Hiking to one of Marin County's most beautiful viewpoints on a clear winter or spring day is a no-brainer. Making the trek in the fog is another story. Your thoughts may turn inward when you can see only a few feet in front of you. Without expansive vistas, you might notice different animal scats, tiny plants, and unusual pebbles. Muffled noises filter through the fog, prompting questions that can't be answered. Is that the sound of water dripping from an oak, invisible in a white cloud? Like Brigadoon, mystery and adventure seem to loom in the mist. After my first experience at Lucas Valley, on a foggy day, I had no idea what I had missed until I came back a second time on a clear day. Then I was stunned: the view from the summit may be Marin County's best.
      The handful of trails at Lucas Valley Open Space Preserve climb to Big Rock Ridge. You can create a loop by hiking along some streets in a pretty residential neighborhood, but otherwise all hikes are out and back treks. Spring is a nice time to visit, for wildflowers, and the climbs are easier in cool autumn and winter weather, although the trails can get muddy. Luiz Fire Road is a quick and short trail to the ridge, but it's a steep, tough climb (and then descent) that may have your hips, knees, and legs aching at the end of the hike (and maybe even the next day).
     Start at the white open space gate on Creekside Road. Begin walking uphill on Luiz Fire Road, which is initially paved. Oaks dot the grassy hillsides along this wide multi-use trail. Evergreen coast live oaks are the most common, but you might also see interior live oak and deciduous white oaks. Once past a water tank, the trail turns to dirt. A steep grade sets the tone for the trek to the ridge. After one straight stretch, the trail settles on a course of long, wide switchbacks. Sagebrush and monkeyflower occasionally punctuate the grassland, but coast live oaks and a few California bays prevail. Traffic noise from Lucas Valley Road fades a bit, but can be heard way up the hill. As you climb, trees fade back from the trail, and grassland takes over. After crossing from the south to the north side of the ridge, there's a short stretch mercifully easy bit, then trail heads straight toward the ridge. A group of coast live oaks gracefully make an appearance on the left side of the trail. Luiz Fire Road has one more pretty steep bit in store for you, and then you'll reach the end of the trail, at an unmarked junction at 1.54 miles. Turn left onto Big Rock Ridge Fire Road (you could explore Big Rock Ridge Fire Road to the right, but you'll face a descent and then more climbing to return to the junction).
     There's a sign posted on the left, reminding visitors that the trail heads into private property, and passage is permitted by an easement (this fairly recent agreement is not yet reflected on most maps). If you hike here in July and August, take note that the trail may be closed during deer hunting season. Big Rock Ridge Fire Road, a wide multi-use trail, proceeds uphill, angling around the summit (there's a rough path to the right, but stay on the fire road for now). Descending just a bit, Big Rock Ridge Fire Road reaches a gate at 1.84 miles. The rolling hills of H Ranch sprawl northwest, and the continuation of the fire road is visible. You can continue on the trail (1.7 more miles; don't stray from the fire road) and turn around when you feel like it, but this is the turn around point for this hike. Turn back and pick up an unsigned but obvious path heading uphill to the summit. From here, at 1640 feet, there are amazing views in every direction. On a clear day, the view spans from Mount St. Helena south to Montara Mountain, east to Mount Diablo and west beyond Mount Wittenberg to the Pacific Ocean. Of course, there are unparalleled views to closer publicly held lands, including Mount Tamalpais, Deer Island, Loma Alta, and Mount Burdell. On a cold day after a snowstorm in January 2002, there were patches of snow on the north side of the hill. When you're ready, continue on the path, pick up Big Rock Ridge Fire Road again, and return to the junction with Luiz Fire Road. Turn right and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Total distance: 3.68 miles
Last hiked: Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page

	Web www.bahiker.com