Tocaloma Bridge’s 1927 Concrete Arch Is a National Register Historic Landmark

TOCALOMA, Marin County — October 31, 2026. The old concrete bridge over Lagunitas Creek is one of the most distinctive reminders of West Marin’s early automobile era. The Tocaloma Bridge was built in 1927 and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Why was it built?

The National Park Service’s place-name history identifies the bridge as the work of Marin County surveyor John C. Oglesby. It was part of road improvements financed through a 1925 bond issue intended to improve travel and agricultural access between eastern and western Marin County.

What makes it unusual?

The bridge uses a reinforced-concrete through-arch design, more elaborate than many ordinary highway spans of its period. Its national designation recognizes engineering and transportation history, not simply its age. The historic listing appears in the National Register program under reference number 100002959.

Why isn’t it the main highway bridge?

The original structure was bypassed by a newer highway alignment during the 1960s. It now forms part of the landscape around a trail access point, and the NPS identifies an ongoing closure to vehicles for structural reasons. Historic recognition is not a certification of load-carrying safety.

Sources: NPS Point Reyes place-name history, federal historic registration and NPS road safety guidance.

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