Several years ago, George Lucas provided a public easement over
this road in exchange for expanding Skywalker Ranch. The "Skywalker
Easement" filled a gap in the Bay Area Ridge Trail and provided
access to the top of Loma Alta and the Marin County Open Space just
beyond.
Loma Alta is one of Marin's highest points. At 1592 feet, it
features stunning 360° views -- on a clear day one can see past
endless ridges to mountains and bays beyond. One need not go this
far to find the cache, but the real reward of the hike will be at
the trail's summit. The Force will be with you as you make your way
there.
The walk to the cache is about 1.5 miles, climbing around 700
feet. Begin at the Big Rock trailhead (38° 02.864N, 122° 37.319W)
on Lucas Valley Road (no relation to George) and follow the fire
road from there. There are beautiful views of grasslands and
ridges, hidden valleys and canyons. Since this is an easement
through private land, be sure to stick to the main trail. There is
little or no shade along the trail, so plan appropriately.
The cache is a small, thin, black container -- bigger than a
micro but suitable for only a few small trading items. It is facing
the trail, on the near side but hidden from view. Do not look in
the barbed wire. Do not look in any poison oak.
This was the first cache placed on the Skywalker Easement. After
this was placed, others added several to the area, including many
with Star Wars themes. You can also continue on the trail past the
summit of Loma Alta to the Bonie and Clyde! cache just on the other side
of the ridge.
For more information on this trail, see the Bay Area Hiker.