Mt. Vision-Tomales Bay State Park Ride
Trailhead
This ride is good in either direction.
Start from downtown Inverness. There is parking behind the Post Office.
Ride past the downtown area of Inverness on Sir Francis Drake and turn
left on Inverness Way (the second Inverness Way). Turn right on Park and
go right, (through the poles) and start heading up Edgemont. This street
changes names 5 times on the way up, just stay on the main street to the
end. Street names are Edgemont, Laurel Way, Forres, Mesa and Perth.
At the end of Perth is a gate to a Fire Road Access into Tomales Bay State Park. Go through the gate and head up the fire road. Turn right at the first major fork and there will be another gate a few hundred yards ahead. Go through the gate and start heading up hill. This is approximately a 2 mile fire road climb on decomposed granite (good after the rains) to the top.
At the top is another gate, and a parking area. Here there is a nice rock off to the right with a fabulous vista of Tomales Bay. After enjoying the view, head left up the paved road. You will come to another gate, continue through (still on pavement) to the FAA radar tower. Here the trail starts off to the left, it is a gravel road at the top which turns into single track not far down. You will now be entering the primary burn zone of the Inverness Ridge Fire.
Follow the single track down the backside of Mt. Vision you will come to a sandy saddle and start a slight climb up to Inverness Ridge. After 1.3 miles you will come to a trail sign telling you to continue straight to Inverness Ridge. You will then come to pavement. Turn right on the pavement and go through another gate. You are now on Inverness Ridge. Follow the ridge to the end, you will be at a gate to the parking area for Bayview Trail (No Bikes). From here you can either go back the way you came, or loop around on the pavement.
Pavement Option: From Bayview trail head, turn left on Limantour Rd. and go up the road approximately 1/2 mile. Just past Fairwind Farms B&B there is a cut through for bikes to Balboa road. There is a green gate here. Head down Balboa, which will drop you back onto Sir Francis Drake. Turn left on Sir Francis Drake which will take you back to Inverness (roughly 3 miles back to town).
Photos and Ride information compiled by Lisa Luzzi.
©1997-2006 Bicycle Trails Council of Marin