Gallinas Creek Tours
Get an up-close look at Gallinas Creek with our guided nature tours.
All ages are welcome on a fun-filled educational adventure!
We’ll take you out on Gallinas Creek in a CANOE or KAYAK. You’ll get to see still-natural portions of Gallinas Creek with:
- Beautiful scenery
- Extraordinary wildlife encounters
- Unique views of Santa Venetia and Gallinas Valley
Gallinas watershed is home to several endangered species such as the California Ridgeway’s Rail (formerly known as Clapper Rails), the salt marsh harvest mouse, and even river otters. It is under increasing pressure from nearby development and storm drain runoff (i.e. trash) from nearby residential and commercial areas.
If you feel comfortable in either the bow or center of a canoe, one of our GWC members will be glad to give you a guided tour.
The best time to see how human activities in the watershed affect the creek, is during or just after winter rain storms. If you don’t mind some rain, ask for one of our “Open Eye” tours. Guaranteed to make a lasting impression. Suggested donations of $10 or more are appreciated.
Contact GWC for Canoe Tours.
Creek Tour of Gallinas Creek on the Gallinas Goddess canoe
Quotes
“Spending time on the Gallinas Creek and its tributaries in a canoe gave me a unique perspective on the beauty and vitality of this watershed. Protection of the watershed is vital to the well-being of local habitat and of our natural environment. I look forward to continuing to work with Art Reichert, Robert Dobrin and others in preserving and strengthening this wonderful asset for our community.”
Damon Connolly, Marin County Supervisor
“I am grateful for the opportunity to canoe with Art Reichert and Robert Dobrin. We are truly connected in the built environment to the watershed and the tributaries that lead to the Bay. How we conduct our lives on the street level was visible in the empty bottles and bags along the stream. We can do much better and I look forward to working with Santa Venetia neighborhood leaders and the Gallinas Watershed Council to restore this natural wonder so that I can share this experience with my children.”
Marc Levine, CA District 10 Assemblymember
A Tour of Gallinas Creek Watershed – Issues and Opportunities
Are you interested in learning about the current issues and opportunities in our watershed?
Click to open and download a Presentation by Gallinas Watershed Council (PDF).
Maps
Here are some websites that offer a variety of maps and geographical information:
Marin Map
– Geographic Information System (GIS) web map applications from a consortium of County agencies
Parks and Recreation in Marin County
– Hiking and Biking trails, elevation and aerial photos and more park information
Santa Venetia Marsh Open Space Preserve
Santa Venetia Marsh Open Space Preserve is a great place to walk around a salt water marsh environment. Once common throughout the Bay Area, much of this fragile ecosystem has disappeared through the years as development pressures have increased.This wetland is situated in a habitat migration corridor and hosts a variety of shore birds, including the endangered California Ridgeway’s Rail (formerly Clapper Rail) (Rallus longirostris obsoletus).
Other endangered species include the tiny thumb-sized Saltmarsh Harvest Mouse. and the California Red-Legged Frog.
Official Marin Open Space District Website
Map: SANTA VENETIA, SAN PEDRO MOUNTAIN AND SANTA MARGARITA ISLAND OPEN SPACE PRESERVES
For the Birds
If you visit the marshes of the Gallinas Valley Watershed you will see many other birds. Typically you’ll see:
- ducks
- geese
- mallards
- seagulls
- egrets
- great blue herons
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Our marsh areas lie in a habitat migration corridor, and that means many, many species of birds visit us every year.
