Day 2 - Golden Gate loop Mountain Bike Ride

Day 2 - Golden Gate loop Mountain Bike Ride - Marin County

We had a great breakfast at the Hotel and then packed the SUV and drove along the 101 south until we arrived at the parking on the NW side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We were planning to do a big ride around the Marin Head lands, and then to catch the ferry from Sausalito across to San Francisco, and finally ride back along the water front and across the Golden Gate bridge.

But when we arrived we found that the infamous Sea Fog had come in and it was really cold damp and windy with close to zero visibility. But we decided to press ahead anyway.

We rode up McCullough Rd, unable to see any views due to the thick cold fog, and we almost turned back at one point as it was so cold and miserable, but we carried on until we reached the Coastal fire road, we headed off down this trail which was good fun, as the vegetation had grown in to make the trail quite narrow in places. We arrived at Bunker road, and crossed it and connected onto the Bob Cat trail, and then onto the Miwok trail which headed back up. At this point in the ride the fog started to clear up and it began to warm up.

GG Bridge to Miwok Trail

Miwok Trail to Diaz Ridge

We turned off the Miwok trail onto the Old Springs Trail a fun smooth fast trail which dropped down to the Tennessee valley stables.

Old Springs Trail

Still on Old Springs Trail

We joined onto the Miwok trail and started to ride up it, my wife had some problems with her gears at this point so we stopped and fixed them.

Eucalyptus tress on Miwok Trail

Riding along Miwok Trail

We then carried on riding up the Miwork trail, crossed over HW 1 rode up a section of singletrack and then headed down the Diaz ridge fire road,his trail was nice - no signs of it being a road, just a fairly narrow trail heading steeply downhill to Muir Beach.

Riding down Diaz ridge trail

View of fog from Coyote ridge

We then pushed our bikes down to Muir Beach and had a brief rest before heading off up the Middle Green Gulch trail, which was a steep singletrack trail with plenty of switchbacks which headed back up to Coyote Ridge trail, we headed north on this trail , then down the Miwok trail and then headed out of the park into the Suburbs heading for HW 1, and we then connected onto the cycle path which headed south towards to Sausalito

Diaz ridge to HW 1

Alcatraz from the Ferry

We arrived at Sausalito and bought some huge very tasty ice creams from a Lappert's Ice cream parlour. After eating them by the water front we caught the ferry over to the embarcadero in San Francisco. The ferry was cheap only $3 per person including the bikes.

Golden Gate bridge from ferry

Golden Gate Bridge view

We then rode back towards the the Golden Gate bridge past the wharves and docks, on the cycle paths.

On the cycle path

Golden Gate Bridge view

Finally we rode back across the Golden gate bridge to the SUV, on the side of the bridge which is only for bikers. The ride in total was about 32 miles (excluding the ferry crossing). And i'd say if you only have time to one ride when you visit SF this has to be the one to do !!.

Golden Gate Bridge view

When we got back to the SUV we decided to drive up Conzelman road to see the views we didnt see in the morning as the fog had lifted. We then headed back to the Hotel got cleaned up and then headed in San Rafael for dinner.

View of Golden Gate Bridge

DAY 3