Discovering Mill Valley's Secret Steps, Lanes and Paths

Living in Mill Valley and navigating the twisty, curvy roads that traverse the canyons and hills can be quite an adventure.

In the late 1800's, Mill Valley began as a pedestrian-friendly town, with hundreds of short-cuts meandering up and down the hills that provided connections between the streets on Mill Valley's hillside to the streets on the flatland.

The Steps, Lanes and Paths of Mill Valley were constructed in 1890 and was designed to be used by residents as an easy way to get to town and to public transportation (historically, the train station at The Depot).


Many of Mill Valley’s older hillside neighborhoods have roads that follow the contours of the hills where driving can be somewhat circuitous.

Today, the same narrow stairways and paths provide direct connections for pedestrians as they did in the past. The right of way still exists to include these passageways which continue to provide connections between streets, commercial areas and other hillside neighborhoods. Some of these facilities are simple pathways while others are steep enough to require stairways.

 After years of neglect, citizens along with the City, began an effort to identify and rebuild these historic Steps, Lanes and Paths in 2000.The Steps, Lanes and Paths (SLP) project is now funded through the City of Mill Valley's Vegetation Management Program. The program allows crews to clear vegetation, replace steps and add marker posts to identify these pathways should you care to explore them on your own.

An added benefit is that in the event of an emergency, these facilities can can also be used as safe evacuation routes in case roads should become blocked.

A Mill Valley Steps, Lanes and Paths map may be purchased at the Mill Valley Public Library for $5.00.

Enjoy!