In brief:
2.1 mile out and back hike on fire roads above the College of Marin Indian
Valley campus. Some sections of trail are incredibly steep.
Highlights
Lonely steep fire road, neighborhood access, dog walking, views.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
Can a 2.1 mile out and back hike really be considered moderate? If
it's possible, this hike is a contender. Although much of the out-and-back
hike is easy, there are 2 very steep sections that must be navigated coming
and going. Total elevation change is about 940 feet. If you've got a trekking
pole, take it.
Exposure:
Mostly exposed.
Trail traffic:
Light.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails and fire roads.
Hiking time:
1 hour.
Season:
Hot in summer, but otherwise nice any time.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Novato, Marin County, exit Ignacio Boulevard. Drive west
about 1.3 miles, then turn left onto Country Club Drive. Drive about 0.3
mile, then turn right onto Eagle Drive. Continue uphill about 0.4 mile,
to the end of the road.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
38° 4'3.19"N
Longitude 122°34'0.89"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Stores, gas, pay phones, and restaurants off Ignacio Boulevard in Novato.
No camping.
Trailhead details:
No parking or entrance fees. Side of the road parking at the edge of a residential
neighborhood. No drinking water, restrooms, designated handicapped parking,
or maps. No wheelchair access. There is no direct public transportation
to this trailhead. Golden Gate Transit bus #1 runs along Ignacio Boulevard.
Visit the Transit
Info website for details.
Rules:
Preserve has one trail closed to cyclists, and a multi-use fire road. 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 permitted with exception granted through commercial use permit.
The Official Story:
MCOSD's Ignacio
Valley page
MCOSD 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).
• Barry Spitz's Open Spaces has a good map and trail descriptions (order this book from Amazon.com).
Ignacio Valley in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page