SMART Pathway

The SMART Pathway, which stands for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, roughly follows the light rail system for its planned 70-mile route. The in-progress route currently stands at 30 miles and offers first and last mile commuting solutions as well as opportunities for longer journeys.

Between Larkspur at the northern shore of San Francisco Bay all the way to Healdsburg, north of the Russian River.

About the Route

The southernmost section of trail is also called the Cal Park Hill Tunnel, because it offers a quick, smooth ride through the hill that separates San Rafael from the ferry terminal in Larkspur and southern Marin County. Just a bit further north, a section also called the Lincoln Hill Pathway nestles between Lincoln Ave. and SMART commuter rail.

Between the Marin Civic Center and Novato Downtown stations, there are several wide gaps in the trail, although the pathway does provide direct access to those stations as well as the Novato Hamilton Station. Between Petaluma and Santa Rosa the trail is nearly complete, with just a small gap near Penngrove.

Windsor and Healdsburg both offer short sections of trail that will in the future connect to the entire 70-mile route.

Parking and Trail Access

The SMART pathway runs between Healdsburg Ave. (Healdsburg) and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East (Larkspur).

There are numerous parking options along the route, please see TrailLink Map for detailed directions.

The SMART commuter rail also offers car-free trail access options.

Just a conmuter path, under bridges and through homeless camps

September 2023 david588

This is just a path from point A to point B. Nothing remarkable. It goes through homeless camps and under highway bridges. Not the most beautiful experience. Nicely paved.

Something must have changed

October 2022 gailchandler

The Park and Ride at the trailhead is now a homeless encampment. There is a park you could leave from, but it is also a homeless encampment. I could see a portion of the trail from the freeway but it looked like chopped up blacktop, very narrow and overgrown. Seemed like bollards blocked access to the little bridge. I have a three wheel bike and would not be able to traverse the trail. Could not determine of trail was open at the trail head.

A precursor to the future.

July 2015 bikerbill67

Great new surface with striped lanes. Tunnel lighting illuminated the route while wearing polarized sun glasses. When entir path is complete, the ride through Marin County would become a destination recreational ride.