Camp Tamarancho is not difficult to find, but it is important that you follow the directions very carefully and know what to expect in advance. The address is:
1000 Iron Springs Rd Fairfax, CA 94930
As frequently is the case, the directions you receive from an online mapping service may not provide you with the optimum route. Use your favorite online mapping tool to produce a map, but Camp Tamarancho staff recommends the following instructions:
From the North:
- Traveling south from Novato on US Highway 101, take the Central San Rafael exit, get in the right lane as soon as you can, and then turn right onto 3rd Street. Continue west on 3rd Street (which mysteriously enough will become 2nd Street, then 4th Street, then Red Hill Avenue) to the San Anselmo Hub intersection.
From the South:
- Traveling north from San Francisco on US Highway 101, take the exit for San Anselmo (Sir Francis Drake Blvd) and head west to the San Anselmo Hub intersection.
From the East, the Richmond San Rafael Bridge:
- Traveling west, just across the bridge, take the Sir Francis Drake Blvd exit.
- Stay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, past San Quentin Prison and the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
- Continue on Sir Francis Drake Blvd under the highway overpass, passing the Bon Air Shopping Center on your left.
- Drive through Greenbrae and Kentfield and reach the San Anselmo Hub. Staying on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, cross through the intersection and follow the directions below.
Continuing from the San Anselmo Hub intersection
The San Anselmo Hub was originally a junction between three different railway lines. Today it is a large five road intersection encompassing Red Hill Avenue, Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Greenfield Avenue and Center Boulevard.
- At the Hub veer right onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Red Hill Shopping Center will be on your right.
- Stay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd another 5 minutes and drive through the town of Fairfax. Delano Market, on your right, is your last food stop. Past Delano Market; the Fairfax Library will be on your left and St. Rita Church on your right.
- Take the first left after St. Rita Church onto Olema Road (you will see a small sign for Camp Tamarancho). Take the next left onto Manor Road, the next right onto Rock Ridge Road, and then veer left at the fork and go up Iron Springs Road.
- This is the road to camp. It is smooth pavement for the first third of the way, and then becomes a graded dirt road. Turn left onto the final third of the road which is mostly dirt with rock filled holes. The distance from the bottom of the hill to the camp is 2.1 miles. The road is narrow and winding, so drive slowly and give yourself 20 minutes to get up the hill. Lookout for cyclists, they tend to come down the hill quicker than we drive up.
- Once you arrive in camp, the speed limit is 5 miles per hour. At the entrance, keep left at the fork (you will note the gate to Ghillotti Family Camp on your right), to arrive at the center of camp. This is the parking area and the ranger’s headquarters (if you see him, his name is Dana) and overlooks the drill area to the west. Our camp is another ¼ mile along the road.
- We will be camped at the Twin Cities Camp, but pause here for a moment and consider your next move.