Name: Give me Liberty and give me waterfalls — short, steep and semi-secret 3.8m/1k'⬆️
Start: 2024-12-07T10:01:00-08:00
End: 2024-12-07T12:00:00-08:00

What can you see in just 3.8 miles of hiking? Well, if you pick the right route, how about: A five-tiered waterfall, two little-known trails, a rare species of frog and perhaps the only spot on Earth where you can catch a glimpse of both Kent and Alpine lakes. We'll enjoy all of that and more on this lollipop route, and yet it's the shortest (but NOT the easiest) hike this group has ever done.

To begin, we'll meet at mileage marker 4.37 along Fairfax-Bolinas Road, at the start of the Liberty Trail, not even named on the generic trail sign and no longer listed on most popular hiking apps. We'll climb steeply on Liberty to the Oat Hill Fire Road, then cruise along the almost-flat road for nearly a mile, passing Liberty Peak along the way. Next, after enjoying a rare view of the two distant lakes, we'll take the unmarked Nail Trail very steeply down to the Carson Falls Trail. What goes down must come up, so a steep half-mile ascent brings us to *Little Carson Falls, a five-tiered waterfall that is often virtually dry, but should be flowing nicely after all the recent rain. The falls are home to the endangered [foothill yellow-legged frogs](https://savethefrogs.com/rana-boylii-marin/), which are easy to hear, but hard to spot. We'll spend some time carefully looking for them before we continue up the trail to its junction with Oat Hill Road, then take the Liberty Trail back down to the cars.

**Hike stats:** 3.8 miles with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. There are no restrooms or water sources at the meeting spot or along the route. Before you jump on this one, bear in mind that 1,000 feet of up and down is quite a bit over such a short distance, and **there are two steep climbs and one challenging descent to deal with.** The trails may well be muddy, and a couple stream crossings along the Liberty Trail could be a bit tricky. **This is not a hike for beginners!**

**Parking:** A number of cars can fit along the shoulder right at the trailhead, at mileage marker 4.37 along Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Others will have to park a short distance away, at similar shoulder pullouts. We've used this trailhead several times, and **someone always manages to get lost** **driving there**, so let me restate: You want to drive to mileage marker 4.37 on Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Do NOT put in "Liberty Trail" on your driving app. Both Apple and Google may attempt to take you to the midpoint of the trail, by way of fire roads where cars definitely cannot go. Click the map on this page BEFORE you start driving and let it open your app, or just watch the mileage markers once you're on Fairfax-Bolinas. **You will not have a signal as you near the trailhead.**

(\*Little Carson Falls is the official name, even though everybody just calls it Carson Falls. There is no nearby Big Carson Falls, so don't worry, we're not skipping the good stuff).

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Give me Liberty and give me waterfalls — short, steep and semi-secret 3.8m/1k'⬆️

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Give me Liberty and give me waterfalls — short, steep and semi-secret 3.8m/1k'⬆️

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