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Home | Take a Family Hike at Santa Margarita Island Open Space Preserve

Take a Family Hike at Santa Margarita Island Open Space Preserve

Families looking for a short, easy hike with interesting things to see along the way should check out Santa Margarita Island Open Space Preserve in northern San Rafael. Located in the Santa Venetia neighborhood just east of the Marin Civic Center, this small preserve really is a little island surrounded by tidal wetlands. It's home to numerous birds and other wildlife, so make sure you bring your binoculars!

Open the gate and walk across the little bridge onto the four-and-a-half-acre island. You'll see pilings and concrete walls, which are the remains of a failed development from the early 1900s that sought to transform the area into a Venice-like town, complete with canals and gondolas (and hence the name Santa Venetia). The bridge is a great place to look for shorebirds that live in the wetlands, including egrets, black-necked stilts, and the endangered California clapper rail.

Once over the bridge, you'll be on the trailhead. Go right or left—it doesn't matter, because the whole trail is a flat, .3-mile loop. It's easy for hikers of any age, and can probably be managed with an off-road capable stroller, too. No bikes are allowed here—just hikers and equestrians.

You may be just a few minutes away from Highway 101, but you feel like you're a world away here. A hike here should take about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how much time you spend looking at birds and wildlife along the way.

The trail winds through oak and bay woodlands and offers great views of the wetlands and Mt. Tam. Along the way, we say plenty of other birds, including noisy acorn woodpeckers, western scrub jays, doves, and plenty of crows, most of whom seemed to be eating the acorns scattered all over the ground.

 

You'll soon wind up back at the trailhead. If you still want to explore, take the trail uphill the goes to the left of the large rock formation new the trailhead. This leads to a small forest clearing at the top of the hill, with a few interesting boulders and an even better view of the surrounding area.

If You Go

Santa Margarita Island is located at the end of Meadow Drive, off North San Pedro Road in San Rafael (94903). To get there, take Highway 101 to the North San Pedro Road exit, and head east past the Marin County Civic Center. Turn left onto Meadow Drive, and follow it to the end of the road. Parking is along the street.

As with most Marin County Open Space District preserves, there are no restrooms or sources of drinking water here. Make sure you pack your own snacks and plenty of water. Much of the trail is in shade, but bring sunscreen and hats for the parts that aren't. Looks out for poison oak, which abounds along the trail here.

To learn more about Santa Margarita Island Open Space Preserve, to download a printable trail map, and to view an online field guide to the wildlife and plants in the area, visit www.marinparks.org.