In brief:
1.2 mile flat loop around a San Rafael marsh.
Highlights:
Flat and easy, San Pablo Bay views, dog walking.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
The single trail is flat, and this 1.2 mile loop hike is very easy. Total elevation change is about 90 feet.

Exposure:
Totally exposed.

Trail traffic:
Light.

Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails.

Hiking time:
Under an hour.

Season:
Nice any time.

Getting there:

From US 101 in Marin County, exit North San Pedro Road. Drive east on North San Pedro Road about 2 miles, then turn left on Vendola. Drive about 0.1 mile on Vendola and park near the open space gate on the left.

GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude 38° 0'51.47"N
Longitude 122°30'36.61"W
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)

Gas, food, and lodging:
Stores, pay phones, restaurants and gas back toward US 101 on North San Pedro Road. No camping.

Trailhead details:
Side of the road parking at the edge of a residential neighborhood. No parking or entrance fees. No drinking water, restrooms, maps, or designated handicapped parking. The single trail is flat, and when dry it could be navigable by wheelchair. Golden Gate Transit bus #34 stops on North San Pedro Road, a short distance from the trailhead.

Rules:
Trail is multi-use. 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 at this preserve.

The Official Story:
MCOSD's Santa Venetia page
MCOSD (415)473-2816

Map Choices:

• Download the park map pdf from MCOSD.
• Trails of Northeast Marin County (map), published by Pease Press is a great guide to Santa Venetia Marsh.
• Open Spaces: Lands of the Marin County Open Space District, by Barry Spitz (order this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and trail descriptions.

Santa Venetia Marsh in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.

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