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  • Archived Hikes 1
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      • Archives 2016-2018

Indian Valley Open Space Preserve

Address: 1700 Indian Valley Rd, Novato, CA (approx.)
Parking: Free street parking available near the address above (about 30 spaces). Please be respectful of residents. You can also park in the College of Marin parking lot for a fee.
Hours: 24 hours
Type: Hike (moderate, 2+ miles)
Regulations: Dogs allowed on-leash (can be off-leash on the fire road)
Best time to visit: Right after a heavy rain
Don't miss: The waterfall!
 
Description: This park has 558-acres of shady trails lined with oak and bay trees. During this time of year everything is a vibrant green, with moss-covered trees and fern-lined trails. Since we just had some rain, the creek is gushing. From our car, we walked to the end of Indian Valley Road, through the fence, and up the right side of the fire road to the Waterfall Trail. After a little less than a mile hike, you will come to the waterfall. I recommend taking the lower trail first to view it from below. The waterfall cascades down over 40 ft, but the tallest section, where you can take pictures, is only about 15 ft. From here, you can head back for a hike a little less than 2 miles. We decided to continue on to hike the entire loop. You will have to cross the top of the waterfall, which is about ankle deep this time of year, so I recommend wearing boots or bringing a change of socks if you’re hiking it after a heavy rain. The trail continues up and eventually heads to the left, where we saw a family of deer in the woods. The trail opens up a bit and the shady trails become flooded with sunlight. You will come to a brief opening in the trees, where you can see a view of the city. Total elevation change to this point is only about 250ft, but there are a couple steep sections on the way up. From here you’ll head downhill and soon you'll come to a large pond. You can take either trail, but the trail circling around it to your right is slightly shorter. You'll cross the creek a few more times, and end up at the top of the paved fire road, next to the garden at the college. From here, turn left and hike back down the fire road and you will soon recognize where you started. There are signs and fences along the fire road asking dogs to stay out of the creek here to protect the frogs, but on the rest of the hike just described, your dog will probably unintentionally be swimming in the creek, just to cross. The entire waterfall loop hike is approximately 3.5 miles long.

There is a trash can and doggy clean up bags at the trailhead, but no restrooms or running water.

