The Railroad Tunnels Of Marin County

Back in the rail building boom of the 19th century, a number of tunnels in the area were built by ex-49'ers who were leaving the gold fields for more stable employment. I go searching for one of them outside of the old downtown of Corte Madera. The original tunnel was built by the North Pacific Coast RR, and after the merger into the Northwest Pacific RR, widened and reinforced. The other end of the tunnel is all caved in.

A video of the Mt Tam railroad is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpI7ZBuB9GA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg8CiS9V-KM

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• North
• Pacific
• Coast
• Railroad
• Marin
• Corte
• Madera
• abandoned
• tunnel
• explore

[zazozung]

Is anything left of the tunnell at Skunk Hollow? I grew up in east Corte Madera.

[Amiduffer]

@zazozung You can see pictures of the remains at the website abandonedrails (dot) com.

[Nguli34689]

I was lucky. In the late 1950's me and my uncle were able to explore the bunkers at the San Francisco's Presidio before they became padlocked. When we moved to Marin County, we were able to go inside these tunnels and walk through them from one end to another in the 1960's. They were not closed as you see them here and there were railroad tracks in San Anselmo too! On South Oak Ave., San Anselmo, we used to go inside the caves near Mt. Baldy (Bald Hill). We had a good time growing up here!!

[Amiduffer]

@Nguli34689 Did you go through the one on Whites Hill?

[Nguli34689]

@Amiduffer No. I was about nine years old at the time and I didn't know about the one on Whites Hill, but if I had, I would have went through it with my friends. There was a station in Corte Madera by the railroad tracks which had electrical equipment. If you go inside it would be like stepping into another world. They have boarded this small structure down. Do you know which one I am talking about? It leads from Corte Madera towards Larkspur. It was still open in 1972.

[Amiduffer]

@Nguli34689 Are you talking about the substation building in Baltimore Park?

[Nguli34689]

Now that you mention it, I have seen the front of the Whites' Hill Tunnel. It is located a little ways north of Fairfax by the lot that belonged to Sunnyside Nurseries. I can no longer walk along the railroad tracks like I used to in the old days. If I do, I would be breaking the law. Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery is also an interesting place. I have seen abandoned gravesites that are overgrown and untended. There is still an old road by Sunny Hills leading from the cemetery to Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

[railrider51]

@Amiduffer The Northwestern Pacific Railroad, which will have the SMART train travel over its mainline, from Larkspur to Cloverdale.A train hasnt run over the mainline sence 2001, when for one month the line was operated between petaluma and schellvile. before that, the line run until 1998. This tunnel was located in fact on a intururban NWP branch line, and was abandoned in the 40's.

[Amiduffer]

Ah! I know what you're talking about. I almost got a chance to go see those a few months ago. I was looking for that tunnel and a local person volunteered to show me, but I didn't have enough time.

[pumkinbreath]

the tunnel was located in the crotch of skunkhollow in east cortemadera and it exited in tiburon just east of reedlandwoods school. the tunnel ran underneath the western portion of ring mountain.