There are four picnic areas on the north side of Mt. Tampalpais.
Each has picnic tables, charcoal grills, and restrooms nearby. I
have placed caches at two of these picnics areas. Another cacher
placed a cache at Rifle Camp before I could, so that cache is the
incentive to visit that picnic area.
Potrero Camp is the last of the four to receive a cache, and
second only to Barth's Retreat as my favorite. Since it is not far
off the fire road, you will see more people here than at Barth's
Retreat, but fewer than at Rifle Camp and FAR fewer than at Laurel
Dell.
There are fewer trail options from here than
Rifle Camp, especially since MMWD has decided to rehabilitate the
area and close
non-official trails in the area. However,
Potrero Trail leaves from here to cross both lower and upper
Potrero Meadow before arriving at Rifle Camp.
Kent Trail
also departs from here, heading down to
High Marsh Trail and
Helen Markt Trail, both great options for loop hikes,
depending on the distance you want to travel. Just above Potrero
Camp is
Laurel Dell Fire Road and nearby
Benstein
Trail heads up over Temalpa Ridge and down to Rock
Spring.
If you enter
Potrero Camp from Laurel Dell Fire Road, look
to your right 100 feet before you enter
Potrero Camp proper.
The edge of the marsh is lined with native Rhododendrons
(Rhododendron occidentalis). They bloom, depending on the year,
from early June to the end of July. This picture was taken at the
end of July.
Once you enter
Potrero Camp you will find several picnic
tables, some in the sun, some in the shade. Take your pick
according to the temperature. There is also a barbeque grill you
can use. This is a great place for a break during a hike on the
mountain.
This is the coldest of the four picnic areas,
and a great place to visit after there has been snowfall on the
peak. You will usually find snow here as well. See the picture to
the right.
The cache is a regular size lock ‘n lock container
camouflaged with black tape. It is concealed from view with a rock
and two split logs. Please conceal it exactly as you found it so it
stays safe for the next geocacher to find.
At the time of publication, there are 5 trackables in the cache.
Please help them reach their goals.
The easiest way to
Potrero Camp is to park at Rock Spring
parking lot and take the Benstein Trail. From there, you can
retrace your route back to Rock Spring, or hike 0.2 miles along
Laurel Dell Fire Road to Barths Retreat, and take the Simmons Trail
back over the top of Temalpa Ridge to Rock Spring. Or, from Barths
retreat, you can hike the Mickey O’Brien Trail, around the
shoulder of Temalpa Ridge, to Cataract Trail, and follow Cataract
Trail up to Rock Spring. Or, you can hike Laurel Dell Fire Road, a
little past Barths Retreat, to the Old Stove Trail, and take the
Old Stove Trail to Laurel Dell, then the Cataract Trail back to
Rock Spring. Or, you can continue your hike down the mountain on
Kent Trail, taking High Marsh Trail or Helen Markt Trail to
Cataract Trail, and Cataract Trail back to Rock Spring. It all
depends on how long you want to spend on the mountain, and how far
you want to hike.
