Matt Davis / Step Ravine Loop Trail

This is a great trail!

We did it after a few days of rain and it was great.
Everything was lush and growing, smelling of the rain and the woods.
Most of this trail is in the ravines with redwoods, ferns, oaks, and etc...
It follows the creek up, (the Matt Davis creek?) with tons of waterfalls along the way.
You will cross the creek several times across some pretty good bridges.

There are lots of stone stairways along this path and tons of waterfalls, both going in and coming back out.
There is one hard spot, if you have difficulty with ladders, (pic below.) Otherwise things are great.
This path is NOT wheelchair accessible. This is a hike, not a walk.

Right after the rains you get fresh oxygen, direct from the factory, and it's a great time to be doing this.
The creeks are flowing well, the plants are lush, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, it's great.
When you get up along the Matt Davis trail, you get some pretty good views of the coast and Stinson Beach, (although that view is better up higher, like near O'Roarke's Bench.)

This is a great trail for one of those hot summer days when the sun is just beating down mercilessly, since you are mostly in the shaded ravines with the redwoods and the creeks.

Directions:

Take Hwy 1 north from Hwy 101 about 3 miles.

Turn right onto the Panoramic Hwy.*

Follow this until it reconnects to Hwy 1 at Stinson Beach.

Turn right again, to the fire station, (second right.)

Turn right at the fire station and find parking. The trail-head is clearly marked on the right.

*(Alternate route: Stay on Hwy 1 to Stinson Beach, but you miss the Panoramic hwy and the Pan Toll Ranger station, where you can get a map of your route.)

The Hike:

Th trails are clearly marked.

You will follow the Matt Davis trail up to the Pan Toll Ranger station where you got your map.

Go to the right through the parking lot to the south end and you'll see the Steep Ravine Trail-head leading back the way you came.

Follow the Steep Ravine Trail until you meet up with the Dipsea trail.

Turn right onto Dipsea and follow it until it comes out on Hwy 1 about 100 yards from the fire station where you started.

This trail is about 7.3 miles round-trip, with about 1,600' elevation gain and should take about 4 hours.

Jerry out in front on the Matt Davis trail.
2014-3-30-11

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