In brief:
1.8 mile loop round the base of a little hill. Good hawk watching.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.8 mile loop hike is easy, with about 265 feet in elevation
change.
Exposure:
Shaded at first, than mostly exposed.
Trail traffic:
Moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails.
Hiking time:
Less than 1 hour.
Season:
Nice year round.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Marin Drive/Atherton Avenue. Drive
east on Atherton Avenue for about 1.7 miles, then turn right on Olive. After
about 0.6 mile, turn left on Deer Island Lane. After about 0.2 mile
bear right and look for the small parking area by the Open Space sign.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude 38° 6'8.00"N
Longitude 122°32'20.63"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phone, stores, and restaurants available back to the west in Novato.
No camping.
Trailhead details:
Parking for about 4 cars, with additional space on the side of the street.
No entrance or parking fees. No toilet facilities,
drinking water, or maps are available. No designated handicapped parking,
and trails are too narrow for wheelchairs. There is no direct public transportation
to this trailhead.
Rules:
No bikes. Trails are open to hikers and equestrians. Dogs may be off-leash on fire roads only if kept under voice control. Leash must always be readily available.
Dogs are allowed on signed trails and must be leashed. Leash must not exceed 6 feet in length. Off-fire road and off-trail use prohibited.
Individuals accompanying dogs are required to clean up and remove pet waste. A maximum of 3 dogs per person is allowed.
No commercial dog walking permitted in this preserve. Open 24 hours.
The Official Story:
MCOSD's
Deer Island page
MCOSD field office (415)473-2816
Map Choices:
• Download the pdf map from the MCOSD website.
• Trails of Northeast Marin County is my favorite map (available
from Pease Press).
• Open Spaces, by Barry Spitz, has a decent map, with trail
and preserve descriptions (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Hiking Marin, by Don and Kay Martin, has a good map and short
preserve description (order
this book from Amazon.com).
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page