We often travel far to explore places and neglect the areas near us, though many people come from far away just to see these places we tend to not visit. COVID has pushed us into exploring places near us, some we have already visited, and some new for all three of us. One of these new places is the Marin Headlands.
Marin Headlands is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. We started early so we could catch ‘Karl the fog,’ yes that’s right San Francisco’s fog has a name.
We drove along Conzelman Road, a five-mile road that offers beautiful views and places to stop to explore. There is a lot to see in Marin Headlands but I picked four places to stop at.
Hawk Hill
We first stopped at Hawk Hill, since we went on a Friday there were plenty of empty parking spots. From the pull out parking lot it is a short walk through a tunnel, few stairs a slightly uphill path. This short hike is kid friendly. Once you get to the top you are welcomed with a magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Alcatraz and the Pacific Ocean (this is on a clear day). However, we went early in the day so ‘Karl the fog’ had taken over most of the view, but I didn’t mind the mystical vibe.
Hawk Hill is a great spot to watch the hawk migration in the fall and see mission blue butterflies.
Once you drive off from Hawk Hill, Conzelman Road turns into a one way road. In about half a mile there will be a small parking lot on the left. Which is where we stopped next and it leads to Black Sand Beach.
Black Sand Beach
From the parking lot the walk down to the beach is about ten minutes on a steep dirt road with wooden stairs which makes it a bit easier. However, the walk back up was a bit challenging with a little one but totally doable.
I recommend checking the tide chart before visiting as when it is high tide the beach will be narrow. We saw many small crab shells on the beach and even saw a full size crab, which was alive.
Point Bonita
Next we got off at Point Bonita, the lighthouse itself was closed but from here you can get a very nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge & San Francisco. We also saw Harbor Seals relaxing on rocks and some in the water.
Battery Spencer
Battery Spencer is the iconic photo spot of The Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco in the background. This place will literary blow you away, it was the windiest here.
There is a lot more to do in Marin Headlands and we will be back to explore some more spots.
Other Information:
- Parking is free
- Visiting all the sites are free
- Bring own snacks and drinks, there aren’t any places where you can buy food/drinks
- Bring a jacket for the windy/cold areas
