Upcoming Field Trips
Please join the Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society on hikes to see seasonal native plants in the field.
- All hikes are free and open to the public, so invite your friends.
- Beginning plant enthusiasts are welcome on all hikes.
- Come prepared for any type of weather or conditions, dress in layers, have non-slip footwear, and bring rain/wind protection just in case. Although it may be sunny and warm when you leave home, the weather could be cold and foggy when we reach our destination.
- Bring lunch and plenty of water, binoculars and/or hand lenses, and your favorite field guides. Field Trips may have links to CNPS Plant Lists of the area.
- For logistics we allow a maximum of 20 participants on each field trip, less if appropriate.
- Please contact hike leaders with any questions about individual hikes.
Signups and Waivers
- Please sign up for any field trips on our Meetup site. Each field trip description should have a link to its Meetup event.
- CNPS has an online system for liability waivers. Please digitally “sign” our Marin Chapter waiver.
- NEW!!! Waiver for Marin Chapter 2025.
- Tambien en Espanol: Renuncia del participante 2025
Archive of Field Trip Reports
Field Trip Reports -February, 2025 Vegetation Time Travelling & Winter Wonderland Walk in SP Taylor SP
Vegetation Time Traveling (Plant Succession) - 2/12/2025 Ann Elliott Understanding plant succession helps to explain how vegetative landscapes change and function. Plants first establish themselves on new land or exposed rock, as after a volcanic eruption. They...
Field Trip Report – Indian Valley Open Space Preserve, January 4, 2025
By Caroline Christman Participants in the Indian Valley Open Space Preserve plant walk were treated to a misty morning that blossomed into a lovely, sunny day. After we met at the Indian Valley College Campus, we walked past Pacheco Pond to the Ken Harth Waterfall...
Field Trip Report – Abbotts Lagoon, August 17, 2024
By Lena Zentall A small group of seven set off in the mist to explore Abbotts Lagoon on Saturday August 17, 2024. Our journey started with several patches of ghostly cobwebby thistle (Cirsium occidentale) in its final bloom. Coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) was...
Report on the Field Trip to Bull Point, July 20, 2024
Report on the Field Trip: Laguna Trail/Fire Lane Trail/Coast Camp/Santa Maria Beach/Coast Trail/Laguna Trailhead
By Susan Schlosser
Report on the Field Trip to the Laguna Trail
Report on the Field Trip: Laguna Trail/Fire Lane Trail/Coast Camp/Santa Maria Beach/Coast Trail/Laguna Trailhead
By Susan Schlosser
Archive of Field Trip Announcements
San Bruno Mountain: Ericaceae on Kamchatka Point
San Bruno Mountain: Ericaceae on Kamchatka Point and Other Things
Date: Saturday, October 15, 10am to 1pm
Leader: Doug Allshouse
The Heather family is well represented on San Bruno Mountain with twelve taxa, and five are endemics.
Carson Ridge Serpentine Flora
Carson Ridge Serpentine Flora
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 – 9 am to 1 pm
Field Trip Leader: Sherry Adams
Serpentine is less than 2% of the land area of California but accounts for about 15% of the rare plants.
Wildflowers of Ring Mountain Preserve
Wildflowers of Ring Mountain Preserve
June 5, 2022 3:00 – 5:00 pm – Sunday
Leader: Kristin Jakob
This annual outing showcases several of this Marin County Open Space Preserve’s rare plants, including the Tiburon mariposa lily (Calochortus tiburonensis).
Kent Pump Road
Kent Pump Road
Sunday May 8, 2022 10 am to 1 pm
Field trip leader: Marin botanist David Greenberger
Kent Pump Road offers a beautiful, gentle, and biodiverse hike through the Lagunitas Creek Watershed and the upper reaches of Kent Lake.
Old Stage Road to West Point Inn
Old Stage Road to West Point Inn
Saturday May 21, 2022 10 am to 3 pm
Field Trip Leader: Terry Gosliner
The Old Stage Road passes through mixed evergreen forest into a chaparral area that alternates between serpentine rock and greywacke sandstone with sharp contrast between the different rock and soil types.