Excursionismo en Alpine Lake, en Marin, California

Alpine Lake is a reservoir in Marin County, California. Formed by Alpine Dam, it provides water to the Marin Municipal Water District. Below the dam lies Kent Lake. Alpine Lake is to the west of Bon Tempe Lake. Fishing is allowed and Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and trout can be caught. Boats are not allowed on this lake.

Mount Tamalpais Watershed

Beautiful Mount Tamalpais, or Mount Tam as it is affectionately known by locals, is one of the wonders of Marin County. The 2,571-foot rise is covered with groves of giant redwood trees and oak woodlands, rewarding hikers with long views of the best of the Bay Area. You can look over Marin County hills to the Farallon Islands 25 miles to the west, San Francisco and the bay to the south, and the East Bay hills and cities. Much of the water used by Marin County comes from the Mount Tam watershed, an area «held in trust as a natural wildland of great biological diversity, as scenic open space and as an area for passive outdoor recreation for Marin and much of the Bay Area,» according to the watershed management policy statement. To that end, the Marin Municipal Water District not only allows, but encourages recreational use of the reservoirs and lakes on its land.

Alpine Dam

Alpine Dam (national ID number: CA00204) is a gravity dam which was completed in 1917. It is 524 feet (160 m) long and 143 feet (44 m) high, with 8 feet (2.4 m) of freeboard.

Getting to Alpine Lake

Alpine is a man-made lake — a reservoir that holds water for Marin County. The lake was created when the Marin Municipal Water District stopped up water from Lagunitas Creek by constructing Alpine Dam. While purists may cry foul, anyone walking winding Kent Trail that traces the lonely lake’s edge can’t help but appreciate the beauty of the shining water and surrounding woods.

Alpine is one of seven reservoirs reached by entering the Mt. Tam watershed from Sky Oaks Road off the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Those arriving by Highway 101 take the Sir Francis Drake exit and head west on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard toward the small town of Fairfax. The area is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, but those arriving in cars must pay for parking passes on the way in. Like its sister reservoirs, Alpine Lake is open to hikers and stocked for fishing; anglers catch bass, catfish, bluegill and crappie.

Hiking

Kent Trail along Alpine Lake : A trail that takes place just off the shores of Alpine Lake, up through a redwood forest onto a manzanita-covered ridge with great views. −Distance: 5.2-mile lollipop loop −Difficulty: Moderate −Dogs: Allowed on leash

Alpine Dam and its spillway in 2013

Kent Trail

You cannot drive directly to Alpine Lake, so leave the car in the parking area near Bon Tempe Lake and walk across the dam. Alpine is about 100 yards below Bon Tempe, but used far less by the public than its popular sister lake. Rugged Kent Trail runs along the southeast side of Alpine Lake, passing woods and waterfalls; it is the only recognized trail along the lakeside. Although it is disappointing to find that you cannot hike all the way around the lake like you can at nearby Lagunitas and Bon Tempe lakes, this may explain the relative solitude you often experience on Kent Trail. With the mountains rising above you and the deep redwood forest beside you, the world of nature captures your senses. You delight in the song of the small, rain-filled streams and the music of the myriad waterfalls you pass.

Hidden Lake Loop

You can turn back at the tip of Alpine Lake, some 2 miles from where you began, or follow Kent Trail away from the lake. The latter option provides a more strenuous and exhilarating hike up and into redwood and mixed hardwood groves. You come to several sets of stairs set into the trail and pass small lakes housing frogs, salamanders and newts. When you get to the top, go left on Stocking Trail to Hidden Lake. A few miles past the lake, take the Rocky Ridge Fire Road along a high ridgeline and appreciate the long views to the East Bay. The road ends near Bon Tempe Dam, a little over 5 miles from its starting point. You can take Fido with you on the mostly shady hike as long as he’s on a leash.

References

Resources

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Photo Credits

• Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

lake

Such a fun trail! Spotted newts, salamanders, alligator lizards, snails and snakes! Will definitely do this hike again!

hiking

Saturday, May 19, 2018

I normally don’t review trails but there doesn’t seem to be very much info on this one. This is a very long hike with some very steep areas. Most of the trail was up and down, sometimes steep and narrow. Make sure you start early! It took me, my husband, and two dogs 6.5 hours to hike the whole thing with no stops. This was definitely on the slow side because there was a lot of doubling back and waiting to allow other hikers and dogs to pass (narrow trail!). It was a sunny but cool day when we went. If coming from Bolinas-Fairfax Rd from the Fairfax direction, it’s later in the morning, and the weather is nice, find parking before the actual trailhead but after the dam. If you pass the trailhead, the road gets steep and there’s no space to turn around. Parking gets difficult and walking up a steep road to get to your car after a 9 mile hike isn’t something you want to do. There’s one portapotty at the trailhead. Bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The first mile or so was crowded from people trying to get to the falls but after that we saw maybe 10 people. Most of the trail is shaded but there is a good 2 miles of full sun on an uphill climb when you hit the Rocky Ridge Fire Road near Bon Tempe. About a mile before that is also pretty exposed but it’s the flattest and easiest part of the whole trail. We kept our dogs on leash and almost everyone I saw had theirs on leash too. The terrain is narrow and challenging enough that they’ll probably be forced to stay near you. There are trail markers at all the forks. There is no cell service once you leave Fairfax. There’s a bit of signal at the beginning by the falls and another taste of signal at the top of the fire road. Make sure you download the map on Google or have a printout. This is all stuff I wish I would have known before my hike and I hope it helps.

I really wanted to do this trail from the direction instead of staring it at Bon Temp(since I’ve done Bon Tempe). I’ve never hiked the Kent Trail or Cataract Trail & thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do both. However, I guess the app doesn’t realize the road is closed right when you inter the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed park. I’m sure this trail is beautiful & I didn’t want to rate it since I didn’t get to actually hike it, but do want to let ppl know that road is closed & if you’d like to hike it plan on starting at Bon Tempe Lake or find a way to drive in from the other end of Fairfax-Bolinas Road. You won’t get there coming through Fairfax.

Dog friendly !! A regular hike … And lovely place for meditation by the lake… Feels like I am in the sierras

hiking

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Nice hike with beautiful scenery. Deceptive in that it appears shorter than it is. Bring water. With no stops we made it around the loop in an hour and forty five minutes.

hiking

Monday, June 27, 2016

hiking

Tuesday, November 26, 2013