Mare Island San Pablo Bay Trail

January 2019: A new year - a new beginning - but some things remain the same. We went for our new year walk - this time around the trails at San Pablo Hiking Trail. Located on the western side of Mare Island, this is a perfect trail for someone who prefers to take things easy. The 4-mile long level trail makes for an easy walk. As one strolls along the trail - one earns incredible views of Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, the East Bay Hills, the Carquinez Strait, Napa Valley, and San Pablo Bay. Along the trail is a seasonal wetland filled with local shorebirds and waterfowl. There are pictured-signboards to guide you and explain some of the animals and plants in the area.I enjoy walking this trail because it's in my own back yard - plus, no dogs and bicycles are allowed. It makes walking easier because we don't to fear what we might step on.

I'm not a birdwatcher who can appreciate the various waterfowl and shorebirds that can be spotted here with some concentrated effort. I'm also not thoughtful enough to be a conservationist who can appreciate the rarity of the salt marsh harvest mouse. I more likely would shriek like a little girl if I saw one scampering across my foot and maybe stamp it flat and then get arrested. But maybe not as there wasn't a single soul on this flat trail. Despite its proximity to San Pablo Bay, I have to say this walk was quite a yawn starting with the isolated dirt lot where you park your car, right off the appropriately named Dump Road. It's a bit over three miles back and forth, and the highlight was a very distant view of the Carquinez Bridge. Yep, that was it. Gee, was that a mouse?RELATED - Up for a hike? Here are the places around the Bay Area where I have trod: bit.ly/2OsCCsK

Yelp address is correct.The Mare Island trails are clearly marked and also have Porta potty's by the parking lot. There is great signage and a lot of informational signs about the properties evolution overtime and how it was used throughout its history. This trail runs along side the water and is home to an amazing amount of wildlife. Trails are relatively flat and well-maintained. This area is great for a morning run or a casual stroll with the family.The signage is well-maintained when I was walking through the park there was even a couple maintaining them ensuring that they were clean and ready for public view. Overall it was a great experience and definitely would recommend!

Exactly what I needed. It's a quiet trail/walking path and you can take a moment to just escape reality and enjoy being outside for a bit. It's about a 2.5-3 mile in and out trail. No major scenery, lots of just tall grass. But seeing the huge ships moving on the water in the distance is relaxing enough.