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  • Home
  • Browse All
    • Alameda County >
      • Albany Bulb
      • Alameda Creek Regional Trail
      • Anthony Chabot Regional Park (Lake Chabot)
      • Aquatic Park
      • Chabot Park
      • Barlago Italian Kitchen
      • Buchanan Dog Beach
      • California Canoe & Kayak (Oakland)
      • César Chávez Park
      • Claremont Canyon
      • Coyote Hills Regional Park
      • Crab Cove
      • Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area
      • Dimond Canyon Park
      • Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
      • Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge
      • Dublin Hills Regional Park
      • Fairmont Ridge
      • Five Canyons Open Space Preserve
      • Fremont Central Park
      • Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park
      • Greenbelt Trails
      • Hayward Regional Shoreline
      • Heron Bay Trail
      • Holy Land Restaurant
      • Ikaros Greek Restaurant
      • Jerusalem Organic Kitchen
      • Joaquin Miller Park
      • Lake Anza
      • Lake Chabot
      • Lake Merritt
      • Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve
      • Leona Heights Park
      • Marina Park
      • Martin Canyon Creek Trail
      • Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline
      • Mission Peak
      • Montclair Railroad Trail/ Torii Gate
      • Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
      • Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline
      • Park Street Classic Car Show (Annual)
      • Pleasanton Ridge Regional Preserve
      • Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park
      • Robert's Park
      • Room 389
      • Shoreline Park
      • Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
      • Skyline Gate Staging Area
      • Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail
      • Sunol Regional Wilderness
      • Temescal Regional Recreation Area
      • Tilden Regional Park
      • Upper Anthony Chabot Regional Park (Oakland Entrance)
      • Upper Knowland Park
      • Vargas Plateau Regional Park
    • Butte County >
      • Feather Falls
      • Motel 6 - Oroville
      • Riverbend Park
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      • Acalanes Ridge Open Space
      • Briones Regional Park
      • Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
      • Crockett Hills Regional Park
      • Diablo Foothills Regional Park
      • EBMUD Trails
      • Fernandez Ranch
      • Frowning Ridge
      • Geppetto's Caffe
      • Hacienda de las Flores Park
      • Hillside Nature Area
      • Howe Homestead Park
      • Indian Rock
      • Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
      • Lafayette Community Park
      • Lafayette Reservoir
      • Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
      • Lime Ridge Open Space
      • Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline
      • Moraga Commons Park
      • Mulholland Ridge Open Space Preserve
      • Point Isabel
      • Point Molate Beach Park
      • Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
      • Point San Pablo Harbor
      • Rubio's
      • San Quentin Beach
      • Shell Ridge Open Space
      • Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve
      • Sugarloaf Open Space
      • Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve
      • Tender Greens
      • Tilden Regional Park
      • Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
    • El Dorado County >
      • Angora Lakes Trail
      • Bijou Community Park
      • Cascade Falls
      • Horsetail Falls
      • Inspriation Point
      • Motel 6 - South Lake Tahoe
      • Mt. Tallac
    • Marin County >
      • 101 Surf Sports
      • Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve
      • Blackie's Pasture
      • Camino Alto Preserve
      • Carson Falls
      • Cascade Falls
      • Cataract Falls
      • Dawn Falls
      • Ignacio Valley Preserve (Fairway Falls)
      • Indian Valley Open Space Preserve
      • King Mountain Open Space Preserve
      • Marin Headlands (Coastal Trail)
      • Old Saint Hilary's Open Space Preserve
      • Phoenix Lake
      • Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve
      • Roy's Redwoods
      • Sam's Anchor Cafe
      • Tiburon Peninsula Historical Trail
      • Tucker Trail Falls
    • Mariposa County >
      • Happy Burger Diner
      • Yosemite National Park
    • Mendocino County >
      • Catch-a-Canoe
      • MacKerricher State Park
      • Mendocino Headlands State Park
      • Navarro River Redwoods State Park
      • Princess Seafood
      • Skunk Train
      • The Stanford Inn By The Sea
      • Van Damme State Beach
    • Mono County >
      • Bodie State Historic Park
      • Jolly Kone
      • Lundy Canyon
      • Mono Lake (Tufa State National Reserve)
      • Virginia Creek Settlement
    • Monterey County >
      • 17-Mile Drive
      • Asilomar State Beach
      • Bistro Beaujolais
      • Carmel Beach
      • Fishwife
      • Fort Ord Dunes State Park
      • Garland Ranch Regional Park
      • Jack's Peak
      • Monterey Bay Coastal Trail
      • Monterey Bay Kayaks
      • Monterey Municipal Beach
      • Motel 6 - Downtown Monterey
      • Ryan Ranch Disc Golf Course
      • Ventana Wilderness
    • Nevada County >
      • Fairy Falls
    • Placer County >
      • Hidden Falls
    • San Francisco County >
      • 2.2 Mile Urban Hike
      • Bernal Heights Park
      • The Brixton
      • Billy Goat Hill Park
      • Blackwood
      • Clipper Cove Beach
      • Crissy Field
      • Dynamo Donut + Coffee
      • Fort Funston
      • Fort Mason
      • Glen Canyon Park
      • Golden Gate Park
      • Grand View Park
      • The Great Lawn/ Avenue of the Palms
      • Java Beach Cafe
      • John McLaren Park
      • Interior Greenbelt
      • Lake Merced
      • Lands End
      • Letterman Digital Arts Center
      • Marina Green
      • Mount Davidson
      • Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve
      • Ocean Beach
      • Palace of Fine Arts
      • Philz Coffee Truck
      • Stern Grove
      • Sutro Baths
      • Sutro Heights Park
      • TreasureFest
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      • Barbara's Fishtrap
      • Bedwell Bayfront Park
      • Bob's Vegetable Stand and Pumpkin Farm
      • Cafe Pacifica
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      • Esplanade Beach
      • Flying Fish Grill
      • Half Moon Bay Kayak Co.
      • McNee Ranch State Park (Montara Mountain)
      • Montara State Beach
      • Mori Point
      • Mussel Rock Park
      • Panera Bread
      • Pedro Point Headlands
      • Poplar Beach
      • Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve
      • Rancho Corral de Tierra
      • Seal Point
      • Taqueria La Mexicana
      • Wavecrest Open Space
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      • Calero County Park
      • Uvas Canyon County Park
    • Santa Cruz County >
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      • Archives 2016-2018