Old Springs

Old Springs

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	Old Springs
Location:	California - Bay Area
Nearest Town:	Mill Valley (Tam Valley)
Directions to Trailhead:	Head towards 101 from Tam Junction. On your right you'll see a road called Tennessee Valley Road. Take that road. There should be a church on your left. Take the road all the way up to a dirt parking lot. Once your there head towards some horse stables. Across from the stables is the trail.
Trail Description:	Very Nice. By far my favorite in the area. This trail can be ridden by anyone, however you can get going really fast down it.
Trail Length:	2 miles
Trail Type:	Singletrack
Skill Level:	Intermediate
Submitted By:	Luciano

G. Wright from Fairfax Date: February 17, 2003 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: I usually go down Old Springs, so I start somewhere in the City, grind up Miwok, which I loathe, and then boom, you're there. Other recommended trails in the same area: I love this lil' guy. Please be super mellow down by the horses and be generally responsible about other users...lots of hikers here.
Review: I had to weigh in on Old Springs, having seen only three reviews and being all charmed and lusty after riding it last week. Something about this trail is exhilerating. It's really just a junior-grade double-track and nothing special in terms of challenge (although as I speak today, the last 80 yards are TOTALLY washed out and you better be able to ride a thin rail of solid mud or suffer a splashy fall). But from top to bottom, its just a blast. Up top is all swoopy, and you cross three (four?) bridges over streams/springs. There is a water trough for the equine crowd. There are jaw-dropping holy mama views down to Tennesse Valley, which have often threatened to lead me right off the edge. Once the views recede and you can focus, it gets a little steeper, with some areas in which you can pick up speed, immediately followed by sharp turns and gravel that make you regret it.	Overall Rating:

mikeb from Sodom in the North Date: November 22, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: via miwok, from the coastal fire road off of conzelman road, riding from the golden gate bridge. Other recommended trails in the same area: you have to ride with me and the others to find out.
Review: this fire road ahs been bulldozed and widened at the bottom. the government has had ten inch logs embedded length wise across the trail for use as waterbars. if you ride a hardtail and don't have mad skills hitting these kind of things at high speed, be careful. the widening and trail modifications merit my lowering the rating of this trail to two tires.	Overall Rating:

Furious D. from Berkeley Date: May 10, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Go up Marincello Grade then down Miwok trail (Good ditches that form awesom jumps)you will see a sign for Old Springs. Other recommended trails in the same area: Mt. Tam, Repack(good!)
Review: Good singletrack, some ruts, rocks, fast sections, and some cool switchbacks on it. This trail itself is a lot of fun, but most surrounding legal trails are pretty lame. Its a little too far for how long the trail is but is a good weekday ride if you live nearby. I give it 4 instead of 5 due to what I receive from a long drive.	Overall Rating:

shekky from sodom in the north Date: January 20, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: come in by riding the bridge from the city, riding up conzelman road and taking the coastal fire road down. cross the paved road leading to the beach, ride up the steep miwok fire road and over the saddle and you're three continuing up miwok is "illegal" and painfully steep. Other recommended trails in the same area: the SCA trail (at night) the loop on the other side of miwok stables (coastal, wolf ridge and miwok) riding in a clockwise direction from miwok stables. see my review of "the marin headlands".
Review: i don't think old springs is two miles. as a matter of fact, my crew prefers to ride up old springs if we've ridden to tam from the city and one of us is really bonking--because it's shorter than bobcat or marincello or whatever the fire road is that leads southwards to the city from miwok stables. be careful going really fast up here during peak periods because you're sharing the trail with a lot of users, namely the horesey set from miwok stables. if you insist on being Downhill Boy on this trail get a light and do it at night or ride just after dawn to avoid conflicts with other users. the trail is for the most part a WIDE singletrack trail. there's nothing overly technical on it save for a section of about seventy yards that's steep and rocky. the final stretch of this trail overlooking the stables has been graded and widened since i originally rode this trail four or five years ago and is not nearly as challenging as it was before the GGNRA simps widened it. just be careful to not hit the waterbars too fast if you're riding a short travel fork. if you're willing to explore, there are lots of little known singletrack trails in the headlands much more interesting than miwok. i highly recommend riding the aforementioned trails at night or during way-off-peak hours as most of them are, ho ho ho, "illegal".	Overall Rating: