Indian Tree is not the best-known open space preserve/park in northern Marin county. In fact, you've probably never heard of it. While Mount Burdell and Indian Valley are popular with locals, and Olompali has a high profile entrance on US 101, Indian Tree is tucked back in a quiet section of Novato, on a gravel road not far from Stafford Lake. You may encounter equestrians and runners on the lower trails at Indian Tree, but cyclists are not permitted on any of the trail, and the highest, most remote part of the preserve is very quiet. Indian Tree boasts a nice ascent through a mixed forest of redwood, California bay, oaks, and madrone, with the reward of great views and an impressive redwood grove at the top of the mountain.
     Since the preserve shelters a broad variety of plants, it's a good destination in all seasons. Look for delicate annual wildflowers in the woods and grassland from late winter to late summer. In autumn the black oaks are pretty. It's a muddy trudge in winter, but that's when madrone, manzanita, and huckleberry bloom.
     For the featured hike, start at the Vineyard Road trailhead. Begin walking through the grassland on Upper Meadow Trail. The path, open to hikers and equestrians only, initially runs parallel to an adjacent house's property line, but Upper Meadow Trail curves right and begins a slight climb. At about 460 feet, Upper Meadow Trail meets Big Trees Trail at a signed junction. Turn left onto Big Trees Trail.
     The narrow trail, open to equestrians and hikers only, quickly heads under cover of California bay, madrone, and coast live oak, and begins to climb in earnest. Look for aptly-named snowberries on the right side of the trail in autumn. Relatively new switchbacks are part of a Big Trees Trail reroute, which replaced a former steep straight course up the mountainside, still visible in places (you will cross this old trail many times on your way to the top). The new trail is perfectly graded and it's an easy ascent. Big Trees Trail steps out into the grassland, offering initial views to the north of Verissimo Hills, Little Mountain, and Indian Valley Golf Course (Stafford Lake becomes visible a little further uphill). After crossing back into the woods, the trail sweeps through the grass again, passes a group of buckeyes, and then drops back under the trees. Big Trees repeats this pattern as it climbs, ascending in a wide zig-zag pattern up the mountain, passing through small clumps of redwoods, coyote-brush dotted hillsides, and forests of madrone, coast live and black oak, Douglas fir, and ferns. As Big Trees Trail progresses uphill, the trees thicken, views are obscured, and outside noise fades. In the understory, look for wild rose, hazelnut, California coffeeberry, creambush, poison oak, and some large toyon shrubs. In winter you might see frothy white flowered milkmaids and blue-purple hound's tongue. On my first Indian Tree hike, I often had the sensation that I was just about to reach a crest in the hill, but the mountain kept undulating upward, with no end in sight. At 1.78 miles, you'll finally reach a signed junction with Deer Camp Trail (on the signpost Deer Camp is identified simply as "trail," but Big Trees is named). Turn left to remain on Big Trees Trail. (If you've had enough and want to head back, take Deer Camp Trail downhill now, then return to the trailhead on Upper Meadow Trail.)
     After a short stretch under familiar tree cover, Big Trees Trail suddenly steps out into chaparral and a viewpoint. Straight ahead the hillside drops steeply into a wooded canyon, then ascends to form Indian Tree's east flank, where Indian Tree Fire Road is visible. If you look to the right and uphill, your gaze will sweep past forested slopes, to a grassy ridgetop, marked by a tall stand of trees. This ridgetop is high point of the hike, and the trees are redwoods. If you're visiting in winter, you may get a chance to savor the scent of blooming manzanita; chamise, the dominate chaparral shrub along the trail, flowers later in spring. Just as abruptly as the trail entered the chaparral it leaves it, and Big Trees Trail resumes an easy climb through a mixed woodland. On a January hike, I passed a large, fresh bobcat scat on the side of the trail. At 2.13 miles, Ship's Mast Trail sets out on the left side of the trail at a signed junction (this is a shortcut trail that shaves some elevation and miles from the hike, but if you take Ship's Mast you'll miss the ridgetop section). Continue straight on Big Trees Trail.
      The narrow path picks up the pace and climbs steadily, with two short moderately steep stretches. One of my favorite areas, a lush landscape of ferns, huckleberry shrubs, and gooseberry, with towering madrones and coast live oaks, feels enchanted. Big Trees Trail then passes a lovely small redwood grove. After one last short climb through the trees, Big Trees Trail enters grassland at the crest of the ridge, at 2.61 miles. There are two signed junctions a few yards apart. Turn right onto Indian Tree Fire Road.
