Larkspur Path (Corte Madera-Larkspur Path):
California
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Description:
From the banks of estuarine Corte Madera Creek to the tangled undergrowth that has wrapped itself around the long-unused Alto Tunnel, the Larkspur-Corte Madera rail-trail runs through a lovely slice of Marin County that illustrates why the area has become a desirable (and expensive) place to live.

DIFFICULTY:
Easy

FOOD:
The trail passes through downtown Larkspur, where you will find grocery stores and both upscale and café-style dining establishments.

REST ROOMS:
No rest rooms are available along the route

TRANSPORTATION:
Golden Gate Transit operates buses in this area. Contact the transit service at (415) 455-2000 or visit the GGT Web site at www.goldengate.org

RENTALS:
There are no rentals available along the route.
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Parking & Trail Access:
Parking is limited at both trailheads. To reach the southern trailhead from U.S. Highway 101 in Corte Madera, take the Tamalpais Drive exit, and head west on Tamalpais Drive, which becomes Redwood Avenue, to Corte Madera Avenue. Turn left (south) on Corte Madera Avenue, which merges into Montecito Drive. Continue south on Montecito Drive, following it for about 0.3 mile to a dirt parking area that is wedged between the roadway and the dirt trail.

To reach the northern trailhead form Highway 101 in larkspur, take the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard exit. Go left (west) on sir Francis Drake Boulevard to bon Air Drive. Turn left (south) on Bon Air Drive, and go over the bridge; a paved trail takes off to the north from the right (west) side of the road. The rail-trail begins on the left (east) side of Bon Air Drive on the far side of the bridge, heading south.
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Seasonal Restrictions:
The trail is passable year-round, but the dirt section of the route may be muddy during and following winter rains.
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views of mt tamalpias, big tree canopies
By dhusch in March, 2010
This trail is only 1 mile long, but it can be combined with other bike routes in Marin County to give a full day of riding. See the Tiburon trail, and the Mill Valley-Sausalito trail both on this website.
The best parts of this trail are the views of Mt Tamalpias, the canopy of large trees, and the wetlands.
When going north be sure to turn to the right at Baltimore Ave, there is another bike trail that continues North, towards San Anselmo.
Shortly after this turn look for an historic orange building marked "Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company, Baltimore Park Substation". Before WW2, Marin County had a network of electric railroads, and this was part of the electrical system. The tracks in this section actually had four rails. Two for the wide guage, a third rail to accomodate the narrow gauge trains, and a fourth rail to suppy power.
If you want to connect to Mill Valley or Tiburon, be sure to carry a detailed mike map for Marin County, because the connections can be tricky. Read my review for the Mill Valley-Sausalito Trail for comments about the two routes between Corte Madera and Mill Valley.
According to marinbike.org, work is almost completed to reopen the Cal Hill Tunnel between Larkspur and San Rafael. This will make an excellent connection to this trail. As of March 2010, the tunnel upgrades are almost complete; by the time you read this the tunnel will hopefully be open. The Marin Bicycle Coalition is also advocting reopening the rail tunnel between Corte Madera and Mill Valley, which would connect this trail directly to the Mill Valley trail. If someday this tunnel is reopened, it would create a level, off-street bike path all the way from Sausalito to San Rafael.
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