Liberty Trail Loop to Carson Falls

Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, Marin County, CA

This is hands down my favorite, easy-ish hike in the Bay Area!

Talk about bang for your buck – this hike has it all!

https://www.facebook.com/1349764737/videos/pcb.10219215040350718/10219215028710427/

Check out the trail highlights’ section below to discover exactly what incredible sights and features you can expect with this extraordinary hike!

I’ve included 2 route options for you depending on how much time you have and how far you want to hike.

Route 1 measures 4 miles with a 1,450’ total elevation gain.

*Route 2 takes you on an additional 2.4 mile detour off of Route 1 – a 1.2 mile each direction out and back to Kent Lake (and back). It’s a great spot for a picnic and ultimately lands you right back in the same spot on Route 1 where you deviated from for the Kent Lake detour.

What I love about this hike… EVERYTHING!

Highlights:

This hike has a superabundance of features in such a relatively short distance and most of the trail is not that heavily trafficked; especially in the mornings on a winter or early spring day. The photos I’ve included speak louder than words so I won’t go into much detail but here are a few of my favorite highlights of this trail…

1. The beautiful and HUGE redwood trees. The thing I miss the most about living in California is the redwood trees. They are spectacular! I recommend you step off the trail and take some time to explore them shortly after you make a right turn onto Little Carson Trail after exiting Nail Trail. I advise you NOT to climb on the trees however – they are VERY high off the ground, covered in wet and old redwood needles and extremely slippery and dangerous! These trees are magnificent; some of them fallen, some of them burned and/or hollowed, and many of them still standing majestically on their own as well as in surprising circular formations! This is my favorite part of the hike and you will likely not see anyone during this portion of the trail.
2. Walking alongside the creek and the lush ferns during the out and back rainforest section at the beginning and end of this hike (Liberty Trail segment) is my second favorite part of this hike. The ferns are green and enchanting and the creek is pristine, peaceful and magical to both watch and listen to. This section reminds me of some of the rainforests I have visited in Costa Rica, Peru and Australia and it never fails to catch me off guard! You may likely see some banana slugs and/or a centipede in this portion of the hike and you will definitely hear and see many birds if you keep your eyes and ears open!!
3. The waterfall – Carson Falls! This multi-tiered waterfall seems to go on for days as it cascades down the rocks and parallels the trail. This waterfall can be RAGING – especially following a huge rainstorm in late winter and early spring!!! It always amazes and marvels me that we have such a high-flowing waterfall in the Bay Area, and it makes me smile every time I approach it! Spend some time at every one of the many vantage points to the falls. They all offer a different approach, perspective, and viewpoint, and they are all worthy of seeing and experiencing. This is the part of the hike that you are likely to see and encounter the most people and possibly a salamander or two!
4. My final (major) highlight of this hike is the descent down into the valley on Nail Trail.
   During this section, you will encounter majestic moss-covered trees and more beautiful ferns all perfectly arranged and clustered together. On a winter or spring day (especially in the morning), a magical and enchanting fog may encompass this forested and damp part of the trail. It is a fairytale-like experience to enter this section when the fog is hovering – it feels like it is encapsulating you and the forest! There is also a cool but illegal (because it’s a single-track trail) harrowing mountain bike jump launch spot. With all the gnarly obstacles on this jump launch path, it can be fun to imagine the route you might choose if you dared to take that leap (photo below)!
5. A bonus highlight… after the hike, stop at a local Fairfax restaurant to refuel. My favorite Fairfax haunt to stop at after this hike is Fairfix Café, where you can enjoy a delicious and healthy (or not!) meal with plenty of herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore selections to choose from, a pastry, a coffee or tea, a flight of wine or a beer. Walk up and order inside at the register and take a number. If it’s not raining, I like to sit out back with our dog Gizmo and relax in the charming and cozy wine garden patio with a warm cup of soup, delicious salad, small plate, or one of their house specialties often filled with organic vegetables. I have never been disappointed with a meal or the overall experience here! https://cafefairfix.com/

What can be challenging about this hike…

1. Some of the trails are not marked. I recommend that you track the mileage you are walking with your phone or sports watch so that you know roughly when to look for the trails that you need to take and turn onto. The easiest trail to miss is the Nail Trail, so pay closest attention to tracking the .9 mile distance from when you turn left onto Oat Hill Fire Road trail from Liberty Trail to the start of the Nail Trail, a single track trail that you will be turning right onto from Oat Hill Fire Road.
2. There are a couple steep(ish) climbs on this hike, but the two climbs do not last that long, honestly. I realize “not too long” is relative and subjective, but my point is that even if you are not in the best shape, you can take these sections slowly, and you should manage them fine. This hike is 100% worth these couple of little climbs! Just to prepare you, since I prefer to know exactly what I’m in for with new hikes, you will climb roughly 400 feet in the first .7 miles of this hike. The second big(ish) climb is a roughly 650’ climb spanning over .8 miles that takes place as you are walking up to the falls on Little Carson Trail. This steepish part of the hike parallels beautiful rocks and the waterfall. Just take it slow and enjoy the “breathtaking” scenery!
3. The last moderately difficult part of this hike lasts only for a minute and takes place shortly after you turn onto Nail Trail, where you begin the descent down into the beautiful redwood tree forest. There is one teeny tiny steep section (maybe 15 feet total?), and the trail is a bit torn up so it can be a little slippery and loose depending on the weather and how wet the trail is. Just use caution, and you should be fine. If you are more comfortable using hiking poles, that can be an excellent option but not necessary, or you could also just sidestep any potentially slippery part of the trail by walking on the grass next to it. Just be careful not to create any new trail since we are urged to stay on the trails to conserve and protect the surrounding plant life!

