Mt. Barnabe Lookout  
Samuel P. Taylor SP State Park

marin county fire
 

mt. tam lookout
 

     
Downstairs bedroom and bath

Mt. Tam Fire Lookout in the distance

MMWD's Kent Lake on lower right

  Photos by Fire Lookout Doug Kunst

Mt. Barnabe Live Video

California Fire Lookouts

END

Samuel P. Taylor State Park has wooded countryside in the steep rolling hills of Marin County north of San Francisco. The park features a unique contrast of coast redwoods groves and open grassland.

The park features a variety of flowers and trees, including oak, tanoak, madrone, live oak, laurel and Douglas fir. California native wildflowers include buttercups, milkmaids, and Indian paintbrush.

The most common animal in the park is the black-tailed deer. There are also raccoons, striped skunks and gray foxes. Silver salmon and steelhead trout migrate up Papermill Creek to spawn.

Location-Directions
The park is 15 miles west of San Rafael on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Address
P.O. Box 251
Lagunitas, CA 94938

Facilities and Activities
The park offers a network of hiking trails and fire roads, making it easy to hike to the top of Mount Barnabe. Or, for a less strenuous visit, many visitors consider Devil's Gulch the best place in the park for a picnic or a place to relax.

Mount Barnabe Lookout in Marin County is one of the few active county lookouts in the U.S. It was placed into service in 1935 as a 14'x14' flattop on a two story tower and rebuilt in 1975.

A paved bike trail runs about three miles through the park, beginning near the entrance of the park. The trail is nearly level and follows the old Northwest Pacific Railroad right-of-way.

Because of natural disasters and destruction of habitat by humans, fishing is not permitted in Papermill Creek. Fishing is permitted in nearby lakes on Marin Municipal Water District land. A state fishing license is required.

Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing
summer and spring are warm, fall and winter can be cool. Layered clothing is best.

Some Park History
The park is named after Samuel Penfield Taylor, who came to California from Boston in 1849 to try his luck in the gold rush. He actually found gold, cashed in, and entered the lumber business.

Purchasing 100 acres of timberland along Papermill Creek, Taylor built a paper mill and established a paper-making process. Using scrap paper and rags from San Francisco the mill produced newsprint and well as square-bottomed paper bags -- a novelty at the time.

Taylor built a resort hotel and Camp Taylor, one of the first sites in the US to offer camping as a recreational pursuit. The area was one of California's most popular and well-known weekend recreation destinations in the 1870s-80s.

Lagunitas Elementary School
The staff at Samuel P. Taylor State Park is very proud of the close working relationship we have with our local schools. The park is involved with many projects with our local students. Take a look at some of the things we are doing with students from Lagunitas Elementary School District.

Samuel P. Taylor State Park consists of 2882 acres of countryside located in the rolling hills of central Marin County north of San Francisco. The park offers contrasting natural landscapes of the shady Coast Redwoods and sunny grasslands. The park is named for Samuel Penfield Taylor, who came to California from Boston in the 1849 gold rush. After two years in gold country, he cashed in and began looking for other business ventures. The pursuit of lumber led Taylor to buy 100 acres of timberland along what is now known as Lagunitas Creek within the present state park. Instead of lumber he built a paper mill, the first on the West Coast, producing newsprint for the San Francisco dailies and paper bags. Taylor also built a resort hotel and Camp Taylor became one of California's more popular recreational resorts in the 1870s and '80s.

Today the state park offers campgrounds and picnic areas for families/friends or larger groups. Hiking trails take visitors through the shady woods or the sunny slopes of Mount Barnabe. A paved bike trail runs three miles through the park along the flat Cross Marin Trail. Besides the paved path, bikes are allowed on fire roads, but not on hiking trails. Horses are allowed on fire roads and selected hiking trails. Dogs are welcome in the picnic and campground areas and the Cross Marin Trail. Dogs must be on leash at all times and are not allowed in the creek on fire roads or trails.

The redwood community includes the Douglas Fir, Live Oak, Tanbark Oak, Bay Laurel and Big Leaf Maple trees. Mammals living here include raccoons, chipmunks, gray fox, and black-tailed deer. NO bear. Coho Salmon and Steelhead migrate every winter to spawn in the Lagunitas and Devil's Gulch Creeks to complete their life cycle. As these are federally protected species, no fishing or any disturbance is allowed. Winter visitors to the park are welcome to view the salmon's spawning, but from a respectful distance as silent observers. The creek is closed to everyone but wildlife from November to June. Camp Taylor offers a variety of interpretive activities from guided nature walks, campfire and junior ranger programs as well as self guided hikes with panel illustrations on the Pioneer Tree and History Trails.

Camp Taylor is open year round.

Campground Review

I found this campground to be very nicely maintained and patrolled. There are nice bathrooms and showers conveniently located. The spaces have logs around each site and most of the spaces are situated under the canopy of very large and beautiful redwood trees. We enjoyed this camp very much because of the woodsy atmosphere, nice clean spaces, and the hiking trails nearby. This campground is 40 minutes from the Point Reyes lighthouse and the beautiful Drakes Bay.

S.P. Taylor Park: Mount Barnabe Loop

Thick redwoods and steep ridges around me, I tossed my keys in the air over and over, as high as they would go, for no other reason then the pure mirth of the activity. Mt. Barnabe had put me in a happy mood, and Kenny agreed. The initial grade up the Mt. Barnabe trail was a sudden change from the flat fireroad winding through the redwood forests along Papermill Creek. As we cranked up the ongoing twists the trees thinned until they disappeared altogether, replaced by grassy slopes under sunny blue skies. Here were remote views of Bolinas Ridge, Inverness Ridge, Tomales Bay, Mount Tam, Pine Mountain, and a sea of green rolling hills extending northward into Sonoma County.

Earth Day at Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Sausalito Cam