Explore San Anselmo’s Iconic Red Hill on New Trail
by Brian K. Crawford
After five years of effort, a new trail has been completed in San Anselmo, providing an easy walk to the top of the landmark Red Hill. The trail starts behind the Edo Grill and Walgreen’s and climbs 350 feet in ¾ of a mile — a relatively easy half-hour walk each way. The summit provides spectacular views. The trail is out-and-back, with no connections to other trails. Dogs are permitted off leash but should be under voice control. Please carry out your trash and pick up any litter you encounter. No water is available on the trail. Because the trail is too narrow to pass and contains many sharp turns, no bicycles are allowed.
Red Hill is a submarine volcano, its lava having oozed out into a warm Jurassic ocean. Red Hill formed the common corner of three large Mexican ranchos. The old road still visible on the west side was built around 1892 by Chinese laborers to provide access to Mount Tamalpais Cemetery. But the lower portion of the road was destroyed by landslides. For more than sixty years, the summit has been nearly inaccessible.
In 2013, I proposed to the San Anselmo Open Space Committee that a trail be built up Red Hill. Some of the land was already Town property, but to bypass the landslide area the trail needed to go onto the lands of Sunny Hills Services, who very generously offered a 50-year lease on their land at no cost. Volunteers determined the route and cut a preliminary trail. Environmental studies were done. The Town Council gave final approval to the project in August 2017.
The Historical Commission researched the history of the hill and volunteers installed interpretive signs with QR codes to informational web sites. In October 2017, a series of weekly volunteer work parties built the final trail. The trail is now complete and open for use.
Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.
