Virtual Guidebook to Marin and the North Bay Counties
Bolinas Lagoon and Audubon Canyon
Marin County California

Herons and egrets, both of which are striking large birds, nest and raise their chicks in the tops of redwood trees in this narrow canyon running back from Bolinas Lagoon. A trail leads up the canyon side to an observation platform that overlooks the rookery. With binoculars or a scope you can see every detail of the nesting birds, their eggs, and their chicks. The property, named Audubon Canyon Ranch, belongs to the Audubon Society, and is managed solely to protect the birds and to allow people to observe them.

Bolinas Lagoon was formed by erosion along the San Andreas Rift Zone. Its shallow water and extensive mudflats are rich habitat and provide plentiful food for the nesting herons and egrets.