Marin hike: One-way Fairfax trail a good one to do with a friend
If you’re looking for a hike that will go through a variety of habitats, offering sunny panoramic vistas and cool shady woods, then this 6.7-mile moderately difficult hike in Fairfax is one you might want to consider.
It is a one-way hike, so you will probably want to do it with a friend or loved one. Leave one car at Elliot Nature Preserve at the end of Cascade Drive in Fairfax. Then return to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and go west to White Hill to start the hike. Because paving equipment makes the parking area on the east side unavailable, use the dirt parking lot on the west side of Sir Francis Drake just before Brown Bridge. Even with a map, this route is a bit difficult to follow because of unsigned junctions, so I recommend taking these directions with you.
Ignore the trail that starts right from the parking area and walk a short distance uphill on the paved bike path and road shoulder. Pass one utility pole and look for the signed White Hill Trail at the second utility pole. The trail heads uphill into a oak-bay-madrone woodland. In .3 miles, cross a bridge over a dry creek, and almost immediately a second bridge. Past the second bridge you see the first redwoods and Douglas firs, with an understory of Western sword ferns.
In .3 miles turn left on the signed Sherwood Forest Fire Road, named by the Boy Scouts of Tamrancho, which is high enough to afford views of the bay. Another .3 miles brings you to White Hill Fire Road where you turn right. A sign and fence mark the end of public open space. Turn left to take the unmarked trail parallel to the fence. On the map it is Porcupine Trail. This area is badly infested by yellow star thistle, a weed from southern Europe and western Eurasia that infests more than 12 million acres in California and disrupts natural ecosystems.
In about .3 miles, the trail enters a Douglas fir forest with an understory of native blackberry vines, Western sword ferns and wood ferns. Signage is a work in progress here. Turn left at a new wooden post that has no sign as of yet. Right would take you to a closed gate. At the sign B17 extension, stay right.
Bracken, one of our few ferns that can thrive in full sun, grows here. Bracken fronds and roots were used by Native Americans as food, medicine for a variety of ailments, bedding and basketry. Growing on all continents except Antarctica, bracken’s tightly coiled, emergent fronds, known as fiddleheads, are eaten in many countries. They are especially popular in Japan and Korea. Since bracken contains ptaquiloside, a known carcinogen, many sources recommend limiting the amount consumed and either blanching the ferns in cold, salty water or boiling them to reduce the toxicity.
At a second post with no sign, stay right. The trail will enter a cool bay forest. After the trail emerges from the woods, turn left on Blue Ridge Fire Road. As you climb on this sunny stretch you can enjoy views of Mount Tamalpais and Lake Bon Tempe on the right, and Mount Barnaby to the left. At a signed junction, turn right on Wagon Wheel Trail, which goes 1.3 miles through chaparral to Blue Ridge Fire Road where you turn right again. (Note: there is no public access between the two sections of Blue Ridge Fire Road, so you need to take Wagon Wheel Trail.)
In about .1 miles turn right on an unsigned fire road which is actually the continuation of Blue Ridge Fire Road. Straight would be Burnt Tree Fire Road. This is a steep, gravely downhill that can be slippery.
At an unmarked junction go right. You will now be on Middle Fire Road. Ignore Cut Trail on the left. Turn left on Cascade Fire Road where the sign is just past the junction, so you don’t see it until after you turn. Elliott Nature Preserve is a section of Cascade Canyon Open Space that was owned by former Fairfax Mayor Floyd Elliott. Cross a dry creek, go through a meadow and at a post with no sign stay left and cross the dry creek again. The trail brings you to the end of Cascade Drive to complete the hike.
To get to Cascade Canyon Open Space from Highway 101, take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 3.4 miles west to Fairfax. Turn left onto Pacheco Avenue, then right onto Broadway and make the first left onto Bolinas Road. In .4 miles a slight right at a stop sign puts you onto Cascade Drive. Go about 1.5 miles to the dead end. Note that parking is limited. Please be considerate of residents and do not block driveways or park on private property.
After you leave one car, drive to the trailhead by returning to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and driving west for approximately 2.5 miles. The trailhead is on the left before Brown Bridge and before the crest of the hill.
Dogs on leash are permitted. Note: Parts of the route have a lot of poison oak on both sides of the trail.
Wendy Dreskin has led the College of Marin nature/hiking class Meandering in Marin since 1998, and teaches other nature classes for adults and children. To contact her, go to wendydreskin.com