When State Parks announced funding for the Easy Grade Trail in March 2025, Access4Bikes executive director Vernon Huffman said in the California State Parks release that Marin bikers "will soon have the safety trail access, away from the very dangerous Pantoll Road." Bikes have been allowed on that trail since its dedication on June 1, 2026. This month, the road it was built to bypass is torn up.
The timing works out well. Easy Grade's whole purpose is to give riders a car-free link between Pantoll Station and the Mountain Theater. The Pantoll Road repaving that started this month covers that same climb. Anyone riding up from Mill Valley in November can now skip the narrow, one-lane-controlled stretch entirely, which wasn't possible a year ago.
One Lane on Weekdays, Pantoll to Rock Spring
California State Parks began grinding and paving parts of Pantoll Road on Monday, Nov. 2. The work runs from Panoramic Highway at Pantoll up to Ridgecrest Boulevard at Rock Spring. According to the Mount Tamalpais State Park page, crews work weekdays only, and the job "may continue for up to 3 weeks." Counting from the start date, that window could stretch into the week before Thanksgiving.
The notice spells out what changes while crews are working:
- One-way traffic control on Pantoll Road on weekdays, so State Parks asks drivers to allow extra time.
- Equipment staging possible at Trojan Point and Rock Spring, and parking at Trojan Point may take longer to find when it's busy.
- No traffic control expected on weekends, though equipment may still be sitting in the parking areas.
A one-lane, flagged stretch of mountain road is a hassle in a car. On a bike, you're pedaling uphill on a winding grade while cars stack up behind you waiting for their turn. Even when both lanes are open, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council calls the road "narrow and winding."
The 0.6 Miles Built for This Exact Stretch
The Ridge Trail Council's dedication page describes Easy Grade as "a safer, more direct alternative to the narrow and winding, 1.5-mile stretch of Pantoll Road." Riders following the Ridge Trail north used to have to turn onto the road at this point. Now they can stay on the trail all the way to the Mountain Theater.
| Pantoll Road | Easy Grade Trail | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance between Pantoll and the Mountain Theater area | 1.5 miles | 0.6 miles |
| Shared with cars | Yes | No |
| Weekday conditions in November 2026 | Grinding, paving, one-way traffic control | Off the road, no car traffic |
| Who it serves | Drivers, plus road cyclists | Hikers and bicyclists, as a multiuse trail |
Before the change, Easy Grade was a hiking route. In its March 2025 update, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition said the work was meant to improve sightlines, drainage and grade. MCBC's project page explains why converting this trail made sense: it was a redundant route. Hikers and equestrians still have Old Mine Trail, and hikers still have Bootjack.
The Long Road to a Short Trail
The road and the trail have been tied together for a long time. Here's how Easy Grade ended up open just in time for this repaving:
- 2007. The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council began working with State Parks, MCBC and local trail users to open Easy Grade to bikes. Executive director Janet McBride called it "a long-standing cycle gap in the 550+-mile Ridge Trail."
- 2017. State Parks finished its Change-in-Use process and concluded that bikes could use the trail safely and sustainably without significant environmental effects. The project then sat "shovel-ready" for years because there was no money to build it.
- March 2025. Funding came together. Rachel Norton of the California State Parks Foundation credited the Best Family's support. Roots & Branches Conservancy board president Michael Nash said his group contributed money raised at Sound Summit, its music festival on Mount Tam. MCBC, Access4Bikes and Friends of Mount Tam were also thanked as partners.
- May 2025. Construction began. MCBC's page says completion was estimated for fall 2025.
- June 1, 2026. The trail was dedicated and opened to bicycles.
- Nov. 2, 2026. Paving began on Pantoll Road.
Pantoll Road comes up again and again in the 2025 release. MCBC board member Julia Violich, also quoted in the State Parks announcement, called the trail "a welcome alternative to the current narrow and curvy section of Pantoll Road," and said it would create "a car-free route to the Mountain Theater" and "opportunities for easy family access." State Parks said the change would improve public safety and reduce vehicle congestion. November is the first time it gets to do that while the road itself is under construction.
Getting There From Town
Easy Grade fills a gap in the middle of the mountain. Mill Valley riders and hikers still need a way up to Pantoll or the Mountain Theater, and the West Point Inn's route page lays out the usual approaches:
- Straight from downtown. Take West Blithedale Avenue up the Railroad Grade, following the old right-of-way of the Crookedest Railway in the World through the Double Bow Knot loops. The Inn estimates about two hours on foot or about 90 strenuous minutes by bike to reach West Point Inn. Hikers can take the Hoo Koo e Koo trail near the top of the Double Bow Knot instead, then the Matt Davis and Nora trails up to the Inn.
- From Mountain Home. Park across Panoramic Highway from Mountain Home and head up the paved road toward the Throckmorton Ridge Fire Station for 0.1 miles, then veer right onto the dirt road. The Inn estimates about 45 minutes by bike.
- From Pantoll. Old Stage Road starts across Panoramic Highway from the Pan Toll Ranger Station. It runs 1.9 miles to West Point Inn, and only the first part is paved. The Inn calls it the shortest, most level and easiest route. Parking at Pan Toll carries a day-use fee.
If you'd rather skip the climb, Marin Transit's Route 61 runs between Sausalito and Bolinas via Mt. Tam. Its stops include Miller Avenue at Camino Alto, a run up Panoramic Highway past the Bootjack parking lot, and Panoramic Highway at the Pan Toll Ranger Station. Route 61 doesn't use Pantoll Road, so the weekday flagging on that road isn't in its path.
Leave the dog at home for this one. State Parks allows dogs, other than service animals, only on paved roads, Old Stage Fire Road, the Verna Dunshee Trail, and in developed areas, campgrounds and picnic areas. Easy Grade isn't on that list.
What Changes on a Weekend Ride
The State Parks notice expects no traffic control on Saturdays and Sundays, so the road itself should drive normally on weekends. The leftovers are equipment, which may still be parked at Trojan Point and Rock Spring, and parking at Trojan Point, which may take longer to find when the mountain is busy.
For a longer day, Easy Grade now connects to more than the Mountain Theater. The Ridge Trail Council worked with the Marin Municipal Water District to set up a 9.5-mile parallel route through district land. It links Easy Grade north to the multi-use Ridge Trail in the Gary Giacomini Preserve and keeps riders off Ridgecrest Boulevard traffic. The Council says that route became possible only after the Liberty Gulch Trail project was finished in 2025. So a ride that starts on the Railroad Grade in Mill Valley can reach Pantoll, cross to the Mountain Theater on Easy Grade, and keep heading north mostly on trail.
On weekdays, conditions depend on the paving schedule, and State Parks posts updates on its Mount Tamalpais page. For questions about trail closures, the park lists the Pantoll kiosk at (415) 388-2070. State Parks also notes that Pantoll and Bootjack campgrounds have no running water right now because of a seasonal shortage. Hikers and bikers can fill up at Pantoll while the kiosk is open, typically 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Our family has watched Mt. Tam change trail by trail for four decades, and Easy Grade is one of the bigger changes for anyone who rides up from town. If you'd like to talk about which parts of Mill Valley sit closest to the Railroad Grade, Mountain Home or Panoramic Highway, Contact The Brody Team.
