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Bay Area driving guide · Coastal mountain

Mount Tamalpais: Panoramic Highway and Ridgecrest

A short drive that spends its whole length above the ocean. Panoramic climbs out of Stinson through the trees, and Ridgecrest runs the open spine of Tam with the Pacific on one side and the bay on the other.

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Road overview, not turn-by-turn navigation. Follow the junctions below; some catalog traces extend beyond the written drive. Use two fingers to move the map.

  1. Panoramic Highway
  2. Pantoll Road
  3. East Ridgecrest Boulevard
Start
Stinson Beach
Finish
East Peak, Mount Tamalpais
Return
Return options below ↓

Why this drive

Ridgecrest is the reason to come: 1,137 degrees of turning per mile along an exposed ridge. It is also a park road with walkers, cyclists and parking pullouts, so this is a drive for the view and the road surface rather than for pace.

The route

  1. Panoramic Highway out of Stinson Beach

    Climb from the coast up through the forest toward Pantoll. The lower section near Stinson has been reported as patchy.

    Panoramic Highway & map →

  2. Pantoll and East Ridgecrest

    Turn onto Pantoll Road and then East Ridgecrest Boulevard for the run along the ridge to the East Peak parking area.

    Pantoll & East Ridgecrest & map →

Good places to stop

The way back

Back down Ridgecrest and Panoramic, then either south toward Mill Valley or north on Highway 1 along the Marin coast.

Road conditions

Expect drivers, motorcycles and cyclists, especially at popular junctions and stops. Give people space, follow posted limits and check current access before setting off.

Route references

Guide updated September 10, 2026. Route descriptions cover the named sections; check current access before travelling.

Keep exploring

More Marin roads →All driving guides →