Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve
Nature preserve
1,533 acres23 mi of trail
Dwarf Oak TrailFieldstone TrailOld Quarry TrailMichako Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Binksternet · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Novato
45% of Novato’s land is conserved: 7,967 acres
82 miles of mapped trail cross Novato, 3.0 per square mile of land. 6,489 acres are parks and preserves, 123 per 1,000 residents. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #25 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
45%
7,967 acres · of 27.4 sq mi of land
Trails
82 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,489 ac
123 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
30 mi lanes · 5.2 mi paths
Highest peak
453 ft
Cherry Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Novato?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Novato have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Novato is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #25 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Novato’s overall grade.
Conserved land45% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (82 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land123 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,489 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 97%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve, with 23 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rush Creek Open Space Preserve
Managed by Marin County Parks
233 acres3.6 mi of trail
Bahia TrailLucky Aces TrailBlue Oak TrailSeaDogs delight+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto ATHERTON / 101 Park and RideWebsite ↗
Deer Island Preserve
Managed by Marin County Parks
172 acres3.4 mi of trail
Deer Island LoopDe Borba TrailRussel Antonio TrailArnold Baptiste+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ohair Park
Managed by City of Novato
85 acres2.7 mi of trail
Reuben Kaehler Memorial TrailLittle Mountain Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bahia Wetlands
Nature preserve
63 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hamilton Wetlands
Nature preserve
653 acres1.8 mi of trail
Hamilton Field Path
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Miwok Park
Managed by Novato Parks, Recreation and Community Services
39 acres1.8 mi of trail
Miwok Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Miwok Park
Petaluma River Marsh Wildlife Area
Managed by California Department of Fish and Game
324 acres1.1 mi of trail
Bahia Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 29 parks & preserves
Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve1,533 acres · 23 mi of trail
Rush Creek Open Space Preserve233 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Marin County Parks
DirectionsDeer Island Preserve172 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Marin County Parks
DirectionsOhair Park85 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · City of Novato
DirectionsBahia Wetlands63 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHamilton Wetlands653 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMiwok Park39 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Novato Parks, Recreation and Community Services
DirectionsPetaluma River Marsh Wildlife Area324 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · California Department of Fish and Game
DirectionsPioneer Park9 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Novato Parks, Recreation and Community Services
DirectionsHill Recreation Area10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLynwood Hill Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Dogbone Meadow Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Novato
DirectionsMarin Highlands Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Arroyo Avichi Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lee Garner Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSan Pablo Bay Wildlife Area352 acres · California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Novato Lands 00552 acres · Marin County Parks
DirectionsPrivate Open Space35 acres · Novato Chase Owners Assn.
DirectionsJosef Hoog Park7 acres
DirectionsSutton Park6 acres
DirectionsHamilton Amphitheater Park4 acres
DirectionsSlade Park3 acres
Marion Park3 acres
DirectionsClark A. Blasdell Park2 acres
DirectionsBahia Wildlife Habitat2 acres
Olompali State Historic Park1 acres
Bowman Canyon Open Space Preserve1 acres · Marin County Open Space District
Hillside Park1 acres
Bahia Mini Parks1 acres · City of Novato
Who protects it
7,967 conserved acres
45% of Novato’s land. Who manages Novato’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency5,250 ac
State fish & wildlife964 ac
Town or city729 ac
State conservation623 ac
State Department of Land366 ac
County67 ac
Regional Water Districts9 ac
Local Conservation Area · 3,706 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,840 acState Conservation Area · 1,587 acState Resource Management Area · 240 acLocal Park · 238 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 28 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 1,522 | Open |
| Marin County Flood Control Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 1,264 | Open |
| Ignacio Valley Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 938 | Open |
| Hamilton Wetlands State Conservation Area | State conservation | 623 | Closed |
| Petaluma Marsh Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 613 | Open |
| Pacheco Valle Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 459 | Open |
| San Pablo Bay Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 351 | Open |
| Novato Sanitation District Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 291 | Restricted |
| Loma Verde Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 270 | Open |
| California State Lands Commission State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 240 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
65 places to go in Novato
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Novato
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Novato
Lou Johnson PlaygroundIn Arroyo Avichi Park
DirectionsOlive Tot Lot
DirectionsPalmisano Community Play Park
Directions49 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Novato
3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Novato
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Novato
Cherry Hill453 ft elevation
DirectionsPacheco Hill423 ft elevation
DirectionsNovato Heights410 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Novato
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Novato
Miles McKey Meditation GardenUnity in Marin
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.2 miHorses · 4.1 miUnpaved · 13.7 mi
Hamilton Field Path3.2 mi
Bahia Trail1.9 mi
Deer Island Loop1.8 mi
Dwarf Oak Trail1.7 mi
Ponti Ridge Trail1.2 mi
Fieldstone Trail1.0 mi
Old Quarry Trail0.9 mi
De Borba Trail0.8 mi
Reuben Kaehler Memorial Trail0.8 mi
Michako Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Emergency Trail
0.6 miLucky Aces Trail
0.5 miMiwok Trail
0.5 miBlue Oak Trail
0.4 miBuck Gulch Falls Trail
0.4 miSpyglass Trail
0.4 miLittle Mountain Trail
0.4 miAlameda del Prado Trail
0.3 miEagle Rim Trail
0.3 miSeaDogs delight
0.3 miAcorn Trail
0.3 miSimmons Trail
0.3 miAd & Gloria Schwindt Trail
0.2 miThorne's Run
0.2 miIndian Valley Trail
0.2 miBiking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
30 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.2 mi
off-road bike paths
San Francisco Bay TrailBike route
4 miCourts & fields
55Tennis
20Baseball
16Basketball
7Soccer
6Pickleball
4Football
2Softball
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Novato: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 57 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 69 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 73 | 64 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 5.8 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 6.1 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and September the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 6.1 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Novato →
Next door
Novato and its neighbors
Novato has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novato | 45% | 3.0 | 123 | 98% | A+ |
| Black Point-Green Point | 29% | under 0.1 | 194 | 97% | A− |
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood | 64% | 4.3 | 251 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Novato
Where can I hike in Novato?
The longest trail networks: Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve, 23 miles; Rush Creek Open Space Preserve, 3.6 miles; Deer Island Preserve, 3.4 miles; Ohair Park, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Novato is conserved land?
45% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Novato’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Hamilton Wetlands. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Novato?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 30 of painted or protected lanes and 5.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: San Francisco Bay Trail.
Is there public land near Novato?
93,125 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Novato or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,858 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Novato have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Novato neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →