Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A 90-Minute Walk through the Marin Headlands
At its northern end, the Golden Gate Bridge is
anchored in the rolling green hills of the Marin
Headlands. This is an unspoiled wild area of
windswept ridges, sheltered valleys and deserted
beaches, once used as a military defense post and
now part of the vast Golden Gate National
Recreation Area. From several vantage points there
are spectacular views of San Francisco and the sea
and, on autumn days, you can see migrating eagles
and ospreys gliding past Hawk Hill.
Schoolchildren on a trip to the Marin Headlands
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2
Miwok Indian
shelter. The walk,
which will take you
around Rodeo Lagoon
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, begins at the gate on
the west, ocean side, of the
parking area. Take the path to
the left that leads to the sea.
This part of the trail is thick with
trees and shrubs, including the
poison oak, of which visitors
should be aware. The songs of
birds fill the air, and around the
edges of the lagoon you will see
brown pelicans, snowy egrets
and mallards. A 15-minute walk
will bring you to the sandy,
windblown Rodeo Beach,
3
,
and from here you can
see Bird Island
4
lying off-shore to
Rodeo Beach
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Visitor Center to
Rodeo Beach
Before starting this walk, pause a
while at the steepled Visitor
Center
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, which was once the
interdenominational chapel for
Fort Barry. It has since been
refurbished and is now a
museum and information
center, with a natural history
bookstore that specializes in
books on birds. Here you can
discover the history of the Marin
Headlands and see a Coast
Key
Walk route
Rodeo Lagoon
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