Novato sits at the northern edge of Marin County, California, where suburban neighborhoods meet open hills, tidal marsh, and the last stretch of the Highway 101 corridor before it climbs into Sonoma County. The city's landmarks reflect that mix: a converted military airfield turned wetland preserve, a state historic park tied to Coast Miwok and early California ranching history, and a walkable downtown with roots going back more than a century. This guide walks through the most well-known sites, how they cluster by area, and how to link them into a single outing. For a broader overview of the area, see the Novato Travel Guide: Things to Do, Landmarks, Food, and Itineraries.
Downtown Novato and Grant Avenue
The historic core of the city runs along Grant Avenue, a stretch of low-slung storefronts, cafes, and independent shops that traces back to Novato's early days as a rail and agricultural stop. Walking Grant Avenue gives visitors a sense of the town's small-city scale, a contrast to the denser commercial strips found closer to San Francisco. The Novato History Museum, housed in a former train depot-style building, covers the area's Coast Miwok heritage, its ranching and dairy past, and the growth that followed the arrival of the railroad and later Highway 101. It's a good starting point for understanding how the rest of the landmarks in this guide fit into the broader story of the region.
Because downtown is compact, it works well as the anchor point for a walking loop. Visitors can pair a stop at the museum with a stroll along Grant Avenue and a meal nearby; see Where to Eat in Novato for an overview of dining options in that part of town.
Hamilton Field Historic District
East of downtown, toward San Pablo Bay, sits the Hamilton Field Historic District, once home to a military airfield that served the Army and, later, the Air Force for a good part of the 1900s. Flight operations wound down in the late 1970s and 1980s, after which the surrounding acreage was reshaped into a mix of housing and open space; a number of the original hangars and Spanish Revival-style buildings survived that transition and are still noted today for their architectural character. Just beyond the historic buildings, tidal wetlands have been re-established along the bay edge, the result of an extended habitat restoration project that converted former airfield and levee-diked land back into functioning marsh. A network of walking and biking paths traces the wetland perimeter, and the area draws regular visits from birdwatchers, especially when migratory species pass through.
Hamilton is a short drive from downtown and pairs naturally with a visit to the bay-facing marsh trails if you want to combine architecture and history with time outdoors.
Olompali State Historic Park
Just north of the city along Highway 101 sits Olompali State Historic Park, among the more historically layered sites in Marin County. The park protects ground believed to have once held a Coast Miwok settlement, and in the 1800s it became part of a sizable Mexican land grant and ranch tied to the Burdell family. The property changed hands and purposes several times over the following century, at one point serving briefly as a communal living site in the 1960s. Trails through the park today wind past the remains of the Burdells' Victorian-era mansion, through oak woodland and open grass, with signage along the way explaining the different chapters of the site's history. Since it lies just outside city limits, it tends to get treated as a separate short trip rather than folded into a downtown walking tour, though it remains among the landmarks most closely associated with Novato. As with any state or federally managed site, check the official park website for current access details before visiting.
Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve
On the northwest side of the city, Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve offers a different kind of landmark: rolling grassland and oak-covered slopes with sweeping views over Novato and the valley below. Remnants of stone walls and an old rock quarry from the ranching era are scattered across the preserve, alongside a trail network favored by hikers and mountain bikers. The land carries an echo of the same ranching history found at Olompali, since much of it was once part of the broader Burdell property.
Stafford Lake and the Western Hills
Further west, Stafford Lake Park centers on a reservoir surrounded by grassy shoreline, picnic areas, and a golf course, making it a commonly visited spot for a slower-paced outdoor stop. It's a reasonable complement to a hillier hike at Mount Burdell if you're looking to balance elevation gain with flatter, lake-adjacent walking.
Grouping the Landmarks into a Visit
Because Novato's landmarks split between a walkable downtown, a bayside historic district, and hillside open space, most visitors find it easiest to treat them as two or three separate outings rather than one continuous walk. A downtown loop pairing the history museum and Grant Avenue works well on foot. Hamilton's historic buildings and wetland trails form a second, mostly flat outing suited to biking or a longer walk. Mount Burdell and Stafford Lake, both requiring a car to reach trailheads, are better suited to a half-day hiking or driving loop, with Olompali added on for those continuing north or making a day of Marin County history.
For a structured way to combine these stops with food and other activities, see the Best Things To Do in Novato page, or follow a ready-made schedule via the Novato 1-Day Itinerary or the more relaxed Novato 3-Day Itinerary. Seasonal considerations, especially for the hillside preserves and wetland trails, are covered in Best Time to Visit Novato, and common visitor questions are addressed in the Novato FAQ.
As with any outdoor or historic site, ordinary precautions apply: stick to marked trails, be mindful of sun exposure on the open hillsides, and check official sources for current conditions, access points, and any seasonal closures before setting out.