Friends of Tamarancho

Happy Holidays 2024 & Annual Pass Renewal

Greetings Michael,


With the changeable Autumn weather (sunny & crisp, then cooler & wetter), our trail network is still a favorite place in Marin to escape to the beautiful outdoor environment up along Fairfax Ridge. As a concerned member of the mountain-biking community, read through this e-newsletter to find out how you can be a better recreation steward or get involved as a volunteer to have more fun out on the trails! Special thanks to those riders who have reported trail hazards and other conditions needing attention; you can always find regular updates on the Scouts' Tamarancho webpage or at the local Tamarancho Report!

Tamarancho Trail Pass Memberships

Annual Renewals Discounted thru 01/15/25

The 2025 ANNUAL Pass is valid for unlimited riding through December 31, 2025. The regular trail membership is $50 for the Individual Pass, and $75 for a Family Pass (2 adults 18 or older living in the same household, and up to 2 youth 15 to 17 years old).


The new-year membership discount pricing effective November 25, 2024 is $45 for the SINGLE Pass and $70 for the FAMILY Pass. Don't hesitate, buy yours today at the link below . . . Prices go up after January 15, 2025!

The 2025-26 GOLD Pass is valid for the next two years through December 31, 2026. The regular cost for a GOLD Pass is $95 per Individual or $125 for the Family plan (2 adults 18 or older living in the same household, and up to 2 youth 15 to 17 years old).


The new-year membership discount pricing effective November 25, 2024, is $90 for the SINGLE Pass and $120 for the FAMILY Pass. Don't hesitate, buy yours today at the link below . . . Prices go up after January 15, 2025!


To purchase a membership online with a credit card, visit the Tamarancho Mtn-Biking webpage with links for the various passes. If you don't want to purchase through the website, or if you want to pay by check, print out an application form: FoT Application and mail it to the Marin Council Scout Service Center.

Notes about the 2025 ANNUAL and 2025-26 GOLD passes:

For your FoT membership purchase, the appropriate plastic card pass displayed above will be sent to you by US Mail with our new helmet/waterbottle sticker shown here; please allow up to 30 days to receive your official pass. In the meantime, print your receipt or store a digital copy on your cellphone, and you can start riding the trails the same day!


One-Day Trail Passes cost $6, and are available online; click here to purchase a late 2024 or 2025 Tamarancho Trails day-specific pass. When you buy one, print out the pass receipt on your own printer or save a digital copy on your cellphone, and carry it with you for verification when you ride at Tamarancho. Also, One-Day Passes are available for purchase at the following locations: Splitrock Tap & Wheel, Sunshine Bicycle Center, and the Marin Museum of Bicycling (all in Fairfax), and Mike’s Bikes (San Rafael).


All Friends of Tamarancho Trail Passes are considered a donation and therefore tax deductible. If you have any questions, email the Friends of Tamarancho!

Our Partnership with Access4Bikes

Hey, trail crew! We’re working hard to bring you more and better trails while keeping the stoke in our community high. A4B's got a fresh vibe! Our revamped website includes a calendar where you can see all of our upcoming events including the Tamarancho trail work days. We also launched a membership program with amazing perks! The best part is, every contribution goes to building new trails!

Two additions to the Tamarancho network are in the final planning stages:


1) Caballo Rojo, a 1.5-mile downhill trail that needs boardwalks, bridges, and final permitting. We know that this trail has taken on a life of its own, and we sympathize with your frustration that it is not finished or open yet. A4B has recently become a fiscal bridge to get the project out of limbo and back on track following an enormous environmental review complete on behalf of the Scouts! A4B will get this trail delivered once and for all!


2) Saddle Cut Trail, a connector between Wagon Wheel and B-17 that’s in the final permitting stage. We’re grateful to our community for helping to make these trail additions a reality in the coming year!

Trail work season is almost here and starts on Saturday, December 7 with additional Saturdays in December. Stay tuned with more details on our Calendar as more dates and sign-ups are added for the new year. 


Stay up-to-date on A4B projects and happenings by joining our email list. Ride on!

Camp Tamarancho Bathrooms/Water Access

In addition to the new water-filling system at the front gate kiosk by the J-8 intersection of Broken Dam and Goldman Trails, remember that there are two easy locations on the Tamarancho Trail Loop for your convenience where riders are allowed near the regular camp facilities to access the now flushing(!) toilets and adjacent hand-wash stations on the Scout Camp property. Please help us maintain these bathrooms and keep them clean and in good working order for all users!

The southern access is located at the J-2 intersection of Goldman and Serpentine Trails (shown in photo at right) leading north a quarter-mile along the fire road through rolling meadows to the Twin Cities Campground.


The northern access is located at the J-7 intersection on Broken Dam Trail leading uphill through the forest on the fire road under a chain gate 100 yrds to the Ghilotti Family Camping area.

Tamarancho Trail Pass Patrol Volunteers

All mountain-bike riders at Camp Tamarancho must have a current One-Day pass, or an ANNUAL or GOLD membership pass with them. Some riders have day pass stickers from a bike store, some have the plastic membership tags attached to their bikes or packs, and others have a pass receipt saved on their cell phone. Expect to see volunteer Tamarancho Pass Patrol members in orange vests checking passes on the trails. These volunteers will also be available to give directions, answer questions, and handout information about the membership program.


Support bike-legal singletrack in Marin. Make sure you and your friends you are riding with all have a pass! Overall compliance has been fairly good this Autumn, but there are still a number of riders "poaching" on the private property owned by the Marin Council, BSA. This is a youth recreation facility, so technically it is considered to be the same as school grounds regarding youth protection from strangers and unknown adults trespassing in the vicinity. Get a Friends of Tamarancho Pass NOW and Ride Legally!

Remember: "Friends don't let Friends Poach at Tamarancho!"

History of the Tamarancho Trail Network

When you are visiting Fairfax village to ride the Tamarancho loop, don't forget to stop downtown at the Marin Museum of Bicycling and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to check out the amazing history of this outdoor recreation activity home-grown right here in Marin County! Also, enjoy this updated recording of the very popular June 2018 Museum Speakers Series presentation:

Video link on YouTube: The Bicycle Trails of Tamarancho!

You'll hear the amazing story of how the Tamarancho mountain bike trail network was built directly from the people who built them! Featuring local legends of the Forest Knolls Freewheelers including Jim Jacobson, Danny Forer and Vernon Huffman!

www.boyscouts-marin.org | Kiosk on Iron Springs Road, Fairfax, CA 94935