The Leo Cronin Fish Viewing space close to Samuel Taylor State Park in Lagunitas is a well-liked spot to attempt to spot spawning salmon, which suggests a crowded car parking zone on weekends. But when you may get there earlier than the crowds or after they’ve thinned, it’s additionally an important leaping off level for a number of hikes into the redwoods and past.
Simply throughout Sir Francis Drake is the Cross Marin Path, which takes customers throughout the bridge over Inkwells and onto the flat, normally roomy path into the park. It’s doable to do about 11 miles in whole in case you take the path previous the campgrounds to most distant turnaround level. For a shorter journey, you'll be able to flip round on the bridge within the park that results in the picnic space for a complete four-mile spherical journey.
In the event you’re on the lookout for one thing with just a little climb to it, then think about heading the other way, away from Sir Francis Drake and thru the trailhead gates on the car parking zone. From there, holding proper on the trail labeled Shafter Grade will join you to Bolinas Ridge Street. It’s an uphill climb for a lot of the two.8 miles or so, and with all of the rain, the path is rutted, gullied and crisscrossed with water flows that conservatively might be referred to as rivulets. Cyclists are as targeted on avoiding a number of the deeper mud as a lot as these of us on foot, so maintain an eye fixed and ear out for one another on the market.
Another choice in case you want a vacation spot to encourage you is to take Peters Dam Street to the left and make your strategy to Kent Lake. Take within the lake view, take a number of spurs to get nearer up, after which make your manner again by the identical route.
The world gives a number of different do-it-yourself hikes that cobble collectively hearth roads from the state parks and Marin Municipal Water District. One chance is at Kent Lake to proceed to Grassy Slope Street after which head west onto San Geronimo Ridge Street. That’ll get you a beautiful loop hike of about six-plus miles.
One factor you received’t discover as spring blooms afresh all alongside these trails is salmon. The viewing season is previous its peak, and we noticed not one of the fish on a latest outing. Lagunitas Creek was flowing quick, a welcome sight after the prolonged drought.
For when the salmon are in season, we've this viewing space due to the efforts of Leo Cronin, whose identify it bears. The native to Marin spent his life advocating for fishery safety, together with the Lagunitas watershed, which has been described as house to the most important of the wild coho salmon runs in California. Protecting efforts took off within the Nineteen Eighties with development of salmon ladders, however the destiny of the salmon species on this space has been a curler coaster journey. Among the many highs, although, has been the looks of two salmon species apart from coho – pink salmon and chum salmon — within the space in 2017. Not less than some naturalists took their presence as a constructive signal of a thriving ecosystem.
Getting there: The car parking zone for the salmon viewing space is on the south aspect of Sir Francis Drake. A few block down from this entrance on the opposite aspect of the highway is a pullout space with house for a handful of vehicles, however parking there means taking what I view as a considerably treacherous jaunt to any of those trails. Canines are allowed on leash.
Emily Willingham is a Marin science journalist, guide creator and biologist. You could find her on Twitter @ejwillinghamphd or on Mastodon at ejwillingham@mastodon.social.