Marin hike: A relaxing jaunt through Alto Bowl Preserve

Alto Bowl Preserve, a hilltop greenbelt nestled between Mill Valley and Corte Madera, is a good hike if you don’t want to get lost. It’s a short, relaxing jaunt, perfect for the short winter days when it’s harder to venture deep into the heart of Marin and get back before it gets dark. It links to plenty of other great Marin hikes, including Horse Hill Preserve, Camino Alto Open Space Preserve and the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path. It’s also dog-friendly, though be warned your dog is likely to get a little muddy if you hike after a recent rain.

• Summary of hike: The hike begins at the trailhead at Vasco Court and leads through the preserve to the Scott Valley Swim and Tennis Club. Follow Coach Road to the continuation of the trail, then turn left at the Alto Bowl Preserve Secondary Trail and follow it until it reaches Camino Alto/Corte Madera Avenue. The trail then loops back around and ends at Stanton Way, which you can then follow back to Vasco Court to complete the loop. The hike is a little less than 2 miles total.

• How to get there: Take Highway 101 to East Blithedale Avenue, then turn right on Camino Alto until you reach Azalea Drive. Street parking is available; please be respectful of neighbors. The entrance to the trail is at Vasco Court near the intersection with Lois Court.

• The hike: The trailhead is located at Vasco Court. Don’t mistake it for the terminus of the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path, which leads into a small patch of woods to a dead end. The Alto Bowl trailhead is not shaded and is located slightly further down the street, on the other side of the stream that cuts through the center of the preserve past a small water pump shack. As on most of the hike, the dirt paths can be wet and boggy after recent rains. A short, steep, easy-to-miss trail on the right near the entrance to the Scott Valley Swim and Tennis Club leads to Horse Hill Preserve for more hiking, great views and sightings of the hill’s resident horses.

The hike cuts through the parking lot of the isolated Scott Valley Swim and Tennis Club. Listen for the gentle lapping of the pool, accompanied by the faint, nostalgic scent of chlorine and the splashing and shouting of kids playing. Wild turkeys sometimes wander out from the surrounding woods. Watch out for cars exiting the club parking lot as you exit onto Underhill Road and cross the street to Coach Road.

Continue a few hundred feet up Coach Road until you get to the continuation of the trail, which slopes gently upward through lush greenery. Continue down the trail until you see a path leading to your left. This path is more thickly vegetated than the earlier parts of the trail and affords great views of San Francisco, Tiburon and the San Francisco Bay in its less forested parts. Look for raptors like American kestrels, red-tailed hawks and northern harriers overhead.

This trail ends at a fork. If you want to continue your hike, you can go straight ahead to Camino Alto/Corte Madera Avenue, then walk a few hundred feet left to find the entrance to the Camino Alto Open Space Preserve located across the road. Be careful of cars, as the road has no sidewalk and the shoulder is fairly narrow.

Otherwise, you can continue following the trail left in order to loop back around to where you began. This area of the trail is narrow and can be very muddy after it rains. A few sturdy but thin plank bridges have been installed over small streams that intersect with the trail.

This trail ends at Stanton Place, a steep residential street. Stanton Place intersects with Stanton Way. Follow Stanton Way until you reach Vasco Drive, then take Vasco Court to return to where you began. Follow the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path to the Bothin Marsh Preserve for more hiking and some excellent birdwatching.