In brief:
3.8 mile nearly-level semi-loop along the edge of a Novato marsh.

Highlights:
Marsh, flat trails, dog walking.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.8 mile semi-loop hike with about 235 feet in elevation change, is easy, and a good choice for beginners. Trailhead elevation is about 10 feet. The featured hike's high point is only about 72 feet.

Exposure:
Mostly exposed.

Trail traffic:
Moderate.

Trail surfaces:
Dirt fire roads and trails.

Hiking time:
Under 2 hours.

Season:
Hot in summer, nice in spring. Often muddy or flooded.

Getting there:

From US 101 in Marin County exit San Marin Drive/Atherton Avenue in Novato. Go east on Atherton Avenue about 0.2 mile, take the first left onto Binford Road, drive about 0.2 mile and park on either side of the road near the open space gate.

GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude 38° 7'6.63"N
Longitude 122°33'51.64"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)

Trailhead details:
There is plenty of roadside parking. No entrance or parking fees. No restrooms, drinking water, or maps are available (you can use your smartphone to scan the QR code at the trailhead info kisok). No designated handicapped parking, but one trail may be accessed, with assistance (but avoid bringing anything with wheels to Rush Creek in the wet months, when it's very muddy). There is no direct public transportation to the preserve, but a few Golden Gate Transit buses stop within walking distance: visit the Transit Info website for details.

Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phone, stores, and restaurants along 101 in Novato. No camping.

Rules:
All trails are multi use. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Leash must not exceed 6 feet in length. Dogs are allowed on signed fire roads and trails only. 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.

The Official Story:
MCOSD's Rush Creek 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).
• Don and Kay Martin's Hiking Marin (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Barry Spitz's Open Spaces (order this book from Amazon.com).



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