what happens during the fall in Northern California) so we decided to go waterfall hunting at Phoenix Lake. Tucker Falls itself is not the most spectacular waterfall but the hike around Phoenix Lake is beautiful and well worth the trip. We opted to park at the official parking lot and were a little surprised to see so many other hikers and bikers out in the drizzle. Although, once we were on the trails we hardly saw anyone. We love hiking in Marin because there are so many trails everywhere none of them seem to be overly crowded.
From the parking lot, head up the fire road and hang a left on Bert Williams Road once you reach the lake. You will be walking next to the lake for a bit and will see several small streams flowing into the lake. This part of the hike is fully shaded and absolutely beautiful in the fall with all the various colors of leaves falling all around. Cross over a couple bridges and you fill find Tucker Falls then start heading uphill to Eldridge Grade.
Once you are on Eldridge Grade keep an eye out for mountain bikers. They love this fire road and they go fast! We were giggling at the mud stripes up their backsides as they flew by us downhill. 🙂 From up here you will get beautiful views of the canyon you were just hiking in below.
As you head back down and walk along the lake once again look up and listen for the acorn woodpeckers. They were storing away their acorns like crazy when we walked by! Enjoy your last views of the lake and head on back to the car. This was our first time at Phoenix Lake and would love to go back in the spring to see how it has changed.
Details:
5.21 miles, 828 ft elevation gain, mostly shaded, can be muddy, toilets at the parking lot, limited parking (20 or so spaces), parts of the trail heavily traveled by mountain bikers, the cutest neighborhood is just outside the park…please be kind to the neighbors.