I have talked to a lot of locals about this old hidden bridge and many didn’t even know it existed, let alone seen it. Long forgotten and overgrown it's easy to miss on your way out to Point Reyes. I wanted to get you to stop for a bit and not only cross the bridge on foot or bike, but check out the wonderful old architecture of bridges that were built back in the day. There is a wonderful paved hiking and biking trail that starts at the west end of the old, now defunct Platform Bridge that used to take cars over Lagunitas Creek to Olema and Point Reyes. Built on an old rail line, the Cross Marin Trail follows alongside Lagunitas Creek back toward Jewell (1.4 miles) and then on into Samuel P. Taylor State Park (3.5 miles)
Parking for the cache and The Cross Marin Trail that starts at Tocaloma can be found on the east side of Platform Bridge Road. The Cross Marin Trail is perfect for a family outing. The riparian habitat that flourishes along Lagunitas Creek envelopes the northern reaches of the Cross Marin Trail so completely that travelers seldom glimpse any of the surrounding terrain—the rolling pasture lands roamed by dairy cows, the nearby highway, sometimes the creek itself. The route is flat, paved, and easy, set upon the former bed of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which boosted the paper milling enterprise of Samuel Penfield Taylor, for whom the nearby state park is named. The trail follows the old NPR's right-of way which ran from Larkspur through this canyon to Tomales Bay and northward to Cazadero. A bike ride on this trail through Samuel P. Taylor Park is wonderful for children and beginners. The path is cool and shaded by redwoods. Many picnic areas are available in the park as well. In fact, there are all kinds of biking opportunities around here. Biking in Marin
For a bit of history about Samuel P. Taylor Park and some of the local trail maps please follow this link. Samuel P. Taylor Park .