Buck Gulch Falls Has a Plan for Bridges. This Winter, You Still Cross the Creek on Rocks.

The trail to Buck Gulch Falls starts at the end of Fairway Drive and crosses Arroyo de San Jose Creek twice on unimproved rock fords. It also runs about 1,500 feet along the creek bank, and it crosses three seasonal streams on plain fill. In wet weather the mud pushes hikers off the trail. Over time they have worn side paths into it and stripped away the plants growing along the creek. The Marin County Open Space District describes those conditions as a safety concern during high creek flows.

The district now has a plan to replace both fords with pedestrian bridges, and that plan goes to its Board of Directors on November 3, 2026. Under the plan, though, the work happens in summer. The waterfall only flows in winter and spring, so this rainy season the trail to it will look the same as it always has. That trail, rock fords and mud included, is exactly what the project is meant to fix.

The Walk as It Stands

The waterfall sits in the upper reaches of Arroyo de San Jose Creek inside the 906-acre Ignacio Valley Open Space Preserve. The creek is seasonal, and the county says the trail is busiest in winter and spring, when people come to see the falls. According to the district's draft environmental document, you reach the trailhead from Ignacio Boulevard via Fairway Drive. The route has two parts:

1. Spyglass Trail, about 1,000 feet from the end of Fairway Drive.
2. Buck Gulch Falls Trail, about 2,480 feet from its junction with Spyglass to the falls.

Together that comes to about 3,480 feet, or roughly two-thirds of a mile each way and a little over 1.3 miles round trip. A December 2025 family hiking guide from Marin Mommies puts it at about half a mile up and about an hour round trip. Either way, it's short enough for a weekday afternoon once the rain has filled the creek.

The trail is short, and the hikers it gets in winter are concentrated on a small stretch of creek bank. The Marin Independent Journal reported county parks figures of about 100 weekend visitors in winter, when the waterfall is running, compared with 76 in summer. The 24 extra people show up in the muddiest months, and the stretch beside the stream gets the most foot traffic then.

What the Plan Changes

The district's project page lists the following elements.

The plan would also improve about 2,240 feet of existing trail and restore about 19,500 square feet of eroding streambank and creekside habitat. The county says the bridges would let hikers use the trail safely in wet weather, and the project is meant to provide year-round access for hikers of all abilities as far as the terrain allows.

The creek supports California giant salamanders, and Cooper's hawks and Northern spotted owls use the surrounding habitat. All three are special-status species. The habitat is one reason the plan takes so long to build.

Why the Work Waits for Summer

The district released its draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration in June. It limits creek-crossing and earthmoving work with heavy equipment to the dry season, generally May 15 to October 15. Work would begin on August 1, or earlier if biological surveys find no special-status species in the area. Fill would be placed in late summer, when the creek is dry, and construction equipment would use the existing rock fords to get in.

The draft estimates about six months of work spread over two construction seasons, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews would start at the waterfall and work back toward the trailhead. Season 1 would cover everything from the falls down to Bridge 2, along with the streambank stabilization. Season 2 would cover Bridge 2 down to Fairway Drive, including Bridge 1. Trails in the project area would close to the public during construction.

The draft does not attach calendar years to either season, and the version going to the board in November is a revised one. On the proposed schedule, the trail would close during months when the falls are usually dry. The bridges would arrive one season at a time. Anyone who hikes it in the rain this winter is crossing the old fords.

Jon Campo, conservation science manager for the county parks department, described the purpose to the Independent Journal this way:

"Our improvements are proposing to manage the visitation that's already occurring and to protect the waterfall from further degradation."

He also told the paper the area is being "loved to death."

A Hundred Weekend Hikers and About 25 Curb Spaces

The trailhead sits at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Marin Country Club neighborhood, and it has no visitor parking. The draft cites a transportation checklist from the firm W-Trans, which counts about 25 curb spaces on Fairway Drive and Saint Andrews Drive within 1,000 feet of the trailhead, all on the side of the street without homes. The checklist treats that parking as a cap on how many people can visit. The parks department counts about 100 visitors on a typical winter weekend, so on a good waterfall weekend some of those 25 spaces will be taken more than once.

Parking was a big part of the summer debate. Patch reported on July 24 that residents had raised concerns about parking and access along Fairway. Novato Councilmember Pat Eklund told the Independent Journal that the improvements would increase visitation. When the city council took up its comment letter in early August, Councilmember Tim O'Connor told the Independent Journal that getting the city's comments to the county promptly was "critical at this point." According to Patch's follow-up, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Jacobs urged discussion at the supervisors' meeting.

Once construction is scheduled, the draft calls for construction vehicles to enter from Fairway Drive. Some stretches of the street may be posted no-parking on days when equipment and bridge sections are delivered or removed. The district says it will notify residents of Fairway Drive and Saint Andrews Drive when dates are set and post them on its webpage. The draft says the Season 2 work within 1,000 feet of the nearest homes would last less than two months.

What Goes Before the Board on November 3

The public comment period on the draft ran from June 23 to July 24, 2026. The district received comments from 68 people, including one regulatory agency, and 32 of them supported the project. On Tuesday, the board will receive two documents:

• Responses to Comments, which summarizes and answers the comments in fourteen categories
• Revised Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, which updates the June draft

Before any construction, the project would still need permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, plus an encroachment permit from the City of Novato. Even after the November meeting, the bridges are at least one permit cycle and one dry season away.

Walking It While the Creek Runs

The county says the falls cascade after heavy rain and are best seen during the winter and spring rainy season. A few preserve rules and trail facts apply to the walk you'll be taking this season:

• Dogs: Dogs are allowed on signed trails on a leash no longer than six feet. They can go off leash only on fire roads, under voice control and with a leash on hand. The preserve limit is three dogs per person.
• Crossings: Both creek crossings are still rock fords. The county flags the fords and the muddy streamside stretches as safety concerns during high flows.
• Staying on the trail: Side paths around the mud are how the creekside plants have been lost, and they're part of what the realignment is meant to repair.
• Parking: The roughly 25 curb spaces are on the side of Fairway and Saint Andrews without homes. A weekday visit puts less pressure on a street that has no parking lot at the trail.
• Another way in: The preserve's general directions lead to a separate gate at Winged Foot Drive and Carnoustie Heights.

Horses are still allowed on Buck Gulch Falls Trail for now. The change to hiker-only use is part of the project, so it won't take effect until the work is approved and done.

Heather spends her days figuring out what a property needs, which upgrades are worth the money and how long the work will take, so the county's two-season schedule for a pair of footbridges is the kind of detail she pays attention to. If you live near Ignacio Valley and want to know what changes nearby could mean for your own home, Heather Thompson offers a free design and home valuation consultation built around the specifics of your street.