DO NOT TAKE THIS WAY!!! GATE BLOCKS ENTRANCE AND ONLY RESIDENTS CAN GET IN! We called on the call…read moreblock to "access" and a guy answered and said to go to Ross town??? Not sure what that meant! But this was highly a disappointment and shouldn't be listed on Google Maps as a public access view location! Especially after the winding road driving up the hill to just get to a closed gate! ZERO STARS!!!!

This preserve is incredible for hiking, walking, mountain biking, dog walking, and simply enjoying…read moreyourself. There are several different routes varying in challenge / experience level. It was a little confusing to find the entrance to the fire roads from the Deer Park area entrance, but locals are generally helpful and you can always watch where bikes come/go to figure it out. There's views at the top and throughout as well as a reservoir at the bottom. The best part of this preserve is the availability of dog-friendly trails: dogs are allowed off-leash on all fire roads and on-leash on many trails. We did hear some rustling in the bushes and moved quickly... possibly a coyote, so just be aware of this if you bring a dog off-leash.

Fantastic location for a sunset, or a beach walk amongst all these beautiful rock formations. Water…read moreis rough on this rugged coast just like it should be. Located within Sonoma Coast State Park and just a few miles out of Bodega Bay. Be sure to bring a jacket as it's pretty windy and chilly out there, but we loved it!

Nice beach to walk, watch the waves and sunset! Natural rock formations and great picture taking…read moretoo of the ocean. If you love just getting mesmerized by the ocean, this is a great spot!

ACCESSING JEWELL TRAIL. On two occasions in February 2021, I hiked the loop trail consisting of…read moreBolinas Ridge Trail, Jewell Trail, and Cross Marin Trail. My hike was in the counterclockwise direction around this loop trail. The final stretch of this loop hike requires hiking within the narrow space between the Francis Drake Blvd. and a steep downhill slope covered with trees and with lichens called "old man's beard." Jewell Trail has two trailheads. One is located on Bolinas Ridge Trail and the other is on Cross Marin Trail. The trailhead for Bolinas Ridge Trail is next to Francis Drake Blvd., one mile east of Olema. The trailhead on Cross Marin Trail, is situated one mile to the northwest of the Camp Taylor campground. Regarding the Bolinas Ridge trailhead a mile east of Olema, typically between five and ten automobiles are parked here. They're parked on the south shoulder of Francis Drake Blvd., but additional parking places are available on a wide dirt shoulder, across the street and 50 feet to the west. The segment of Bolinas Ridge Trail leading to the Jewell Trail Trailhead provides scenery of amazing beauty. The photographs in the following list describe, by way of pictures, everything that I could possibly describe with words about Bolinas Ridge Trail and Jewell Trail: (1) Photo of wooden maze that allows passage of people, but prevents cows from passing through. The body of the cow is not flexible in the same way that snakes are flexible. If cows were flexible, they could be taught to dance the hula. But cows are unable to do hula dancing. Because cows are not flexible, they cannot pass through the wooden maze. (2) On the left side of Bolinas Ridge Trail, you can see a cluster of trees sitting on a hillock, with a row of stones embedded in the hillock. This hillock occurs about 100 feet down a grassy slope. (3) Same cluster of trees sitting on a hillock, where photo shows a tree coated with "Old Man's Beard" lichens. (4) To the right of Bolinas Ridge Trail is a deep valley. The boulder at the far left has lichen clinging to it. (5) On the right side of Bolinas Ridge Trail is a tall boulder with a stone shelf on it. On this stone shelf, I posed my mountain goat. While taking this photograph, a man and woman, in their 20's, were hiking by. I turned to them and said, "Don't worry, my permit for keeping the mountain goat is all paid up." They responded with a flurry of laughs. (6) Same boulder, with both Strawberry Shortcake and the goat. (7) Photo of deep valley to left of Bolinas Ridge Trail. Jewell Trail is just beyond this valley. (8) Photo of the sign at the trailhead for Jewell Trail. Two men were approaching, riding their mountain bikes. I was impressed by their ability to ride up the steep hill and I said, "You are certainly strong and powerful, but I know you are vulnerable to KRYPTONITE." They understood my joke and laughed. (9) After a minute of hiking down Jewell Trail there's a huge boulder to the right. Photo of the goat, California quail, and northern flicker sitting on this boulder. (10) Further down Jewell Trail, view looking uphill at the beautiful upper part of the valley. (11) Same location by Jewell Trail, with view looking downhill. Francis Drake Blvd. can be seen in the distance. (12) Further down Jewell Trail, the forest begins. Goat and Strawberry Shortcake stand near a zig-zag in the trail. (13) Further on down, the trail enters a shady area, covered with a tunnel of trees. I arranged a fallen white-colored branch, possibly from a birch tree, so that it would show up in the photograph. (14) Photo of a mossy tree covered with a few tiny ferns, located next to Jewell Trail. LICHENS. In many areas of your hike, you will find lichens hanging from trees and lichens growing on rocks. The kind of lichen that hangs from trees is "old man's beard," also called beard lichens of the genus Usnea. Photographs of beard lichens are available from, "pointreyesnature dot com/alamea-trail" and also from Kundsen and Carlberg (2005). Other kinds of lichen at Bolinas Ridge include Rimularia insularis and Rinodina falvosoralifera. Colorful lichens that grow on rocks include, Xanthoria elegans, Rhizoplaca melanopthalma, and Saxicolous lichens. REFERENCES. ( 1 ) K. Knudsen and T. Carlberg (2005) Bulletin of the California Lichen Society. Vol. 12, No. 2, page 36. ( 2 ) Tom Carlberg (2012) Bulletin of the California Lichen Society. Vol. 19. See, page 27. ( 3 ) Larry St. Clair (1999) Bulletin of the California Lichen Society. Vol. 6, No. 2. ( 4 ) Kocourkova (2012) A Checklist of the Lichenicolous Biota of California Opuscula Philolichenum. 11:64-103. ( 5 ) Lichens, surprising pioneering organisms (2019) Encyclopedia of the Environment. ( 6 ) Article by Sheela McLean, available from: "methownet dot com/grist/features/lichens.html

