Bicycling for Youth - Where to Go

A novice rider, whether a road biker or a mountain biker, should start slowly and carefully, preferably on a bike path, away from people and cars. This way, a beginner will develop the skills needed to navigate in traffic. 

Finding the right bike path in Marin is easy, as there are lots of them. Tiburon and Mill Valley have great paved-over railroad beds that go along the bay and offer spectacular views. 

One of the best bike paths is the historic railroad grade that runs through Samuel P. Taylor State Park in West Marin. This is a wonderful, paved bike path that follows Papermill Creek as it finds its way from the “Inkwells”, a series of tide pools in the creek near Lagunitas, to Tocaloma, an old railroad stop on the way to Pt. Reyes Station. This six-mile plus route travels through spectacular Redwood groves and grassy meadows. A “must” bike ride for riders of all abilities. 

Once experience and ability are acquired, road riders can head out on many great roads in and around Marin County. A number of riders like to put together a route that forms a “loop”.  A loop is where riders start at one location and ride through a series of roads, ending up at the starting location without having to backtrack. Some great loops are: the China Camp loop, the Tiburon loop, and the Nicasio loop.   

Mountain bike riders can head for Mt. Tamalpais State Park, China Camp State Park or the Marin Municipal Water District property. At each of these, you can explore the many fire-protected roads and bike trails that wind their way through these parks and offer some of the best off-road riding you can find. Make sure that you stop along the way to take in magnificent views, offered at almost every turn.