This hike has a bit of a climb at the beginning, then carries you through woods back down to the fire road.
Location: Indian Valley Open Space Preserve
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Shade: mostly shaded
Parking: College of Marin, free in Lot 5 or on Sundays/holidays
Public Transportation: buses 251 and 257 stop at College of Marin
WC: toilets at the ballfields near the parking lot
Dogs: allowed on all trails
Hiked: Jun 2020
Trail Route & Notes
From the parking lot, walk around the ball fields to the main trailhead. Keep on the fire road until the trail marker for Buzzard Burn on the left. The trail will become Witzel Trail. Keep climbing up until you reach the very top, where you’ll make a sharp turn to the left, then start the gentle walk down until the next trail marker. When I hiked this in 2020, there was a fallen tree on the trail but people carved out a shortcut on the trail to avoid it. The marker is hard to see from that shortcut, though. Keep on Witzel Trail until you hit the fire road again.
Indian Valley is always a nice place to hike, but this wasn’t one of my favorites there. Still, I hiked this on a summer afternoon, and the shaded trails were very much appreciated!
Gallery
Indian Valley Fire Road 
Buzzard Burn is the last trail to the left. 
Buzzard Burn is a climb. 
Buzzard Burn Trail 
Buzzard Burn Trail 
Buzzard Burn has a viewpoint a little bit off the trail. 
Buzzard Burn turns into Witzel Trail. 
At the top of the climb, you’ll make a sharp turn to stay on Witzel Trail. 
Witzel Trail is a gentle downhill. 
Another view! 
Witzel Trail 
There was a fallen log where Witzel Trail meets another trail; just look for the sign. 
The aforementioned fallen log. 
Witzel Trail ends at the bridge. 
Meet the fire road again and go right.
