The Shade Tree–Marsh Creek Headwaters Spring, 7 sights is a 13.2-mile out-and-back in Round Valley Regional Preserve near Brentwood, CA. The route passes Treebeard, The Shade Tree and Frog Pond before reaching Marsh Creek Headwaters Spring at the turnaround, 6.5 miles in. It climbs 1,988 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi230 – 2,054 ft · steepest grade: 20%13.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.86816, -121.75029
Nearest town Brentwood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
The Shade Tree–Marsh Creek Headwaters Spring, 7 sights
13.2 mi · ▲ 1,988 ft · 5 hr 24 min
Elevation 229–2,055 ft
Out & Back · Round Valley Regional Preserve
Trailhead: 37.86816, -121.75029
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:40 AM · sunset 7:34 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Miwok Trail, heading W.
- 5.3 miTurn right onto Blue Oak Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Hummingbird Trail, heading SW.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Volvon Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miPass Treebeard.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Prairie Falcon Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass The Shade Tree.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Volvon Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear right onto Condor Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miPass Frog Pond.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 500 ftPass Marsh Creek Headwaters Spring.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miReach The Shade Tree, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Volvon Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Prairie Falcon Trail, heading NW.
- 100 ftBear right onto Volvon Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Hummingbird Trail, heading NE.
- 400 ftBear right onto Blue Oak Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Miwok Trail, heading NW.
- 5.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 400 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
97% dirt3% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:40 AMSunset 7:34 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.4 mi in (~183 min). Leave by 4:11 PM for the 7:34 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:02 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Hardy Canyon Trail & Miwok Trail Loop 4.4 mi · ▲ 933 ft
- Fox Trail–Miwok Trail, 3 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 502 ft
- Adobe Trail & Miwok Trail 8.8 mi · ▲ 618 ft
- Cowlick Look–Decision Point, 3 viewpoints 11 mi · ▲ 1,877 ft
- Dragon Tree & Miwok Trail 11.4 mi · ▲ 1,848 ft
- Whelk Pond–Manzanita Trail, 3 sights 11.7 mi · ▲ 2,015 ft
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