The hook
A Bavarian-style lodge hidden on the side of Mount Tam that pours cold beer on a sunny deck, but only for hikers, and only on certain Sundays.
01Why it's worth it
On a slope of Mount Tamalpais above Muir Woods sits the Tourist Club, a chalet built a century ago by a German-American outdoors society, Die Naturfreunde, the "Nature Friends." Herb Caen once called it the best-kept secret in the Bay Area. There's no road to it; you hike in. And on scheduled open days it runs an open-air Bavarian beer garden, German beers, a sunny deck in the trees, sometimes an accordion, all as the reward for the walk up. The rest of the time it's a private club and closed. So the whole thing is a delightful puzzle: hike the redwoods and the mountain, time it for an open Sunday, and step out onto a hidden alpine terrace with a stein in hand.
02How to experience it
Hike in from the Muir Woods or Panoramic Highway trails (roughly a mile, with some climbing); there's no driving to it. Crucially, check the Tourist Club's open-days calendar first, because it's closed to the public most of the time. Bring cash. It's the perfect turnaround for a Mount Tam hike.