Take Me Home to Tennessee

Hiking Tennessee Valley in the Marin Headlands

Hiking Tennessee Valley in the Marin Headlands

Sometimes easy is best. And in this case, the most beautiful! Tennessee Valley trailhead in the Marin Headlands is rightly popular for its classic coastal scenery and variety of trail options. For a 5.5-mile loop with a mile of hardy climbing, link together the Tennessee Valley, Fox, and Coastal Trails.

Time your excursion for early morning or late in the day for a quieter hiking experience. It’s a gentle start, heading toward the ocean on a wide trail. But within half a mile, the Fox Trail heads north and ascends steadily to unobstructed rolling views of the headlands and Pacific.

When you reach the top, be sure to turn around for a look at San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid.

Next up is a panorama bonanza as you hike down the Coastal Trail back to Tennessee Valley—with the ocean always in view. Detour to Tennessee Beach and hang out for a while, relaxing. Well deserved.

Directions to Tennessee Valley and Cove: From San Francisco, go north on Hwy. 101 and take the Mill Valley/Stinson Beach exit. Follow Shoreline Hwy. until Tennessee Valley Rd.; make a left, and go 1.5 miles to the parking lot. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. Lake Nacimiento
    Sponsored

    Savor Summer in Paso Robles

    Ready for the “Great California Road Trip”? Keep it real and rolling in bucolic and beautiful Paso Robles. This down- to-earth destination has everything you need to enjoy the coolest experiences.

    View
  4. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View