Audubon Canyon Ranch's Bolinas Lagoon Preserve opens to the public from mid-March to mid-July, showcasing treetop rookeries for great egrets, great blue herons, and snowy egrets. Birds begin nesting in January, lay eggs from March to May, and baby birds hatch about one month later, from April to June. At Henderson Outlook, volunteers point viewing scopes to the nesting trees, and visitors can spy on the birds as they sit on their eggs or feed youngsters. Most people only make the short trek uphill to the outlook, but there are a few other trails on the property, suitable for a few hours of hiking. Although most of the preserve is forested with redwood, coast live oak, and California bay, there is some grassland and chaparral.
     Start near the ranch buildings on Griffin Loop Trail, signed "Trails to Overlook Canyon Loop/Garden Club Canyon Nature Trail." The narrow hiking only trail starts in a mixture of buckeye, sagebrush, monkeyflower, and poison oak, but soon ascends into a woodland of coast live oak, toyon, California coffeeberry, Douglas fir, and California bay. At about 300 feet, you'll reach Clem Miller Lookout, with a view west to Bolinas Lagoon. A few steps later the trail splits, with the left fork descending. Bear right, following signs to overlook.
     Griffin Loop Trail leans left at a reroute, ascending easily through shaded woods where yerba buena is common. At 0.20 mile, Cutoff Trail breaks off to the left. Continue right on Griffin Loop Trail, again following the sign for the overlook.
     Look just off the left side of the trail for a bulbous California bay. The grade picks up a bit, as the trail climbs through an area with lots of coffeeberry, as well as snowberry, Douglas fir, coast live oak, hazelnut, and California bay. Poison oak crowds the path in places. At 0.40 mile, the path to the overlook departs on the right. Turn right, and make note of the "Quiet: birds nesting" sign.
     After a few steps downhill, you'll reach Henderson Outlook. A forested ridge blocks most of the western view, but the attraction here is the birds. When I visited in late June volunteers helped me pick out a nest of great blue herons, and the egrets were impossible to miss: dozens of the white birds were plainly visible in two tall redwood trees. With binoculars or scopes you can get a good look, perhaps catching egrets arriving back at the nest with a snack for their offspring. When you're ready to continue, retrace your steps back to the previous junction, then turn right, continuing uphill on Griffin Loop Trail. (If you're ready to call it a day at the outlook, take the path downhill, Kent Trail, which ends at the ranch's picnic area.)
      The path narrows, and if you're wearing shorts prepare to conduct a vigilance campaign against wandering poison oak tendrils. Griffin Loop Trail ascends at a steady, moderately steep pace. In sunny stretches you might see ceanothus, buckeye, and monkeyflower, while in the shade hazelnut is a nearly constant understory companion to coast live oak and Douglas fir. The upper reaches of the trail travel through pockets of huckleberry and redwood, with some of the trees formed into perfect fairy circles. At 1.00 mile you'll reach a signed junction with Zumie Loop Trail. Turn right, continuing on Griffin Loop Trail.
      Griffin Loop Trail levels out and widens a bit. Along with a blend of redwood, hazelnut, huckleberry, Douglas fir, and California bay, you may notice some tanoak. At 1.31 miles you'll reach Picher Canyon Creek and a rest bench on the left. Elk clover and ferns thrive along the creek, which runs year round, although you won't see much water in summer and autumn. The trail persists through almost total tree cover, with a few big-leaf maple and some creambush mixed through redwood and California bay. Griffin Loop Trail steps out into a sunny spot, where coyote brush is common, then reaches an unsigned junction at 1.85 miles. Turn right.
      The grassy trail, which may be overgrown in late spring, weaves through some Douglas fir, then emerges in a clearing, in the upper reaches of a sloping meadow. Douglas fir block most of the view northwest, but southwest there are sweeping views of Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach, and the ocean. Devine Bench sits on the left, a perfect place for lunch on a clear day. When you're ready continue, now downhill, on the cutoff, which ends at an unsigned junction at 1.95 miles. Turn right, back onto Griffin Loop Trail.
     Widened to fire road width here, the trail begins a moderately steep descent. Coyote brush dominates the landscape, but orange-blossomed sticky monkeyflower is conspicuous in late spring and early summer. Douglas fir seem to be overtaking the hillside in fits and starts. By late June the grasses were dry and golden, but there were a few lingering flax and brodiaea blooming along the trail. At 2.33 miles dead-end Spring Trail sets off on the right. Continue straight. At 2.40 miles Olive-Hyde Trail breaks off on the left (signed as closed in June 2002). Continue straight on Griffin Loop Trail. Savor the last of the views west, for the trail soon arches right, returning to a coast live oak woodland. At about 2.59 miles, Griffin Loop Trail crosses a bridge and ends, back at the ranch area.

Total distance: 2.59 miles
Last hiked: Saturday, June 29, 2002

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