Living in Marin we are blessed with a vast array of hiking and biking trails that are part of the…read morepreserved open space that comprises most of Marin. One of our favorite hiking trails is part of the Loma Verde open space district, a trail that begins at the end of Pebble Beach Drive in Novato. If you download the maps from the website you will see many other trailheads to access this great trail system. The Pebble Beach fire road is about a 30 minute hike, nearly a mile with about a 300' climb. It's not difficult, we see kids and seniors almost daily. Because it's a fire road, you can bring your dogs off leash as long as they are under voice command. The views are pretty amazing, it's a stroll through a forest (with a number of side trails that are even more rustic), and when you reach the end of the fire road you will be at the Chicken Shack fire road which runs from Hwy 101 up to the 1900' rise where the tall transmitting antennas tower over the ridge that separates Novato from Lucas Valley. Fortunately you don't have to go all the way to the towers to get fantastic views. From the end of Pebble Beach fire road you can see San Francisco, Mt Tam, Mt Diablo, the East bay hills, and more. This is our gym membership - instead of standing on a treadmill watching the cable TV, why not actually get out and move through a beautiful forest? Thanks Marin!

I have lived at Loma Verde Preserve for six years and the best thing about it is Luis! Anything I…read moreneed fixed or taken care of is done perfectly and immediately. Luis always smiles and is kind and caring. And can take care of anything. I trust him completely and so he can enter my apartment when I'm not here. A blessing!!!!

