Hill parking area may be closed because of high fire danger.)
From Highway 101 southbound, take the Sir Francis Drake/Kentfield exit and follow the directions above.
FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are no facilities at the trailhead, which is on the west side of Fairfax–Bolinas Road, about 50 feet north of the parking area.
After carefully crossing Fairfax–Bolinas Road, you walk north about 50 feet from the parking area to a gated dirt road. This is Pine Mountain Road, which brings you, in about 2.3 miles, to within 100 yards or so of the mountain’s summit; a short, narrow trail covers the remaining ground. Passing an information board and an old wooden sign, right, you follow the dirt road as it climbs, bends right, and then follows a rolling course atop a broad ridge.
Serpentine Soil
The underlying rock in this area, serpentine, creates a soil that gives rise to a number of unusual plants. Among these are leather oak, a shrub, and Sargent cypress, an evergreen tree growing here in a stunted form. Leather oak grows in low clumps, its dull green, oval leaves curled under and often spiny. Sargent cypress, found farther up the road, has round, gray-brown cones, and angled strips of gray bark.
Now on rocky ground, you climb on a gentle and then moderate grade past a few pines, stands of manzanita, chinquapin, and chaparral pea, and a dense thicket of oak — some of the trees are the dwarf form of interior live oak, and others are a hybrid variety. The grade eases, and as you crest a high point, you can see The Saddle, a windy gap between Pine Mountain and an unnamed peak to its northeast.
Dropping slightly, you soon pass Oat Hill Road, left, at about 1 mile. Now on a moderate descent, you may just be able to make out the summit of Mt. St. Helena, perched on the border of Sonoma, Napa, and Lake counties, to the north. Gaining elevation once again, you begin to see a few Sargent cypress trees, the advance guard of a large forest that blankets a flat expanse to the north of Pine Mountain.
Now you reach a junction where Pine Mountain Road turns sharply left, and San Geronimo Ridge Road goes straight. (To extend the trip, follow San Geronimo Ridge Road northeast through a dwarf Sargent cypress forest to Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve.)
Following Pine Mountain Road, here a rocky track, you begin a moderate ascent. As you near The Saddle, flattened grasses downhill and left attest to the wind’s power as it rushes through the gap. From The Saddle, the road swings left and rises on a moderate grade, which soon becomes steep.
Hikers returning to trailhead along Pine Mountain Road enjoy view of Mt. Tamalpais.
The rough and rocky road eventually levels, and now you find a single-track trail, right, signed PINE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT. Turning right, you begin the final push, hemmed in on both sides by chaparral shrubs, among them chamise and silk tassel. Passing a large boulder sporting a metal spike, right, you continue for another 100 feet or so, to where a jumble of rocks forms the summit of Pine Mountain.
From here, the 360-degree panorama may keep you busy for a while, identifying such landmarks as Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, the East Bay hills, San Pablo Bay, Big Rock Ridge, Bolinas Ridge, Tomales Bay, and Kent Lake. Without a doubt, this is one of the best vantage points in the Bay Area. After you’ve enjoyed the scenery, retrace your route to the parking area.
TRIP 14 Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve
| Distance | 5.6 miles, Semi-loop | |
| Hiking Time | 3 to 4 hours | |
| Elevation Gain/Loss | ±1200 feet | |
| Difficulty | Moderate | |
| Trail Use | Mountain biking allowed1, Leashed Dogs | |
| Best Times | Fall through spring | |
| Agency | MCOSD | |
| Notes | 1Bicycles are not allowed on the Michako Trail, and must instead use the San Carlos, San Marin, and Big Tank fire roads to complete the trip |
HIGHLIGHTS This trip, using the San Andreas, Middle Burdell, Cobblestone, San Carlos, and Big Tank fire roads, and the Michako Trail, explores the open grasslands, groves, and high ground of Burdell Mountain, a bulky ridge that rises to 1558 feet and dominates the northeast corner of Marin County. The mountain’s southern flank is designated Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve, and in spring its grassy slopes and oak woodlands come alive with carpets of wildflowers and a chorus of birdsong.
DIRECTIONS From Highway 101 in Novato, take the Atherton Ave./San Marin Dr. exit. Go west 2.2 miles on San Marin Dr., turn right onto San Andreas Dr., and go 0.6 mile to where the road makes a sweeping bend to the left. Park on the shoulder and observe the NO PARKING signs.
FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are no facilities at the trailhead, which is located at the foot of the San Andreas Fire Road, just northeast of the parking area.
At the foot of the San Andreas Fire Road, which is gated and locked, head east on a dirt path and, in about 50 feet, go through a gate and then turn sharply left. After 100 feet or so, you merge with the San Andreas Fire Road, which climbs on a gentle grade. About 75 feet ahead, you pass the Big Tank Fire Road, signed BIG TANK FIRE TRAIL, which you will use on your return. Your route here is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and it is popular with local residents, their horses, and their dogs.
Soon you pass a single-track trail heading left through an opening in a barbed-wire fence. The area behind the fence, also part of Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve, is designated a Sensitive Wildlife Area, where dogs are not allowed. Now climbing on a moderate grade, you pass another trail, left, signed TO LITTLE TANK FIRE ROAD. About 75 feet farther, you pass through an opening in a fence.
Passing a concrete wall, right, you come to a clearing that affords a view of Burdell Mountain’s summit ridge and the communication tower perched just below it. The middle ground of this beautiful scene is composed of rolling hills studded with oaks. The foreground, in spring, may be carpeted with California buttercup and owl’s-clover.
Soon you meet a junction, left, with the Dwarf Oak Trail. During and just after the rainy season, the open ground surrounding the junction is a marshy area, home to red-winged blackbirds, western bluebirds, and a wildflower called Douglas meadowfoam, which sports five yellow petals tipped with white. A few hundred feet farther, you pass two unofficial trails, right.
As you continue walking on a gentle downhill course, you are surrounded by open, grassy fields, and rising, rolling hills. The main ridge of Burdell Mountain trends east–west, and is topped with many rounded summits.