MY PHOTOGRAPHS: (1) Hawk perching on tree that is next to trail. I used a 300mm telephoto lens on my camera; (2) Tree next to trail with red berries; (3) Isolated grove of palm trees surrounded by an ocean of tall wheatgrass; (4) Pickleweed (has red color) and birds (a northern flicker and two quails); (5) Cracked mud in a dried marsh in a long strip of land between trail and the bay. The plants in the dried marsh are likely to be Frankenia salina. Mr.Rick Shroy, a photographer living in Oregon, told me that my photo is of a red-tailed hawk (and that it is not an osprey).ATTRACTIONS. Mare Island San Pablo Bay Trail provides access to a part of the S.F. Bay area (the shoreline of San Pablo Bay) that few S.F. Bay area residents have ever seen. The trail allows hikers to see plants and birds that thrive in marshlands and tidal zones. What I liked best from my two visits in November 2020, were the views of several hawks zooming here and there over the vast fields of tall wheat grass, taking photographs of a hawk perching on the top branch of tree, and taking photographs of the thick tangles of alkali heath (Frankenia salina) that grow between the trail and San Pablo Bay. The alkali heath surrounds the dried mud flat situated between the trail and the Bay, and the alkali heath also grows in oval-shaped patches situated in the middle of the dried mud flat. These oval-shaped patches are cute looking.DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAIL. From the west, take Route 37 to reach Mare Island. During your drive from the west, you will pass the parking lot and trailhead to TUBBS ISLAND TRAIL, which provides a nine-mile round trip hike, and access to the shore of San Pablo Bay. In contrast, the trail on Mare Island provides a round trip hike of only 2.8 miles, and the closest that this trail gets to San Pablo Bay is about 200 feet. If you are driving from the east, you need to find Tennessee Street in Vallejo, then drive south and cross the blue-colored bridge, and continue on to Azuar Drive, and then turn at Dump Road. At the end of Dump Road is a parking lot and the trailhead. Once on the trail, you hike south (towards San Pablo Bay) for 500 feet. Then, the trail takes a left turn (towards the east), and from there it is 7,000 feet to the very end of the trail (2.8 miles total round-trip hike). BIRDS AND PLANTS. Birds found on Mare Island include a type of raptor called an osprey. A survey from the year 2013 revealed the presence of 60 adult ospreys nesting on Mare Island. My photographs include a large hawk sitting on a bare tree. It is possible that this is an osprey. Hikers will notice the vast expanses of tall light-colored grasses. The stems of these grasses are all dry and easy to snap in half. My two visits were in November 28 & 29 (late autumn), and so it is possible that these grasses are green in the spring. I believe that these are tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia pontica), the dominant plant at Mare Island. Tall wheatgrass tolerates soil that is high in salt. Pickleweed is green in the summer and red in the autumn. Hikers will enjoy the palm trees situated next to the trail, and the distant palm trees. The distant palm trees appear like isolated islands surrounded by an ocean of tall wheatgrass. REFERENCES. (1) McGuire & Dvorak (1981) High salt-tolerance potential in wheatgrass. Crop Science. 21:702-705; (2) Ferner (2011) A profile of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (511 pages); (3) Brake, Wilson, Leong (2014) Status of ospreys nesting on San Francisco Bay. Western Birds. 45:191-198; (4) Mare Island Regional Park Task Force (2007) Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve (94 pages); (5) www dot mareislandmuseum dot org; (6) www dot sfbayospreydays dot org.

It's a nice flat trail for a walk or run but windy jn the late afternoon/evening hours. Pets are not allowed but you see dog droppings at different parts of the trail. It's about 1.5 miles one way from the parking lot with no shade. But there are views of the water and benches to sit at.

My other half wanted to go for a walk and we ended up at Mare Island San Pablo Bay Trail. Mare Island has an eerie feeling period, because it's quiet and abandoned in some places. With that said, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to be walking this trail.The entrance is a gravel road that leads to the parking lot towards the bay. The parking lot isn't large, but not a problem since hardly anyone comes here. Immediately I noticed the sign of no dogs leashed or unleashed. The sign is pretty clear. No dogs!The path itself is not long. It's a great place for a morning jog or walk. I do however recommend not going alone. If an unforeseen event were to happen, there's absolutely no one within range to assist you. Perhaps making sure you carry your cell phone would be a smart idea.If only they had a path that would take you to the water would be cool. I didn't manage to find one. You can go off path if you are willing to take that risk. The one thing that got me wondering are the gated areas. It makes me wonder why? Are there toxic areas or even possibility of dormant ammunitions. According to a few signs, you may come across 556 rounds.Overall, I enjoyed the path as it allows me to get away. I can day dream for hours sitting on the park bench. It's worth checking out. By the way, the government shutdown had no affect on restricting access to the public.

beautiful. The San Pablo Bay does not get enough credit with the San Francisco Bay So Close by. But it is definitely one of the bay area's beautiful spots. Mare Island is a bit of a mess right now. It's hard to tell where you can go. But the San Pablo Bay Trail is one of the positive parts of Mare Island.

An incredible private space for a casual walk / hike surrounding the nature preserve 5.8 km / 3.6 miles in distance. Very calm, peaceful, and clean space for taking in the coastline. Rarely ever see bikes or dogs, which is greatly appreciated to keep the grounds less competitive and sanitary.

Lol I'm always here ! I love it cause it's on mare island first and foremost and I love the drive from my house to there ! I usually see the same people going for their daily walk or jog , roughly takes more than 30+ mins if you walk the big circle and all the way back to the car . Always make sure to bring water or something because it does get a bit hot and there's nooo shade so also bring a lil hat too !!