It was only recently that I learned that the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail…read moreare two distinctly different things. The Ridge Trail is a network of more than 385 miles of connected trails that scale great heights. The Bay Trail is the flatter version, currently spanning 350 miles with plans to grow to 500 miles. If it's ever completed, the Bay Trail will span 47 cities and 9 counties and create a necklace of trails that will encircle the San Francisco Bay more or less at sea level. Right now, the longest single stretch is less than 30 miles in length. With a seemingly long way to go before one can hike a completed Bay Trail I opted to hike the newest section of trail in the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This new-ish section of the Bay Trail is the Eliot Trail, part of a Sonoma Land Trust project to restore wetlands (diked in the 1800's) in the Sears Point area. The Eliot Trail sits atop an unshaded levee, with the wetlands at your side as you hike. Bikes are allowed; pets are not. The well maintained Eliot Trail stretches 2.4 flat miles. At its obvious end, you will turn back and retrace your steps, adding an additional 2.4 miles. There are informative signs along the way, telling you about the wetlands and its inhabitants. If you're a birder, bring binoculars; there's lots of nature to be viewed here. For the rest of us, the trail is just an easy walk in pleasant surroundings on a very lightly used trail. If you're looking to escape crowds, the Eliot Trail is a good choice. Parking is free in an adequately sized lot on Reclamation Road. Once parked, walk south on the trail to get to the Eliot Trail (and other, shorter trails). It's interesting to learn of all the effort (and expense) being put into making the Bay Trail an actual connected network and nice to see how it is (positively) affecting our shoreline. The Eliot Trail isn't a compelling hike, but it's a nice place to visit if you just want to experience a bit of the trail and observe a new wetlands restoration project.

3/24/2023 Lovely…read moredrive and so nice to see! On a road trip and needed a quick stop! Reminds me of the school field trips.. Fun places to learn new things.. Open all year around during daylight hours!

When most folks think about California's wild areas, they most likely picture majestic sweeping…read moremountain ranges, evergreen forests, the central and northern coast rocky headlands, arid deserts or picturesque white sand beaches. Fact is, most wouldn't even list wetlands... but they are one of the most underrated ecosystems in our state, and vitally important to the health of our fresh and salt water environments. San Pablo Bay is one of the largest of these areas left. As part of the greater San Francisco Bay and Sacramento River Delta complex, this area is critical habitat for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertbrates.... both those who live here year 'round, and those that migrate to and through this area at different times of the year. San Pablo Bay probably has more living things per acre than just about any other biome in the state. Tidal influences turn muddy areas seemingly devoid of creatures into bustling communities of creatures and food webs. At certain times of the year, wading birds, geese, ducks, and other waterfowl rest here on their migrations. At other times, many birds nest here in the marsh grasses. THis is definitely worth exploring slowly and patiently, and a little research in advance will help you discover more than just mud and grass. Slow down and use your senses... you'll notice more than you thought you would.

Half these reviews are of the wrong place. There's the Tomales Bay Trail and the Tomales Point…read moreTrail which sound very similar so it's easy to get them mixed up but they are completely different places. The Tomales Point Trail is much farther out and the hike is in view of the ocean and features Tule Elk. That place is: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tomales-point-trail-tule-elk-preserve-inverness?osq=tomales+trail The Tomales Bay Trail is right outside of Point Reyes Station off the Shoreline freeway. The trail is about 2.5 miles and takes a little over an hour. Since it's so close to Point Reyes Station it's nice to go here if you are looking for a shorter hike and not wanting to go all the way out to the seashore or do a long Bear Valley trail. The trail is easy passing by two lagoons or ponds and views of the Inverness mountain in the background. Lots of wildflowers in the spring! Lots of birds, not always in eyesight but I could hear them everywhere. I kept seeing a black bird with a bright red markings, not sure what type of bird this is but it was pretty. There is no shade, most of the time this isn't an issue since Point Reyes is naturally cool or foggy but on a sunny day this can really creep up on you.

For years now I've driven by the Tomales Bay Trailhead and been consistent in remarking that "I…read morewant to hike that". I finally did, and when I'd almost fully back-tracked to my car I said "Well, done that. Don't need to do that again". I got home and told my son I'd hiked this nothing-burger trail. At first he didn't know which trail I was talking about then he was struck with a sudden recognition. "You're right" he said, "that's a nothing-burger". There's nothing wrong with his trail aside from there not being much to it. Parking at the trailhead is easy and free in a small lot. After going through numerous gates designed, I believe, to keep the cows in, hikers are presented with attractive views of Tomales Bay and the surrounding wetlands. The trail is neither challenging, steep, nor long but if you want to make it as long as possible head out to the end of the peninsula. Reach the end of that and return the way you came and you'll log a bit under 3.5 miles total. There's no looping here so backtracking is your sole option. Dogs aren't permitted though nobody appears to be checking. If you've also been driving by this trailhead for a long time know that crossing it off your own bucket list won't eat up too much of your day so you might as well. Pretty, easy, and short make this a worthy place to work off a few calories before heading further north for, perhaps, that platter of Hog Island oysters that's got you on this road in the first place.

