Olompali State Historic Park is an interpretive and educational site with great hiking. The park has recreated some Miwok structures, and kept standing some not-so-elegant 20th century buildings accompanied by non-native plants. Families with small kids will probably enjoy the short flat walk to Miwok Village, and hikers who are fond of northern Marin County's oak-sprinkled landscape should be delighted with the Loop Trail, which winds through oak habitat, California bay, buckeye, and lots of lovely madrones. Determined hikers can trek all the way to Mount Burdell, a more than 8 mile round trip.
      I don't think there's a bad time of year to visit Olompali. In winter you'll find hillsides refreshed with green grass, small seasonal waterfalls, and blooming manzanitas. Wildflowers sprawl throughout grassland and woods in spring. Summer is hot, but the trails are mostly shaded. In autumn, the deciduous oaks (including black, blue, Oregon, and valley) and fruiting madrones put on quite a show.
     For the featured hike, begin at the parking lot. The start of the Loop Trail is visible at the end of the lot, but take the gravel road to the right (near the portable toilet) toward the historic area. A long somewhat scrawny hedge is comprised of pomegranate shrubs, and in early autumn birds feast on the pretty fruit. The wide path winds levelly past some old buildings (most of them pretty sorry looking), a funky stone fountain, and a panoply of strange alien trees, including Chinese chestnut and Japanese cedar. You will probably hear and see small airplanes buzzing around from the airport just across the highway, and traffic noise is constant. Just past a restored barn, at 0.20 mile, the gravel road sweeps to the right, while a smaller path continues straight. Take the trail straight.
      The Loop Trail breaks off to the left at 0.26 mile, but continue straight on the other end of the Loop Trail, which is signed toward Miwok Village. Only hikers and equestrians are permitted on this trail, which passes through eucalyptus, buckeye, California bay, and white oaks. At a clearing on the left side of the trail, at 0.33 mile, structures from the Miwok days have been built, including kotchas (houses); one made from tule reeds, another from redwood bark. If you're visiting with young kids, this may be your turn-around point (there are picnic tables clustered around).
      From here the trail continues, diving back under tree cover and crossing Olompali Creek. Loop Trail starts a climb, passing a small reservoir on the right. California bays dominate through this stretch, but you might also see a few madrones and some hazelnut. Olompali Creek, which flows year round, follows along the trail. A new portion of trail veers right, departing from the old eroded route. Continue along the creek, but then at an unmarked junction at 0.50 mile, veer left and uphill, away from the creek.
      Sunlight is largely blocked out by towering California bay, madrone, coast live oak, and a few black oaks. Hazelnut, creambush, and ferns thrive in the shade. The new path feeds into the old trail, curves right, and takes a more direct route uphill through the forest. There are some huge madrones mixed through the other trees, and their bare patches of reddish wood seem to glow. Other than one small grassy spot, there is virtually no undergrowth in these woods, and this is one place where you can see the forest for the trees. Loop Trail climbs easily on a narrow course. As the trail curves right, madrones, California bay, coast and black oaks allow some grass to take up residence, and it feels like the whole forest is about to open up to grassland. Instead, the trees thicken and you'll reach a signed junction under the trees at about .94 mile. The trail to the right continues an ascent to Mount Burdell (topping out at over 1550 feet). If you want to avoid the moderately steep climb to the stone fence, turn left, otherwise turn right onto Mount Burdell Trail.
     After just a few feet, at about .97 mile, look to the left for a bench and narrow trail. On my last visit, the path was conspicuous, with a small barricade blocking off an eroded section, but even if that's gone, the path is signed "not a through trail." Head up the unnamed path.
     The landscape is gorgeous, with black oak, manzanita, California bay and madrone lining the tiny path, but the ascent is a steep and rocky one. This is an old-fashioned kind of trail, with no switchbacks to ease the climb. Deer are common. A few bare spots permit some long views east. The grade calms down as the path plateaus. There is one last short steep bit, then you'll emerge in a beautiful grassy meadow. Trails scatter (there are quite a few deer trails as well), but stay to the left and aim for the stone wall. At about 1.26 miles the path ends at the preserve boundary and the wall. In the 1880s Chinese laborers built a series of stone walls throughout what is now Olompali, and this segment stretches uphill toward the top of Mount Burdell, although there is no connecting trail. Retrace your steps back to the previous junction at about 1.55 miles, then turn right and retrace your steps to the junction with Loop Trail at about 1.58 miles. Continue straight on Loop Trail.
     Monkeyflower remains blooming along the trail into the summer, adding a burst of color. As you angle along the hillside, you may catch a glimpse to the east through a break in the trees. Loop Trail crosses a seasonal creek populated by California bays and ferns, then reemerges into a mixture of Oregon oak, madrone, and a few huge manzanitas. Switchbacks make the descent an easy one. You may hear hawks screeching overhead. Gradually, the trees thin and views to the east open up. You may want to pause to admire some of the largest manzanitas in the bay area, mixed through an open woodland of black oak, madrone, blue oak, Oregon oak, and valley oak. Miwok Village is visible downhill to the left. Loop Trail makes a sharp turn to the left above the parking lot, then drifts down to a junction at about 2.90 miles. If you go straight you'll end up at the previously encountered junction near the old barn, so turn right and return to the parking lot.

Total distance: about 3.07 miles
Last hiked: Friday, October 5, 2001

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