A walk up Christmas Tree Hill starts at the Old Town Square (Menke Park) in the oldest part of Corte Madera. Like many of the older neighborhoods in Mill Valley and Sausalito, there are stairs that were installed to take visitors from nearby train stations up the hills to the good life and spectacular views.

One of Madeline’s favorite hikes  proceeds uphill via stairs and streets to Summit Ave, then onto trails that show you the best that our mountain has to offer: views of San Francisco and the Bay, a panorama of Corte Madera north past San Rafael, oak and redwood forests, and fern-lined canyons.

Click here for a trail map for this walk.  Just south of Stefano’s Pizza, make a right turn and start up the hill on the Hill Path stairs. The hike is about 1.5 miles long and takes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.  Be warned, parts of the hike up to Summit are steep, so you may have to stop a few times. It is worth the effort. You will once more be refreshed by the beauty of Marin.

Here are a few photos of Madeline’s recent hike on this trail, with Madeline and friend Suzannah Rose: