Best in the Late Afternoon

A Walk from Palo Alto Baylands

to Ravenswood Open Space District

"Just a walk at twilight, when the lights are low;

And the flickering shadows, softly come and go." Unknown

Directions: Freeway 101 to Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto; east to the road end.

Grade: Easy and level.

Distance: 4.7 miles.

Time: Two hours.

Special Conditions: Dogs on leash allowed except for the nesting season from March 15 to Jan. 15. Dress for windy weather.

Last month we featured a walk in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve that was entitled "Where the Cordgrass Meets the Bay." This edition extends the hike north along the Bay Trail to the Ravenswood Open Space District.

Start your hike at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Preserve Interpretive Center. Lucy Evans was a conservationist and a teacher who labored both as a citizen and as a member of the Palo Alto City Council to save these bay lands. Take a few minutes to enjoy the many displays at the center.

A short walk on the elevated walkway over Harriet Munday Marsh to the edge of the bay is another interesting diversion before beginning this 4.7-mile hike. Descriptive boards along the walkway tell you what is happening in the marsh below.

Head north from the center along the levee. The walking surface is hard-packed and in good condition, but may be muddy after heavy rain. On your right is the marsh dominated by pickleweed and cordgrass. Despite its rather placid look, the mudflats that penetrate it contain an amazing diversity of wildlife. Marshes in the South Bay are home to hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds that stop to feed and rest on their annual pilgrimage from the far North and Central America. Hundreds of bird species also call this area their home, as do other land-bound creatures such as the endangered saltwater harvest mouse, the burrowing owl, and an assortment of rabbits, foxes, and racoons. And don't ignore the mud. It is said that a handful of bay mud may contain more than 40,000 tiny living creatures, providing food for the lower part of the food chain--clams, worms, and young fish.

On your left is a lagoon subject to tidal flow from the bay. The levee trail heads west for a short distance before turning north and parallel to the Palo Alto Airport runway. This is a good time to remind you to take a brim hot or visor if you are hiking in the late afternoon. The sun can be quite intense as it prepares to set.

Walking north, you will have good views of the East Bay hills. Looking north and a little east beyond, notice the developed area of East Palo Alto. You will see a few trees at the end of the point. That is the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve--our hike destination.

At the north end of the runway, the trail turns west, passes in front of the runway, and continues with the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course on your left. On your right is San Francisquito Creek, which drains water from the Palo Alto-Menlo Park area. The tidal flow affects this part of the creek, and you may expect to see it rise and fall throughout the day.

You will soon come to a steel bridge that crosses the creek. Take that crossing, and continue north on a newly asphalted trail for the next three-quarter mile. This segment is part of the 400-mile Bay Trail. Marshland continues on your right, and the homes and industries of East Palo Alto are on your left.

When the asphalt surface ends, keep walking on the informal levee path for another quarter-mile to Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. We don't have space to recount all of the interesting history of this area, but in the 1850s, Ravenswood Point was planned to be a dry land port accessible from deep water. It couldn't compete with the Port of Redwood City, so the enterprise folded in the 1880s.

Ravenswood is another interesting, restored marsh area. It offers viewing platforms with seating and a fine view of three bay crossings: the railroad bridge, the Hetch-Hetchy Aqueduct, and the Dumbarton Bridge. If you walk through this preserve, you will add 2.4 miles and at least an hour to your hike.

Try to return in the late afternoon, an hour or so before sunset, and just before the sun drops down below the Peninsula hills. With the right lighting conditions, the golden glow of the marsh against the water of the bay and the hills beyond is magical. We frequently see artists and photographers doing their best to capture the scene.

And a final reminder: If you enjoy hiking along the bay, pick up a copy of the "San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide" published by the California Coastal Conservancy. It will become a regular addition to your hiking pack.

Foot Note: Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome.

E-mail to: trekertom@aol.com.

Check out the Weekly Walker Web site for all previous walks at www.weeklywalker.com.

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