A ravishing loop along the lakeshore at Bon Tempe

For pure fun, there may be hardly anything higher than the Bon Tempe Lake Loop Trail.

• Summary of the hike: The Bon Tempe Lake Loop is a straightforward 4-mile hike with gentle ups and downs and good footing. There are portable restrooms within the Lake Lagunitas parking zone. Dogs are allowed on a leash, but usually are not allowed within the water.

• Getting there: Take Bolinas Road from Fairfax to Sky Oaks. Turn left at Sky Oaks and slowly climb past a ranger entrance booth. About 150 feet further, turn right and buy a day pass for $8 for cars on the ticket machine. Continue on the paved predominant road to the top to Lake Lagunitas.

As you enter the parking zone on the lake, you will notice a big sign: “Lake Lagunitas Picnic Area.” A couple of yards to the proper, there may be a brief road with some adjoining picnic tables. Our trailhead is down this road, left on the green gate and just over the bridge to the signed Shadyside trailhead on the proper. You can park within the parking zone at Lake Lagunitas, along the short road to our trailhead, or elsewhere nearby.

• The hike: From the Shadyside trail, we’re greeted by forest, scent and birdsong. After walking a brief distance through trees near the lake, we reach a gorgeous open edge by the lake before re-entering the forest. With each gentle climb and around each bend, the sunshine, shadow and flora change – almost as if we’re entering different forest spaces. On our option to the dam, we cross three bridges.

In the forests, trees dominate the understory plants and trail habitat. The trees in Shady are mostly Douglas firs, redwoods, tanoaks, and laurels, with the occasional maple and black oak. The trees in Shady are noticeable, as you could have to leaf through them and their shifting rays of sun and shadow to see the lake.

Halfway through our shady walk, there may be a spot on the trail where you’ll be able to see a big dead tree straight ahead, surrounded by even larger Douglas firs, with a big osprey nest on top. I used to be told that the osprey is incubating its eggs, which is barely occasionally visible when it changes position and shows its head. I even have never seen it.

I saw an excellent blue heron perched on a fallen tree, and further down the trunk were some mergansers. The heron soon chased them away. A brief distance further on, I observed a mother merganser swimming within the lake, with several small, furry ducklings paddling behind her. Just a little further and closer to the shore, some Pacific painted turtles were sunning themselves contentedly on a log.

When we reach the dam, we cross it. At the underside left we see what I call “the tail of the alpine lake.” The lake loses it within the dry months, and in the course of the winter rains, the tail grows back like a lizard.

At the far end of the dam we descend the gravel road, take a brief bridge over the dry spillway of the lake and just past a narrow path that climbs steeply to our right we turn right onto the broader path that’s level for about 1.5 metres before climbing. The climb is kind of steep but short and shortly we reach the summit and start our hike on Sunny.

First we come across a number of strawberry trees, that are likely remnants of the previous pastures that were flooded after the dam and Bon Tempe Lake were in-built 1948. Inland, Virginia live oaks are the predominant trees on Sunny, and on the lakeshore there are a number of bay trees and water-loving alders. As we traverse Sunny we’re rewarded with several unobstructed views across the lake to Mount Tamalpais.

The spring wildflowers within the shade have already disappeared or are of their final phase of bloom, but within the sunny area there are still many wildflowers among the many tall grasses.

At the top of Sunny, we pass the trailhead and switch right onto the dirt path next to the road. We walk along the lake for a bit before descending a number of steps and turning left onto the signed Pine Point Spur Trail. We proceed until we come across the sign for Lake Lagunitas via the Alex Forman Trail and follow it. Just before we reach the road, we turn right past an indication with a number of symbols but nothing else. We proceed uphill with no lake views, then across a big open area, past an Alex Forman Trail sign and across a road. From there, we jog left onto the trail toward parked cars and the parking zone at Lake Lagunitas.

I hope you enjoyed this great hike. I'll be on vacation for my next column, but I'll see you again on June twenty fourth.