SUNDAY DRIVE
Petaluma Marsh
What you’ll see: A big summer high tide Sunday afternoon will flood the tidal wetlands. At Petaluma Marsh, there are few faster ways to change the world you know than by entering this one. It can be accessed only by boat, best by kayak, yet along Lakeville Road it can be seen from across the Petaluma River. It is California’s largest brackish-water marsh, yet this limited access makes it little known outside of local paddlers.
Location: The Petaluma Marsh is in Marin County along the Petaluma River, which runs 12 miles from Petaluma to San Pablo Bay.
Access: As high tides arrive and flood the wetlands, launch from Petaluma Marina. From the Petaluma Turning Basin, venture south 7.5 miles to the wildlife area on the right. Kayakers can then turn into Woloki Slough and explore the interior of the marsh. Those with powerboats can tow a kayak to the wildlife area, then park and kayak into the interior.
Sightings: Resident egrets, herons and coots are most common, along with sandpipers on the mudflats. They are joined by willets, curlews, dowitchers and ibis, and during the fall migration, many species of ducks. Raptors include red-tailed hawks, prairie falcons and occasional peregrine falcons and golden eagles; 200 species of birds have been verified here.
Habitat: The wildlife area spans 4,200 acres of tidal salt marsh, mudflats, coastal oak woodlands, and coastal scrub habitats.
Sunday tides: A low tide of minus-0.6 of a foot at 10:35 a.m. (for Petaluma) is followed by a high tide of 6.6 feet at 4:34 p.m. Note: Always boat here on high tides. During low tides, especially 1.0-foot lows to minus-lows, boats can get grounded in sloughs.
Boating/tours: Kayak rentals, Clavey Paddlesports, Petaluma, (707) 766-8070, www.clavey. com; Petaluma Stand Up Paddle, (707) 765-1131, www.petalumasup.com; Dolphin Charters River Cruises, (800) 472-9942, www.dolphincharters.com; Petaluma River Tours, (707) 763-7756, www.friendsofthepetalumariver.org.
Cost: Launch fee $2 at Petaluma Marina.
HOW TO GET THERE
Drive only: From the Golden Gate Bridge, take Highway U.S. 101 north for 20 miles to the exit for Highway 37 (signed Napa/Vallejo). Take that exit, merge 0.4 of a mile onto Highway 37 and continue 5.3 miles (get in the left lane) to Lakeville Road. Turn left on Lakeville Road and drive 7 miles (along the Petaluma River and Petaluma Marsh Wildlife Area on the left) and continue to merge with Highway
116 west and drive 4.2 miles to Highway 101 to complete a loop drive.
Drive and kayaking: At the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, take Highway 101 north for 33 miles to Petaluma and the exit for Highway 116 east (signed for Sonoma/Napa). Take that exit 0.3 of a mile to Highway 116 and continue 0.2 of a mile to Baywood Drive. Turn right on Baywood and drive a short distance to Petaluma Marina, boat launch and access to Petaluma River.
Distances to Petaluma Marina: 21 miles from San Rafael, 34 miles from San Francisco, 36 miles from Benicia, 45 miles from Concord, 50 miles from Pacifica, 57 miles from San Mateo.
Contacts: Petaluma Marsh Wildlife Area, Department of Fish and Game, (707) 944-5500, www.wildlife.ca.gov; Petaluma Marina, (707) 778-4489, http:// cityofpetaluma.net — click on visit; Petaluma Visitor Center, (877) 273-8258, www.visitpetaluma.com.