Touring *

From U.S. 101 heading north from San Francisco or south from San Rafael, exit at Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and go west, following the signs to Marin General Hospital. Turn left onto Bon Air Road and park in the lot across the street from the hospital, where you'll find Creekside Park.

Skate south and cross over the pretty arching wooden bridge from Creekside Park to access the Kentfield to Ross Trail. Turn right to follow the creek west. Although the pavement is rough enough to give you a vibrating foot massage here, the natural beauty surrounding Corte Madera Creek very nearly makes up for it. Soon the pavement quality improves, though the trail is interrupted at times by wooden bridges across the creek and a couple of street intersections. The farther west you travel, the closer to the creek the trail becomes. When you cross College Avenue to the College of Marin, the trail leaves the side of the creek and seems to disappear into the college parking lot. Keep a westerly course as you skate behind and around a couple of buildings. Sure enough, the trail resumes at the far side of the parking lot next to the creek. The trail is now so narrow and close to the bank that a fence has been installed to prevent passers- and rollers-by from falling into the water below. Diehard explorers can continue on rough pavement for another three-quarters of a mile to the trail's end at Ross Common. But you might have more fun turning around here and skating back to play on the smooth pavement of the wide-open college parking lot.