School Groups

With its variety of natural habitats and interesting geology, Mount Tamalpais State Park is a fantastic location to bring your science curriculum to life or to offer your students experience with the outdoors. We offer both in-person and virtual field trips and school group volunteer opportunities.

In-person Field Trips

Great news! Day use fees are not charged for K through 12 organized school groups -- as long as reservations have been made 15 or more days in advance. Even if your group does not require a talk or tour from State Park staff, reservations are required in order to waive parking fees. Groups without reservations will have to pay day use fees of $8 per vehicle or $50 per small bus to park in the Bootjack, Pantoll, or East Peak parking lots. To make reservations, please reach out to the contact at the bottom of the page.

Depending on staff availability, we can offer presentations, talks, and/or short guided hikes to your group. Hiking routes and educational content can be adapted to meet the needs of each school group. If staff are not available for your field trip date, we can make recommendations for your trip during the reservation process.

Please be aware that larger charter buses are exceed the length limit of Panoramic Highway (the road to and through Mount Tamalpais State Park) and will not be able to get here. 44-passenger buses are the largest that can make it to the park and we will only be able to accommodate these buses at the Pantoll parking lot. Smaller buses, vans, and smaller vehicles can be accommodated in smaller lots. Also, school groups must have enough school-appointed chaperones and teachers to maintain order.

 

Virtual and Hybrid Field Trips

Through the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS), Mount Tamalpais State Park also offers virtual field trips and educational broadcasts. We also offer PassPORTS hybrid field trips, which include a virtual meeting followed by an in-person field trip. The in-person visit not only qualifies for free day use, but your school may also be eligible for reimbursement of some transportation fees! For types of programs, availability, and more information, please check out our PORTSfinder page here: https://ports.parks.ca.gov/portsfinder/?_state_parks=mount-tamalpais-state-park

You can also direct book here:

The scheduling of the virtual component and details of the in-person component of the PassPORTS field trip will be arranged after the booking is made. The FAQ regarding these "blended access" field trips, including details on reimbursement, are found here: https://ports.parks.ca.gov/passports/ (if your school will need reimbursement, please check here before booking).

 

School Group Volunteering

Does your school have a volunteer service requirement for your students? Are you a teacher with students interested in a volunteer project? We have a limited capacity for small school groups to do natural resource work (invasive plant and/or litter removal) here in Mount Tamalpais State Park. If you are interested, please reach out to the contact below.

 

For school group inquiries and reservations, please reach out to: Hillary Colyer, State Park Interpreter I at hillary.colyer@parks.ca.gov