Every Trail Tells a Story
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Barnabe Peak’s sweeping views of Point Reyes, Mt. Tam, and Marin hills
A colorful history: from polluting paper mill to posh campground resort
Shady creekside redwoods, sunny ridges, and the always enchanting Devil’s Gulch
From Barnabe Peak, the world opens wide: Point Reyes National Seashore rolling out to the west, Mt. Tamalpais rising to the south, and Marin County’s oak-dotted hills stretching in every direction. This is a view worth working for, and one of the finest payoffs in the Bay Area.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park preserves 2,700 acres of oak, tan oak, madrone woodlands, creekside redwoods, and open grasslands-a surprisingly diverse natural pocket just a short drive from San Francisco. But the park’s backstory is every bit as intriguing as its scenery.
Taylor himself was a character I’d like to have shared a beer with. He came west during the Gold Rush, struck it rich, and promptly reinvented himself as an industrialist. His Lagunitas Creek paper mill churned out newsprint for San Francisco’s booming dailies, and higher-quality sheets for official documents issued by the brand-new state of California. So, in a way, California’s early history was written-literally-on Taylor’s paper.
But sometime after the presses slowed, Taylor pivoted again, swapping industry for hospitality. In the 1870s he built “Taylorville,” a weekend retreat complete with campsites, a three-story hotel, and eventually a narrow-gauge railroad running right through the property. City-weary San Franciscans came to pitch their tents, dine in style, and stroll along Lagunitas Creek. It was one of the state’s first destination campgrounds, half rustic, half resort-an upscale version of roughing it.
Taylorville is long gone, but the natural setting that drew people here hasn’t lost an ounce of charm. The redwoods still shade Lagunitas Creek. The grassy hills still turn golden in summer. And the hike to Barnabe Peak still rewards you with a vista fit for a fire lookout-or for a daydreamer trying to imagine 19th-century vacationers arriving in their Sunday best.
As for the mule-yes, the peak is named for Barnabe, John C. Frémont’s long-suffering pack animal who eventually became the Taylor family pet. History doesn’t say whether Barnabe enjoyed the view, but it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t.
And don’t miss Devil’s Gulch, a heavenly shaded canyon bright with spring wildflowers. The name suggests something sinister, but the place itself is pure delight-a reminder that trail names sometimes tell more about the imagination of settlers than the reality of the land.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park is located at 8889 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., about two miles past the hamlet of Lagunitas. Leave your car in the picnic area lot. Day use fee.
From the picnic area, cross the bridge over Lagunitas Creek and turn left onto the wide, shaded bike/horse trail-once the bed of the North Pacific Coast Railroad. It soon re-crosses the creek, passes under the highway via a cyclist-hiker bridge, and continues level along the north bank beneath bay, maple, and redwood.
A half mile out, turn left on signed Ridge Trail and begin a steady climb. The path ascends a forested ridge, offering glimpses of Marin’s hills and, in spring, a fine display of wildflowers. A fire road and single-track trail run roughly parallel for the last mile-take the trail for blossoms, the road for vistas. Both lead to the summit of Barnabe Peak and its panoramic views.
From the top, descend steep Barnabe Trail for a little over a mile to meet the park’s horse trail. A short detour right leads to Samuel P. Taylor’s gravesite. Otherwise, continue left and soon turn right toward Madrone Group Campground. Follow the campground road out to the highway, cross carefully, and pick up North Creek Trail for a shaded stroll back to the picnic area.