# Marin County Rides - place to picnic with family



## mcwenzel (Jun 9, 2006)

It's getting harder and harder to get in long rides now that I have a son. So, tomorrow I was thinking about doing Alpine Dam Loop and having my wife and two year old meet me somewhere to have a picnic after my ride, and then all drive home together.

Can anyone recommend places to picnic along the route? I was thinking the top of Mount Tam or Paradise Beach County Park. Mount Tam would be best as I can get in the hard part of the ride. Any ideas for spots?

Any other places in the Bay Area that are good for this? It will have to be someplace where I can keep my bike with me because I only have a non-locking trunk rack.


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## singlespeed.org (Feb 14, 2006)

There are some options on Mt. Tam, like at Pantoll Station. There would be a small charge to park the car. Could also do at the top of Tam. Parking would be close to picnic area.

Lots of options if you don't need a picnic table. All along the ridge you can find some nice views. Or at Lake Alpine.

Always Stinson Beach, though the fog has come back.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Depending on where you start from, you could do Alpine and down to Bolinas, North on 1 to either Olema or Pt Reyes Station, back side of Nicasio res, over Hicks Hill and have them meet you at the Marin Sonoma Cheese Factory. From San Anselmo, it's an 18 mile drive for them that takes about 25 minutes. For you, it's a good 3 hour hump with some nice climbs.

Friend and I did Tam into Muir Beach, then up to Marshall and over the wall and ended up there on Saturday where our wives and kids met us with cold beer and picnic blanket. The store there sells tons of stuff and the pond and geese really top off the experience. It was 65 miles that felt like a century and took us 4 hours. I was never so happy to see that place...


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## mcwenzel (Jun 9, 2006)

Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming. Ended up riding from the City to Fairfax, up Bolinas to Alpine Dam and then to Mount Tam. We met at the Pan Toll ranger station and had a picnic at the Bootjack Picnic Area about a three minute ride from Pan Toll on Panoramic Highway. Took 2.5 hours from my home in the Richmond.

It was a gorgeous day and not crowded at all.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Bootjack is nice. Just remembered the Bear Valley trailhead in Pt Reyes has a nice picnic spot...


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