Paradise Drive Loop

From MarinCyclists

When the weather is good, there's usually a gathering of cyclists at Pixley Park in Corte Madera at 7:00 on weekday mornings for this moderate to fast paced loop with a couple of short regroups. This also makes a great casual beginner ride, no major hills and a beautiful course (but don't go to the 7AM ride expecting that).

Start at Pixley Park, cross Tamalpais drive with a slight jog to the left on to Chapman drive. Follow Chapman up (the drawn route on the map may not be exact, but the path is obvious) until it intersects with Camino Alto.

Take a left on Camino Alto, down to East Blithedale Ave, a left, and then a right at the next light. Rather than going on the bike path on the west side of Richardson Bay, go up Roque Moraes Drive. Regroup at the top of this hill.

Continue down past Enchanged Knolls Park on to the "wrong way" section of Hamilton. There's only a bike path this direction, the full car lane is oncoming. Continue up Hamilton to the access road to 101.

Take a right on the access road, go down under 101 and loop back up. Here the route splits.

Those wanting a little more climbing can take a right around the north side of Richardson Bay on Seminary Drive. Everyone else continues up to the right turn on Belvedere.

The routes meet up where Strawberry Drive meets Belvedere Drive, right before Tiburon Boulevard.

Take a right on Tiburon Boulevard, and then the next right over on to the side street, which parallels up over a hill, and then drops down to Blackies Pasture.

From Blackies Pasture take the shoreline multi-use path up to San Rafael Ave, where you loop out through Strawberry, coming back into Tiburon from the back side.

From there it's on to Paradise Drive, regroup at the peak of the hill that's the westernmost point on Paradise Drive, then get a good pace going. But as fun as it is to cruise along here fast, beware the gravel where Trestle Glen intersects with Paradise Drive, and the cracks in the road shortly thereafter.

Regroup at San Clemente Park. then up San Clemente Drive to Tamalpais Drive (you can take the multi-use path that parallels San Clemente Drive, but it only seems to put you in jogger traffic), a left on Tamalpais Drive, and back to Pixley Park.

Beware the light from San Clemente Drive on to Tamalpais Drive. Not only have bicyclists been ticketed for running this light, traffic is merging and shifting lanes every which way with the entrance ramp to 101. Be careful.