Sound Summit 2025!

Roots & Branches Conservancy is a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of natural resources, both physical and cultural. Wherever possible, we aim to create intersections between the environment, education, and the arts to their mutual benefit.

Sound Summit, our annual music festival high atop Mount Tam, celebrates its 10th Anniversary this September. Over that arc we've been able to generate over $300,000 to Mount Tamalpais State Park from event proceeds, a trend we want to continue this year and well beyond. This unique and festive event reflects our passion for producing resonant community experiences and making meaningful contributions to worthy beneficiaries.

Last year we allocated $50,000 to the restoration of the recently reopened Steep Ravine Trail, one of the most beloved and well-traveled on the mountain, which had been closed to the public for over six months due to unsafe conditions. Our grants paid for the replacement of all deckings and railings on nine key bridges, as well as supported the replacement of a tenth failed bridge.

We employed additional funds to rebuild fallen bridges on the Lost Trail and Fern Creek Trail that were severely damaged by the "atmospheric river" storms the past winter.

And we've just recently allocated funds from Sound Summit proceeds to the following projects commencing this year:

• Easy Grade Trail – Long envisioned expansion of this heritage trail allowing cyclists a safe car-free path from Pantoll Station to the Mountain Theater and beyond without navigating the treacherous twists and turns of Pantoll Road traffic. That expansion also bridges a cycle gap in the 550-mile Ridge Trail.

• Steep Ravine Environmental Cabins & Campground – Complete Restoration. These historic and immensely popular cabins are situated at a stunning spot on the coast and were built back in th 1940s. They are quite compromised by time and weather and in serious need of repair and updating. We’ll be funding all of that via a State Parks contract with HistoriCorps and are extremely excited to do so, just as we were to fund the Steep Ravine Trail restoration itself.

• Pantoll and Bootjack Campsite and Trail Restorations and Rock Wall Borders

• Mountain Theater Infrastructure Replacement, Renovation, and Repairs

It’s rewarding to see donations we’ve been able to contribute through our work and your support go to projects that have direct positive impact on the public’s access to and enjoyment of the mountain’s wealth of resources.

Staging Sound Summit in this stellar location involves several moving parts and continues to be subject to rising costs across the board – performers, production, transportation, staff, insurance, security, and more. In short, maintaining the level of talent and quality of experience we’ve enjoyed thus far is requiring greater resources than ever before, a sign of the times.

Accordingly, the role of our community is more vital than ever and we need your help. Even a $25 contribution to Roots & Branches Conservancy from each of you would make a significant difference in our efforts to produce this unique event and in turn realize its goals. And, needless to say, more is welcome if you are able and so inclined.

We believe that good deed doing can be as creative as it is productive. If you've enjoyed Sound Summit in years past and share our vision, we ask that you consider making a tax-deductible year-end contribution to help provide us with firm footing for another ascent up Mount Tam and a nourishing day of music and community. Thanks for your support!