Proceed southwest on Cascade Drive. Old Mill Park is on your left.

The beginning of the Dipsea Trail looks like a driveway that is straight ahead as Cascade begins to bear to the right. Go up that driveway, and it will soon lead you to "the stairs."

This is the first of three flights of stairs that will take you uphill through the Mill Valley section of the trail. I’ve actually counted 676 steps total for the three flights. Others confirm this count.

When you get to the top of the first flight of stairs, turn right on the road. Go just a short way to the intersection with another road, and turn left onto that next road. The second flight of stairs is just ahead on your right. Look for the obvious staircase. In many places, the word "DIPSEA" is stenciled on the pavement or the stairs. That helps.

At the top of the second flight of stairs, turn left and look for the third flight of stairs on the right. Trudge up the third flight of stairs. This will put you out on a more significant looking street. Bear right on the street, Sequoia Valley Road, and follow it uphill. There is no sidewalk or shoulder here.

After about a block, bear right onto Walsh and into the sub-division. Go to the end of the cul-de-sac and straight out the back onto a trail. Follow this short trail until it comes out onto the paved residential drive, Bay View Drive. Follow Bay View to its intersection with the main road, Panoramic Highway.

Turn right on Panoramic Highway and cross to the other side of the street. The trail is on the left after a short distance.

Take the trail down. You’ll soon cross a small wooden bridge. After the bridge, there’s a trail junction. Stay left, and continue down to Muir Woods Road.

Cross the road, and look for the trail on the other side.

Take the trail down and through a few short switchbacks. The trail generally parallels Muir Woods Road for about 2/3 mile where it comes out onto a fire road that leads onto Muir Woods Road.

Cross the fire road, and look for the single-track trail directly on the other side. Follow the single track down steps and switchbacks to the Muir Woods Road again.

Cross Muir Woods Road into the parking lot and look for a trail on the right with steps that lead down to Redwood Creek. Cross the creek, and follow the obvious single-track uphill and through dense woods.

After about a quarter mile, the trail will level off a bit and come to Deer Park fire road. Stay on the single-track.

From here, the actual Dipsea Trail more or less parallels fire roads for a few miles. Stay on the single track when possible.

After weaving back and forth across and along the fire road, the single track goes into dense woods again. When it comes out onto Deer Park Fire Road, keep an eye on the right side of the road. The single-track trail will depart on the right and go up a gnarly hill known as Cardiac Hill. The top of this hill is generally the high point of the course.

Stay on the single-track which now begins to parallel the Dipsea Fire Road. Follow the trail for about a mile, then look for the fence at which the trail does a big right hand switchback. Follow the trail, and plunge down through the woods then onto to a rather intimidating section of widely spaced steps. Keep going down these steps and rough trail until you arrive at the bridge that takes you over Webb Creek in the Steep Ravine Canyon.

Go left after the bridge, and do the short climb up Insult Hill.

Stay left on the trail. At the top of this hill, you can see Stinson Beach for the first time. The trail crosses a couple fire roads and continues over open, rolling terrain toward the northwest and Stinson Beach.

You come out onto Panoramic Highway where you cross to the other side and cut a diagonal toward Highway 1. Go right (north) on Highway 1 and get over to the left side of the road.

Take the first left on Arenal Avenue, and follow it to the end where there is a gate for the beach and a small snack bar on the left. This is the turn-around point.

Refill water.

Go back to Mill Valley the same way you came.