CA - Tamarancho -Mountain Bike Trail Review with Map and Pictures

Review By Cecil - Thanks

Description -   The Tamarancho trail is a loop on several different single-track trails on land owned by the Boy Scouts. To use the trails they require you to buy a day pass for five dollars or a year pass for forty dollars. A pass and a map of the trails are available online at www.boyscouts-marin.org. Some may not want to pay to ride but this is some of the sweetest single track in the area. The loop takes you through open hillsides to old growth forest that will keep your head on a swivel weaving in and out of trees on tight fast single track the whole time. The loop is best ridden clockwise but either direction is fun.
You can access the trail in two different locations, one in the town of Fairfax and the other north of the town at Browns Bridge, also called Whites Hill Bridge at Drakes. I recommend the Whites Hill Bridge access as parking can be hard to find in the town and by using this access point, you bypass a 1.5-mile climb on pavement. I have included directions from the Whites Hill Bridge to the beginning of the loop because it is not clearly described on the map given out by the Boy Scouts.
From the dirt parking area mileage 0.0, cross the road, watch for cars, and start climbing on the White Hill trail. The trail starts out steep but will mellow out soon. Continue climbing and at 0.5 miles go left on fire road. At 0.7, stay right on fire road. At 0.8 miles go left on single-track trail call Porcupine. At 1.1 go left uphill on a fire road. Continue on the fire road and at 1.5 miles you will see a single-track trail headed down on your left. This is easy to miss but it is right after a large landslide. You know you have the right trail if you see a sign that says, “Bicycles must stay on single track”. Go left on the single track that is unmarked, but is called B17 extension, and follow this to the loop. Finish the loop and then head back the way you came to the trailhead.
The directions to the loop seem confusing but the trail is well marked and it is obvious where all the turns are as they are well worn. One thing to remember is to make a mental note of the intersections as you climb because on the return trip you will be going a lot faster.

Additional Info: There are a lot more trails in the area that connect with Tamarancho and if you are looking for an all day epic, 30 plus miles, you can get if here. You can get detail maps of all the trails in the area at www.bikemapdude.com.

Loops -