Marin Four Lakes Loop from Bike Museum

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Views

Fun gravel or MTB loop with some challenging climbs, fast descents and incredible views.

*Lake 1* Starting at the Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax. Ride through the neighborhoods and through Deer Park School. Along Deer Park Fire Road to Five Corners intersection, then a gentle right onto Shaver Grade going in the UP direction. This is a very steep and demanding climb with a couple of short catch-your-breath sections along the way. At the gate at the top, (yay you made it!) turn right onto Sky Oaks Road and enjoy a nice little recovery downhill, then left onto Sky Oaks Meadow Road by the day pass kiosk, and to Bullfrog Road to Alpine Lake (Lake 1). There is a fun wooden boardwalk over a sometimes marshy area, (bullfrogs, remember?) and a nice view of the Meadow Club golf course along this section. One punchy little climb that you can easily climb if you get up some speed first.

You can detour up and back to/from the Bon Tempe Dam, or continue up Bon Tempe Road and turn right onto Sky Oaks Road.

**Lake 2** Stay on Sky Oaks and ride past beautiful high meadows with incredible views of Mt. Tam. Lots of wildlife to see in the meadows if you catch it right. Speaking of catching it right, there are largemouth bass you can fish for in the lakes. As you flatten out from a nice downhill on Sky Oaks, you'll have a beautiful view Northwesterly across Bon Tempe Lake (Lake 2).

***Lake 3*** As you enter the parking area for Lake Lagunitas there are picnic tables, restrooms, water, interpretive info panels, and a nice bike repair station. Continue up the access road to the Lagunitas Dam (Lake 3) and grab some epic photos of the lake with Mt. Tam's East Peak in the background. Continue across the dam and turn left onto Lake Lagunitas Rd and proceed counter-clockwise around the lake. Watch your speed around the lake as there are sometimes lots of hikers enjoying the view and other riders.

At the end of Lagunitas Rd there is a wooden bridge and a slight uphill, turn right onto Lakeview Fire Rd. The gentle uphill roll turns into a very steep, but relatively short, climb to the intersection with Eldridge Grade. Turn left onto Eldridge and enjoy a fun, long fire road descent towards Phoenix Lake. At the intersection of Filter Plant Rd, stay to the right to stay on Eldridge Grade. Note the fire road is a bit more technical through this next section.

****Lake4**** At the bottom of Eldridge Grade, turn right onto Phoenix Lake Rd. Head on down past the cool Victorian log cabin and take in the views from the dam. This is Marin's first water reservoir lake, built in 1905. Head back the way you came along Phoenix Lake Rd (don't go down the spillway road to the parking lot) and keep going straight as the road turns into Shaver Grade. It's a mellow climb back up to Five Corners intersection, not too steep. Have a fun descent down Deer Park Fire Rd from here and past the school and back to the museum through the neighborhoods and Fairfax town the same way you came.

Lots of great places to eat, drink and hang out in bike-friendly Fairfax. And be sure to check out the Marin Museum of Bicycling if you are there during open hours (Thurs-Sun 11-5).