Stairways are Heaven
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Stairways are Heaven

Morning Sun

12/28/2013

2 Comments

 
My goal this time was to hit part of one of the trails of the vast GGNRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) above Sausalito, the Morning Sun Trail. 

First, however, I needed to get up there. First long stairway was Excelsior Lane (179 steps), about three blocks' worth. It climbs up from Bridgeway alongside the Wells Fargo Bank. 


At the top of Excelsior, curved round on Santa Rosa to access the next long one (187 steps) that climbs to Spencer. There are various kinds of steps; it starts out as stone with wood railings and finishes with all wood at the top (pix 1 thru 7). It's unnamed, one of my favorite Sausalito stairways. This is where I saw a deer in someone's yard on a previous hike. 

Spencer Ave. curves up and around for a few blocks to the freeway offramp for Spencer. Since there's an exit here, there are a fair number of cars descending into residential Sausalito. Walking towards the traffic seems safer than having cars sneak up behind, there being no sidewalks. 

Pic 8: 45 steps up from Spencer to access a long one (204 steps) down to Prospect.

At the top of Spencer, a short distance ahead to the west on Monte Mar is an underpass (pic 9) with a parking lot beyond. Here's where the Morning Sun Trail starts up into the GGNRA (pix 10, 11, 12) . 

Some of the old wood stairs are quite steep, no railings, with stretches of narrow dirt-and-leaves trail in between and gorgeous trees. 177 steps as far as I went -- but there were more up ahead that I could see.  Didn't quite make it up to the top as I was limited time-wise; had to allow myself enough time to get back down the mountain in time to catch the ferry. 

It's a popular trail, with other hikers encountered several times up 'n down. Pix 13 through 24.

Back down the Spencer-to-Santa Rosa steps, then west to descend the main Locust steps, 60 for this part down to Cazneau (last two pics). 

Picture
1. Foot at Santa Rosa
Picture
2. Santa Rosa up to Spencer
Picture
3. 187 steps
Picture
4. Santa Rosa up to Spencer unnamed stairway
Picture
5. Continuing up
Picture
6. Gate to a residence
Picture
7. All wood at the top
Picture
8. Stairway up from Spencer to short trail and long stairway down to Prospect
Picture
9. Underpass to parking lot and Morning Sun Trail
Picture
10. Parking lot. Morning Sun trailhead lower left corner
Picture
11. Morning Sun trailhead
Picture
12. Morning Sun trailhead
Picture
13. Narrow, old wood, covered with leaves
Picture
14. Look at these gorgeous trees!
Picture
15. Forested delight
Picture
16. I wanted to stay here all day…
Picture
17. Sun-dappled switchback
Picture
18. Oh, to live nearby…
Picture
19. Steeply through the forest
Picture
20. Treelimbs over the trail
Picture
21. A sunny open stretch
Picture
22. The freeway's way down below, center, right.
Picture
23. Check out this view!
Picture
24. More steps up ahead
Picture
25. This is Locust's main stairway
Picture
26. Locust here is all wood, about 60 steps down to Cazneau
2 Comments
Ryan
9/4/2014 11:51:47 am

Hello,
Your blog was forwarded to me by Tom Courtney. We are going to be in California on a little walkabout among other things. I was wondering if you could provide some insight on a section of or our trip. We will be taking the ferry over from SF to Sausalito en route to Muir Beach. We are considering either taking public transportation to the trail head or hiking from Sausalito. Tom forwarded your site and also a link to the Marin Headlands map. He suggested hiking the Morning Sun Trail to the Alta trail to the Tennessee Valley Trail and finally to the Coastal Trail.

Reply
Tony Holiday
9/5/2014 01:17:50 am

Unfortunately I haven't been to the Tennessee Valley Trail. Only got as far as the Alta & Wolfback Ridge Trail. I do love the Morning Sun and Alta. As a nondriver, what I do is take the ferry, then just climb around in Sausalito. But then I have to get back down again and take the ferry back. Once I took the #10 bus out to the west end of the city but the next time I went to take it, it never showed up so started off walking. I'm too impatient to wait an hour for a bus, etc. So I'm not familiar enough with other parts of Marin nor the transportation to advise anyone on long-distance hikes. Very sorry I'm not more knowledgeable. Would Google Maps help?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I like meandering around on San Francisco's park trails and public stairways, sometimes taking photos, and enjoying nature and the outdoors.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.