Audubon Canyon Ranch 2/19/19

Lucky us!  We have permission to hike in Audubon Canyon Ranch Bolinas Lagoon Preserve! This is a beautiful habitat, not usually open to the public. There is an elevation gain of about 1100' feet.

(Click here for a recap of our 2011 hike. View photos from our past hikes at Audubon Canyon ranch in this online album).

Directions to trailhead:   

Coming from North or Central Marin:  Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to Olema. Turn south (left) on Highway 1 and continue on for about 10 miles to Bolinas Lagoon. The preserve will be on the left approximately 1 mile further south. The entrance will be closed with a gate. Go south of the entrance and go in the exit.

Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's Church in Fairfax at 8:45 am.

Coming from Southern Marin:  From Highway 101 take the Stinson Beach exit. Follow the signs and Highway 1 approximately 12 miles to Stinson Beach. Continue 3 1/2 miles north to the parking lot exit just before the preserve gate on right hand side of the highway. If you don't know where it is, you may have to drive to the official entrance and turn around.

Click here for a Google Maps map that shows the location of Audubon Canyon Ranch. Click on the teardrop icon to get driving times and directions from your location.

Time: 1 hour from College of Marin. Restrooms at trailhead.

Weather forecast: As of Wednesday, February 13th, the National Weather Service forecast for the hike was mostly sunny with a high near 52. (Click here for an updated forecast).

Herons and egret nesting: This area used to be the nesting site for herons and egrets. Click here to read about current conditions.

More on this hike: If you have the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, go to hike "F18 Griffin Loop - Bird Overlook Trails" for a map of trails within the preserve.

There are two major loop trails (probably about 3 miles long each) going uphill and down, and a shorter 0.8 mile loop nearer to the bottom of the hill.

On our 2009 hike we went up the Zumie's Loop Trail, then through Junction 2 on the Martin's map, and continued south to where the Griffin Loop and Bourne trails meet, descended the Griffin Loop trail to the bottom of the hill, and then looped back to the parking area.