Field Trip – Loma Alta
Loma Alta from Big Rock
Field Trip – Loma Alta
Loma Alta from Big Rock
Thursday April 13, 2023 – 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Field trip leader: Dabney Smith
Please sign up for this field trip by emailing Susan Schlosser. Susan will send you a link to the waiver.
An early spring visit to Loma Alta includes magnificent vistas and wildflowers. Views include grasslands, serpentine, ravines, ridges, valleys, and San Francisco Bay. The lower part of the fire road has many native wildflowers typical of serpentine. Loma Alta Fire Road continues along the ridge and goes uphill for two miles, gaining about 1000 feet (650 to 1592 feet). The climb is easy to moderate. The fire road climbs, then levels off, etc. It is a pleasant climb as the views all around keep expanding. Wildflowers we may see include red maids (Calandrinia ciliata), rock lettuce (Dudleya cymosa ssp. cymosa), wild cucumber (Marah fabacea), Popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys nothofulus), False lupine (Thermopsis californica), Purple-flowered blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Checker-bloom (Sidalcea malviflora ssp. laciniata), wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), and Ithuriel’s Spear (Tritelia laxa). The length of Lucas Valley, much of San Francisco Bay, Inverness Ridge, the Ross Valley, and Mt Tam are among the wonderful views.
We will eat lunch at Loma Alta, and then return the same way.
Directions: From Highway 101, take the Lucas Valley Drive exit. Drive approximately 6 miles to the Big Rock Summit. Park at the trailhead at Big Rock. There is a large dirt parking area along the south side of Lucas Valley Road. If coming from Highway 101, drive past the trailhead and downhill about ¼ mile to a large gated driveway on the right. Safely turn around here and drive back to the Trailhead parking area.