Beware & Watch Out For:

Ticks, poison oak, and coyotes. I’ve experienced all of these lurking potential dangers at one point or another while hiking this trail. Rattlesnakes are present, too, but I have yet to see one on this trail.

Best Season to Hike This Trail:

Late winter and early spring after a big rainstorm for the waterfall flow.

Where to Park and How to Get There:

Enter coordinates 37.96737, -122.63150 into your GPS navigation system. Park along the side of Bolinas-Fairfax Road. Your parking area will not be marked, but you may see a couple of cars and/or notice the trail entrance (Liberty Trail) that you will set off on for this hike. The distance to the unmarked parking area on Bolinas-Fairfax Road is approximately 4.4 miles from the intersection of Bolinas Road and Broadway when departing from Fairfax city center.

Route 1 Option

Distance – 4 miles

Elevation Gain – 1,450′

Trail Type – Loop with an out and back section

Difficulty – Moderate

Dog friendly (on leash)

Features: Waterfall, huge redwood trees, fern and redwood rainforest, creek, informative placards, views, wildlife, bird watching, a couple of steep climbs, beautiful boulders

*Route 2 Option

For a little longer hike… try adding on this out and back for an additional 2.4 miles, 300’ of elevation gain, and a nice stop and walk along Kent Lake.

Distance – 6.4 Miles (an additional 2.4 miles beyond Route 1)

Elevation Gain – 1,800’ (rough estimate – my Garmin numbers seemed a little off)

Trail Type – 1 loop with 2 out and back sections

Features – Kent Lake (nice picnic lunch spot), waterfall, huge redwood trees, fern and redwood rainforest, creek, informative placards, views, wildlife, bird watching, a couple of steep climbs, beautiful boulders

Hiking step-by-step directions for shorter Route 1:

1. Park at Liberty Creek Trailhead (coordinates 37.96737, -122.63150) on Bolinas-Fairfax Road.
2. Enter the trailhead and hike alongside a creek and ferns on Liberty Trail (single track) and then out and up into an open clearing for .7 miles until you reach Oat Hill Fire Road.
3. Turn left onto Oat Hill Fire Road and hike for .9 miles paying close attention to your mileage on your phone or smartwatch so you don’t miss the unmarked single-track trail on the right for Nail Trail.
4. Turn right and head slightly up onto Nail Trail (single track). Walk down into the valley for .75 miles until you arrive at Little Carson Trail.
5. Turn right onto Little Carson Trail (single track). Step off the trail at this point and spend some time exploring the redwoods and then continue on up the trail and head up to the waterfall. Enjoy the many different vantage points and views of the waterfall on the right side of the trail, and then continue back up the trail until you hit the Oat Hill Fire Road (.95 miles from the Nail Trail and Little Carson Trail intersection).
6. Turn left onto Oat Hill Fire Road for a few steps and a very brief walk on Oat Hill Fire Road, and then make a very immediate right turn leading you back onto Liberty Trail, where you will finish out your hike back to your car for the last .7 miles.

*Hiking step-by-step directions for Route 2 with the additional out and back to Kent Lake:

1. Park at Liberty Creek Trailhead (coordinates 37.96737, -122.63150) on Bolinas-Fairfax Road.
2. Enter the trailhead and hike alongside a creek and ferns on Liberty Trail (single track) and then out into an open clearing for .7 miles until you reach Oat Hill Fire Road.
3. Turn left onto Oat Hill Fire Road and hike for .9 miles paying close attention to your mileage on your phone or smartwatch so you don’t miss the unmarked single-track trail on the right for Nail Trail.
4. Turn right and head slightly up onto Nail Trail (single track). Walk down into the valley for .75 miles until you arrive at Little Carson Trail.
5. Alternate Route #2 deviation: From the Nail Trail and Little Carson Trail intersection, turn left onto Little Carson Trail and hike out to Kent Pump Road. Follow Kent Pump fire road out for as long as you’d like. I walked a total of 1.2 miles from the Little Carson Trail and Nail Trail intersection until I decided to stop, rest and eat a picnic lunch at the lake. After watching a beautiful Osprey circle the sky, hover over the lake, fish for its next meal, and then re-perch itself back in its nest in a tree overlooking the lake, I turned around, retraced my steps and walked the 1.2 miles back to the Little Carson Trail and Nail Trail intersection that we originally deviated from for Route #2. When you see the intersection of Little Carson Trail and Nail Trail (where you started from for this detour to Kent Lake), continue straight on Little Carson Trail.
6. Step off the trail and spend some time exploring the redwoods and then continue on up the trail and head up to the waterfall. Enjoy the many different vantage points and views of the waterfall on the right side of the trail, and then continue back up the trail until you hit the Oat Hill Fire Road (.95 miles from the Nail Trail and Little Carson Trail intersection).
7. Turn left onto Oat Hill Fire Road for a few steps and a very brief walk on Oat Hill Fire Road, and then make a very immediate right turn leading you back onto Liberty Trail, where you will finish out your hike back to your car for the last .7 miles.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/921228_0d2f8c2a82d64615ba4509002690ba32/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Please note in this trail map image below that the arrows take you the opposite direction as my written instructions. I prefer going the route I wrote out for you in the step by step instructions so I recommend you reverse the direction of the loop below by first turning left onto Oat Hill Fire Road from Liberty Trail rather than immediately heading down to the falls.

https://vimeo.com/496412179

Gizmo loves this hike up to Carson Falls…

I hope you do as well!

Please share your thoughts and photos with me if you ever make your way to this trail.