We began this trip by attempting to get to Muir Woods — but the parking situation for Muir Woods is so atrocious that we gave up. There simply isn’t enough parking to get in there, and with two small kids we didn’t want to walk along a winding road with no sidewalk and a scant shoulder for a few miles — uphill.
So. Marin Headlands it was! And what an excellent choice. This walk was truly awesome. It’s remote, it’s not overly populated, and it’s varied. It’s also a bird watcher’s and lepidopterist’s delight — so basically, I was in heaven. Marin Headlands is part of the Golden Gate National Park district, and has much to offer in the way of history. It celebrates Miwok Indian history to military history with Fort Barry and Fort Cronkhite and the NIKE Missile site.
While anytime of year is good to go, I will most definitely be coming back in the spring next year to see the raptor migrations plus the explosion of wildflowers and butterflies, one of which is a very rare Mission blue butterfly, which I was very disappointed not to catch sight of!
You park at the visitor’s center, which houses really interesting artifacts and a superb gift shop with books that I haven’t seen before–a naturalist’s and hiker’s delight, really.
Start off down the path to the right of the bathrooms at the far end of the Visitor’s Center parking lot, the Lagoon Trail Loop. The path will veer to the right temptingly, but stay the course– you’ll do a loop and come back up on that path. So stay straight. The path goes through beautiful greenery:
Then you’ll come out and go up a hill among tons of wonderful wildflowers and wild blueberries. Keep your eye out for birds, even if it’s just a pretty old blackbird.
Eventually, you’ll see the water – and Rodeo Beach. Head for that. Across the lagoon, you can see the old Fort Barry (red roofs).
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The beach has tons of interesting and varied rocks, many of which have unusual colors to them. Hunt for some good ones! The white-covered rock to the left, or south west, is covered in cormorant and pelican poo.
If you look closely, you can see caves in the cliffs.
Keep your eye out for cormorants and pelicans.
We caught site of a red-tailed hawk, too.
Cross the beach to the footbridge and head over to the little “town” area. Take Bunker Road up to the Marine Mammal Center, which is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. There, you can view, for free, recovering sea mammals including sea lions, seals, and other injured, malnourished, or ailing sea mammals.
After that, continue back down to the main road and keep on the path next to the road to continue around the lagoon and complete the loop. The lagoon is a hot spot for Great Blue Herons, which are all over it. We saw several, and I was pleased.
Here are two completing a double landing in a tree — can you see them?
One of them landed in a tree near us!
The tail-end of the loop:
All in all, a truly fantastic hike.
Animals
Mostly birds!
- Cormorants
- Pelicans
- Great Blue Herons
- Ravens, blackbirds
- Red-tailed hawk
More information
How to get there
(credit to Marine Mammal center for these)
From North of the Golden Gate Bridge: Take the last Sausalito exit off Highway 101, just before the Golden Gate Bridge. At the exit stop sign, turn right and go under the freeway, then follow the road down to the left. Within 300 feet you see a left turn signposted to the Marin Headlands (this is the only available left turn before you begin the descent into Sausalito). You should see a tunnel with a five-minute light. Proceed through the tunnel.
From South of the Golden Gate Bridge: Just after you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, take the second exit off Highway 101 at Alexander Avenue (after the Vista Point). Within 100 feet you see a left turn onto Sausalito Lateral road (it is very poorly labeled, but this is the only available left turn before you begin down the hill into Sausalito). You should see a tunnel with a five-minute light. Proceed straight through the tunnel.
Then, follow signs for the Visitor’s Center and stay to the left.