Sky trail is a peaceful escape from the crowds at Point Reyes. While you can access it via several…read moretrails that climb up from Bear Valley, the actual trailhead is along the road Limantour Road, about 3.5 mile mark. There's a small dirt lot on the left hand side. On Labor Day, the lot wasn't full and the trail itself was very peaceful. I followed Sky Trail towards Sky camp but turned off prior to the camp on to Horse Trail, then Z Ranch to the Mt Wittenberg spur. On the return trip turned right on the Mt Wittenberg trail which loops back to Sky and takes through the rest of the loop past Sky Camp and back down to the trailhead. Mt Wittenberg is the highest point in Pt Reyes but don't expect sweeping or epic views. It's a quiet woodland trail where you can get some peeks out at the bay. Taking Sky Trail here involved less elevation gain than if you climbed up from the trails near Bear Valley. NPS has a good description of the trail here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-to-mount-wittenberg-from-sky-trailhead.htm The hike along Sky Trail is about the journey as it meanders through lush forest and occasionally offers some ocean or bay views. It was impacted by the 2020 Woodward fire and a few sections lack shade due to the canopy burning but overall, the forest seems to be recovering nicely. I enjoy this trail for the quiet and to be in the forest. Late summer, there were a few wildflowers and things have stayed amazingly green. Although my loop was shy of 5 miles, Sky trail connects with many others. The visitor center at Bear Valley offers decent maps and guidance from rangers if you're looking for any other ideas. Point Reyes has so many options for hikes and lesser known park trails-after 12 years of visiting, I'm still finding new adventures to enjoy. Sky Trail will now be a regular for me.

When it comes to local hiking trails, there are three elements that will steal my heart away just…read moreabout every single time; a heavily wooded forest, lush green foliage, and beautiful coastal views. The Sky Trail has all of this. So naturally, I fell in love with this trail right off the bat. The Sky Trail is a lightly trafficked hiking trail that runs through Point Reyes National Seashore. You can connect to this trail from a few different trails within the park. I started my hike from the parking lot near the Bear Valley trailhead and made a right onto the Mount Wittenberg trail. From here, it's about 2 miles until you reach the Sky Trail. The hike from Mount Wittenberg to the Sky Trail is pretty intense, and starts off immediately inclining through the forest. It's mostly uphill until you reach the Mount Wittenberg summit. Once you've made it to the summit, you'll see a few trailhead signs and a trail split. From here you'll continue on the Mount Wittenberg trail for about a half mile until you reach the Sky Trail. You'll start to decline as you get closer to the trail. And my oh my is this trail gorgeous! This section of the Sky Trail is surrounded by a plethora of tall trees. As you continue down the path, you'll start to notice a break in the trees and the stunning views of the coastline will hit you like a ton of bricks. There are also sections of the trail that are plant heavy and vibrantly green. Once you pass this, you'll end up descending down a steep and narrow pathway until you reach the Coast Trail. It's about a 3 mile trek until you reach the connecting trail, and about another mile or less if you want to get down to Kelham beach. So, roughly 6 miles from the parking lot to the beach via the Sky Trail (and that's one way). Going down the Sky Trail can be tough because it's super steep on the way down, but coming up is a real challenge. If you want to skip the treacherous hike all the way back up the hill, you can take the Coast Trail back to Bear Valley, and this will loop you back to the parking lot. It's also a more scenic trek along the coastline, and you'll get to walk amongst pretty Redwoods and a beautiful stream along the Bear Valley trail on the way back. Point Reyes has so many incredible hiking trails, but because the Sky Trail requires some additional trekking to get to, it's far less traveled. Would highly recommend the Sky Trail for people who are looking for a challenging hike without much foot traffic.