     The fire road, closed to cyclists, climbs at the edge of the grassland, but soon veers right back into the woods. Just before the end of the trail (and the preserve boundary), at 2.71 miles, look to the left for a bucolic view all the way to Mount Tam. Retrace your steps back to the previous junction, at 2.81 miles, then remain on Indian Tree Fire Road a few yards to the undersigned junction with an unnamed path. Stay to the right on this path.
     A sloping meadow gives way to pretty treeless rolling hills at the preserve boundary to the right. The path keeps a level pace as it runs along a line of redwoods. When I was here in July I was surprised to see a few yellow mariposa lilies blooming along the trail, the last of the season's wildflowers. On a second hike, in January 2002, there was a large swath of snow nestled in the grass on the right. The path splits; stay left. After a few feet, at 2.96 miles, you'll arrive at a viewpoint. There's a log and a patch of grass, perfect for a lunch or rest stop. Madrones, giant redwoods, and huckleberry shrubs surround the viewpoint to the right and left, but straight ahead there are unobstructed views northeast. The hillside falls away, revealing the lower slopes of Indian Tree, flats of Novato, and Mount Burdell. When you're ready to continue, take the unsigned but obvious shortcut path straight ahead downhill a few feet, to Indian Tree Fire Road. Turn right.
     The broad fire road, open to hikers and equestrians only, descends easily, through the upper reaches of an oak-dotted sloping hillside. Indian Tree Fire Road enters a mixed woodland for a short distance, then reemerges just downslope of a ridge and the preserve boundary. You might see bobcat, coyote, and deer prints on the trail. To the right the lands of H Ranch sprawl south all the way to Big Rock Ridge and Lucas Valley Open Space Preserve. Currently the Bay Area Ridge Trail is stranded on this ridge, with the next completed segment south on the slopes of Loma Alta. Miles of private property intervene. This may be one of the last segments to link the trail together, and when completed (probably via already existing old ranch roads) this will be a very long stretch; it's more than 3 miles as the crow flies from this ridge to Big Rock at Lucas Valley Road. For now, you'll have to visualize the route as you take in the long views of Big Rock Ridge's rolling hills from the side of Indian Tree Fire Road. After a moderate descent through woods and grassland, you'll reach a signed junction at 3.65 miles. Ship's Mast Trail takes a sharp left, on the way back to Big Trees Trail. Take a soft left (a private ranch road continues right/straight) to remain on Indian Tree Fire Road.
     The fire road begins a somewhat steep descent through grassland. A few feet down, on the right, a well-worn but unsigned path departs. I wondered about the path, but continued on the fire road. After a few more steps, it all became clear; the path bypasses a very sharp descent on the fire road. When the trail is wet, the descent is more than steep, it's darn tricky navigating through the slick mud. The sweeping views north are some consolation, and soon enough the trail levels out to a more manageable grade. Expect more mud in winter, when seasonal seeps trickle across the trail. Indian Tree Fire Road makes a short ascent, rejoining with the bypass trail. Along the steady descent there are pockets of coast live oak, California bay, redwood, and madrone, but grassland dominates. A second bypass path breaks off to the right, and this time I took it, although the subsequent drop on the fire road is fairly mild. The path rejoins the fire road and you'll head downhill out of the grassland, with oaks, bays, and madrones lining the trail. At 4.32 miles, there's an open space gate and stile. The fire road drops past a water tank and draws increasingly closer to civilization. You'll ascend a short hill, pass under some power lines, then walk downhill past a tennis court and estate. At 4.68 miles, there's a second gate and a step over. Turn right onto paved Rebelo Lane.
     The road winds descends sharply past some large houses. A handful of MCOSD "public trail" signposts will shepherd you downhill. At 4.93 miles, a signed path heads downhill on the right. Turn right and descend on a nice shaded trail. At 5.03 miles, the path ends at Vineyard Road. Turn left onto Vineyard Road.
     You can follow a well-worn path on the side of the road, but when the path ends you'll be forced to walk on the pavement. At 5.14 miles, look for a signed path on the left, which permits a short bypass. The path crosses a creek and edges along not far from a residence, then reemerges at Vineyard at 5.21 miles. Turn left and walk on the side of the road uphill back to the trailhead.

Total distance: 5.54 miles
Last hiked: Thursday, January 31, 2002


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