Wetland Reawakening

Bike or hike the Hamilton Wetlands in Novato

Once an army airfield and now a thriving wetland, the wingspan of Novato’s Hamilton Wetlands is a glimpse into both the past and the future. You’ll still see remnants of its military days with the air hangars (now converted to office space). But through years of planning and work, this land was transformed to its former wetland glory in 2014.

Woman riding her bike at Hamilton Wetlands in Novato

Walkers on the wide open dirt trail at Hamilton Wetlands in Novato North Bay

Take a mellow bike ride or walk on the flat Bay Trail to take in the sights. It’s only about 3 miles (round-trip) along the shoreline and tidal mudflats. If you love shorebirds, this is a fantastic place to see black-bellied plovers, avocets, sandpipers, curlews, and snowy egrets.

Woman stopped on her bike looking at information signs and the San Pablo Bay at Hamilton Wetlands in Novato

Woman looking through a telescope at the marsh at Hamilton Wetlands in Novato

We recommend starting from the trailhead by Hamilton Landing Hangars 5 – 6, where you can find ample parking. From here you can jump on the trail and head south, with distant views of Mount Diablo. This wide and flat section of the Bay Trail is also open to bikers and dogs. Paths here also are wheelchair accessible. You can continue on for about 1.5 miles before you come to another viewing platform and the end of the trail overlooking San Pablo Bay.

Woman pointing at the San Pablo Bay at the viewing platform at Hamilton Wetlands in Novato

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View