Oakwood Valley is bordered by Marin City to the north and the Marin Headlands to the south. The top of the Oakwood Valley Trail (within earshot of Highway 101 to the east) offers panoramic views of Tiburon and Sausalito in one direction, and as far as the hills of Point Reyes National Seashore on the other.

Oakwood Valley is most easily accessed by parking alongside Tennessee Valley Road. The trail is varied, looping up through mixed woodlands (including bay laurel) to a pond and cascade that flows vigorously in the rainy season and trickles away to nothing by late summer.

The loop begins on the single-track Oakwood Valley Trail and finishes on the broad Fire Road Trail, but can be taken in the other direction as well.

Visit on a summer night and you’ll be greeted by the calls of coyotes and the sight of owls in search of their next meal. By day you can see a bounty of native grasses and possibly a glimpse of the endangered Mission blue butterfly.

Former inhabitants of Oakwood Valley planted rows of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus) to mark boundaries and serve as windbreaks.

Unattended for the past 20 years, these trees have grown into dense groves, some as large as five acres. As the groves expand—at a rate of 10–15 feet per year—they displace the oaks and local flora that serve as habitat for the coyotes, butterflies, and other fauna.

Eucalyptus poses another, more immediate threat to both the valley’s wildlife and the safety of those who live nearby: fire. The aromatic oil secreted by eucalyptus’ leaves is highly flammable, and the tree also sheds copious mounts of bark and leaves.

The result of these botanical processes is an oily, volatile litter surrounding trees that can ignite like candles. Though the eucalyptus trees (and the elevated fire risk) have been removed, the work of restoring the site is still in process. Small red flags visible on-site mark the location of new native plants being placed by volunteers.