W6/NC-304 Big Rock Ridge

Big Rock Ridge is one of the nicest mountains in Marin. I think that the views from the top are better than those from Mt Tam, and it is definitively worth the hike up. I started at the Big Rock trailhead, marked by a big rock at the height of land on Lucas Valley Road. There is a pedestrian tunnel under the road, but I didn't see it so I just crossed the road. It wasn't busy at 8 AM on a Sunday morning. The trail then climbs up to the ridge at a very pleasant grade.

Big Rock. Parking here is very limited.

It was early enough that I had the trail to myself on the way up. I climbed at a leisurely pace, enjoying the hike. The trail is mostly in the open, but there are a few sections that go through oak forests. Because it was almost the shortest day of the year, the sun never got very high in the sky. This made for more dramatic landscapes, in my opinion.

Loma Alta in front of Mt Tamalpais.

 Along the top of the ridge the trail becomes a fire road, and there is a mixture of public open spaces and easements that the trails follow. The views from the summit ridge were even better than on the way up. I had great views of everything from Mt St Helena in the north to Loma Prieta in the south. It was too hazy to see the Sierra, but on a clearer day they would have been visible.

Looking South. Loma Prieta is hidden in the glare. I could see short, pointy El Toro too. Mt Tam on the right.

Other activators had complained about too much RF at the summit, so I found a flat area a short distance away from the towers to set up in. The activation zone is quite large, so there are many places to choose from. This was a good choice, as the HF bands were quiet, and only occasional interference on VHF.

Setup, looking north to the towers.

I started on 30 meters, and had a large pileup. 20 and 40 got me a few more contacts on each. I called for a while on VHF, but only got one contact on 2 meters, difficult to complete through the interference.

Looking West, views of Barnabe Mountain and peaks on Point Reyes.

There were a lot of people going up as I hiked down. I passed a Marin County Parks ranger heading up, then a short distance later, a Marin sheriff. I'm curious what they were doing hiking up the hill. Back at the car I drove over to San Pedro Mountain, for the second peak of the day.

Trailhead: Big Rock Trailhead, Lucas Valley Road.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Take the Big Rock Trail to the Big Rock Ridge Fire Road.

Red Tape: None.

Early morning hike up.