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Visit Mount Burdell in all its Springtime Glory

Mount Burdell is a great place to visit in the spring. Wildflowers, birds and majestic trees are bursting out of the winter doldrums. Hike, ride, run, picnic, or dog walk. Mileage can vary, so peruse the map for your favored route.

Mt. Burdell lies in the big country of northern Marin. The mountain's gracious slopes and grand old trees provide a bounty to the senses. Now is the time to visit Mt. Burdell, during these cool spring days, when the grass is green and the wildflowers and spring-time birds are exuberantly celebrating the end of winter.

The trail we took passes by Hidden Lake, a vernal pool that is full and vibrant with aquatic life. This is a great spot to take kids to see frogs and other amphibians during the upcoming spring break.

The heritage of Mt. Burdell lies in the grand old ranchos of the Mexican-American land grants. Olompali to the north, is the site of original ranch buildings owned by the Burdell/Black family. That area is part of Olompali State Park, whose lands lie adjacent to the Mt. Burdell Preserve (Marin County Open Space). Today, cows still graze the flanks of the mountain and western horseback riding is popular here.

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Our path took us along Michako Trail, whose grasses were bursting with wildflowers. From there we took Old Quarry Trail up to the peak. This is a sidesplitting route, but the narrow trail ascends in a creek canyon and is shady and lively with the sounds of creek water and birds to keep your pace brisk. At the top of Old Quarry Trail, a small unofficial trail crosses Burdell Mountain Fire Road to explore the peak and an old stone wall built by Chinese laborors, and to see the view north. The marshes of the Petaluma River, Mt. St. Helena, and Sonoma are rare vistas for Ross Valley residents. The old quarry lies west on Burdell Mountain Fire Road, and down a little spur trail. The quarry stone was used as cobblestones for early San Francisco.

We finished by heading back on Cobblestone Fire Road to end at the San Andreas Drive gate and parking. The trees along this route are truly magnificent. They are some of the oldest trees in Marin, and they seem to enjoy the north Marin climate. The buckeyes are leafing out now and the light green foliage is refreshing to the eye. Several specimens are said to be the oldest in Marin.

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We passed mountain bikers, hikers, school kids, and horseback riders on our way down. Novatoans clearly treasure this gem of a park in their backyard. They are also enjoying the mild weather on the mountain. Summer can bring blistering heat, and dry, dusty conditions.

See the book "Hiking Marin: 141 Great Hikes in Marin County" for more details.  Click here to go the Marin Trails website, where you can find more information about the book.

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