Roy's Redwoods Loop Trail
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Roy’s Redwoods Preserve near Woodacre and San Geronimo, CA
Starting Point: Trailhead parking is along the road near the intersection of Nicasio Valley Road and West Nicasio Road, off Sir Francis Drake Blvd. between San Anselmo and Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Roy’s Redwoods info link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.parks.marincounty.org/parkspreserves/preserves/roys-redwoods
Also suggested:
https://www.redwoodhikes.com/Roys/Roys.html
https://www.marinmommies.com/hiking-kids-roys-redwoods-open-space-preserve
Distance:
Roy’s Redwoods Preserve covers 293 acres, with multiple trail options. The Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail is approximately 2.5 miles.
Considerations:
• There is a port-a-potty with handwash station at the trailhead, despite official sites saying no toilets.
• The loop trail is a mixture of shade and open sun. Bring sun protection and water.
• Poison oak is prevalent along some stretches of trail. Learn to identify and avoid touching. A scrub like Tecnu is handy in case of contact.
• Check for ticks after hiking.
• Heed health, safety and wildlife notices.
The trail:
We were pleasantly surprised to find roadside parking a short distance from the trailhead (look for a port-a-potty structure visible from the road) on Nicasio Valley Road, even on a Mother’s Day Sunday with beautiful weather.
I’d read that there really aren’t a whole lot of redwoods at Roy’s Redwoods Preserve, so we soaked up a bit of redwood atmosphere in the trailhead grove along a creek before starting on the trail.
A popular option is to take the short Meadow Trail, which offers an open meadow stroll that can make the Loop Trail walk a little shorter. We chose to stick to the Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail proper for the full length of the loop, but had a good view of the lovely meadow that the Meadow Trail cuts through.
The Loop Trail offered a lovely mixture of bay and oak trees through dappled shadowy trails, open stretches with soft, rolling hills in view, and the option to take an extra excursion uphill to the center of the Loop Trail by taking the David Hansen Trail (to be featured in a separate post), which offers more redwood trees than the Loop Trail.
We saw several varieties of wildflowers, varying according to shady and open spots, and heard various bird calls as well as the croak of a bullfrog.
The elevation changes on the Loop Trail itself were not especially challenging, and this roughly 2.5 mile walk attracted various hikers, including families with small children. The ambience changes as you walk the loop. We chose to start the trail heading northeast, then looping south and back westward, which means a forest trail start and open space with hill views on the return. That suited our taste for the day, but we might have enjoyed doing the loop in the reverse just as much to soak up the opposite views.
Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “My Path to Choose” Insights post.
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Roy’s Redwoods Preserve near Woodacre and San Geronimo, CA
Starting Point: Trailhead parking is along the road near the intersection of Nicasio Valley Road and West Nicasio Road, off Sir Francis Drake Blvd. between San Anselmo and Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Roy’s Redwoods info link (Marin County Parks):
https://www.parks.marincounty.org/parkspreserves/preserves/roys-redwoods
Also suggested:
https://www.redwoodhikes.com/Roys/Roys.html
https://www.marinmommies.com/hiking-kids-roys-redwoods-open-space-preserve
Distance:
Roy’s Redwoods Preserve covers 293 acres, with multiple trail options. The Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail is approximately 2.5 miles.
Considerations:
• There is a port-a-potty with handwash station at the trailhead, despite official sites saying no toilets.
• The loop trail is a mixture of shade and open sun. Bring sun protection and water.
• Poison oak is prevalent along some stretches of trail. Learn to identify and avoid touching. A scrub like Tecnu is handy in case of contact.
• Check for ticks after hiking.
• Heed health, safety and wildlife notices.
The trail:
We were pleasantly surprised to find roadside parking a short distance from the trailhead (look for a port-a-potty structure visible from the road) on Nicasio Valley Road, even on a Mother’s Day Sunday with beautiful weather.
I’d read that there really aren’t a whole lot of redwoods at Roy’s Redwoods Preserve, so we soaked up a bit of redwood atmosphere in the trailhead grove along a creek before starting on the trail.
A popular option is to take the short Meadow Trail, which offers an open meadow stroll that can make the Loop Trail walk a little shorter. We chose to stick to the Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail proper for the full length of the loop, but had a good view of the lovely meadow that the Meadow Trail cuts through.
The Loop Trail offered a lovely mixture of bay and oak trees through dappled shadowy trails, open stretches with soft, rolling hills in view, and the option to take an extra excursion uphill to the center of the Loop Trail by taking the David Hansen Trail (to be featured in a separate post), which offers more redwood trees than the Loop Trail.
We saw several varieties of wildflowers, varying according to shady and open spots, and heard various bird calls as well as the croak of a bullfrog.
The elevation changes on the Loop Trail itself were not especially challenging, and this roughly 2.5 mile walk attracted various hikers, including families with small children. The ambience changes as you walk the loop. We chose to start the trail heading northeast, then looping south and back westward, which means a forest trail start and open space with hill views on the return. That suited our taste for the day, but we might have enjoyed doing the loop in the reverse just as much to soak up the opposite views.
Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “My Path to Choose” Insights post.
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
