Full Moonshiner!

Guided moonlight hike on Mount Tam in the North Bay

09.15.2016

It started out as a way to romance his dates. But today John Benus invites everyone to his fantastic full-moon hikes to Moonlight Hill on Mount Tam. He usually hosts the hikes on weekends, and the next one is this Friday, September 16. Ready to become a Marin Moonshiner? Okay! First, RSVP (details in italics below). Then plan to meet at the Safeway parking lot in Mill Valley for introductions and carpool arrangements to the trailhead. Blankets and flashlights are handed out.

Soon you’ll be off for a leisurely 3-mile (round-trip) hike along trails with moon-filled views of the bay and the headlands. At the halfway point, John might disappear. Uh, what? Not to worry! He’s gone to set up blankets and lanterns for a picnic on Moonlight Hill, one of the best places for watching the moon rise. (Bring your own food and wine.) You are now an official Moonshiner. Cheers!

img_8648-image-jpeg

BONUS: Afterwards, everyone’s invited to the No Name Bar in Sausalito, where you'll hear some great jazz with no cover charge!

Marin Moonshiners Full Moon Hike and Picnic usually happens on weekends of the full moon. Reservations required due to limited space. Sign up online or call 415-331-0100; $20 fee (pay at the meet-up) includes blankets, lanterns, flashlights, cups, plates, and utensils for your picnic. Bring layers and a small backpack with your picnic dinner, favorite wine, etc. If conditions are really foggy, the hiking location and route may change. This hike is not appropriate for kids. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

  2. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View

  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View

  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View