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Just inside the coastal zone of the Marin Headlands lies the Golden Gate National Parks’ wilderness back
country, a hiker’s paradise. An extensive network of trails traverses
this landscape of grassland and coastal chaparral. Every hilltop offers a
panoramic vista point; every valley offers a chance to smell fennel and
sage or catch a fleeting glimpse of a bobcat or bush rabbit. At its
heart lies Gerbode Valley, one of the area’s prettiest valleys.
The
National Park Service has been planting native bunch grass on the valley
floor, an area once overrun by tough, hoof-proof grazing grasses that
were introduced by the Spanish long ago. The planting project is part of
a parkwide effort to replace exotic plants with native species.
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Nature
Bobcats
 Though bobcats (Felis
rufus) are largely creatures of the night, they can often be
seen on the Marin peninsula during the early morning or evening hours,
streaking across the chaparral or basking in the sun. These furry
predators hunt rodents, rabbit, and other small mammals. Bobcat
paw marks and scat dot the Headlands, but many mistake their tracks for
those of the more elusive mountain lion, a feline with larger paws (and a
much longer tail). Bobcats are most likely to be seen in the Gerbode
and Tennessee valley areas on nice spring and summer days.
 Wildflowers
In the spring, Marin’s headlands, hills,
and valleys burst with bright colors. Two floral provinces overlap
here, dramatically increasing the number of wildflower species. The
area’s foggy coast and dry interior, its hodgepodge of soils, and its
many fresh and saltwater zones provide an unusual diversity of
wildflower and rare plant habitats. Some of the best wildflower walks are on the Point
Bonita Lighthouse, Tennessee Valley, Coastal, Wolf Ridge, and Miwok
trails.
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