It’s hard to believe such a vast, beautiful, and diverse wilderness is so close to a major metropolitan area. The Marin Headlands is a crown jewel of the Golden Gate National Parks abounding with places of natural wonder and beauty (Rodeo Lagoon/Valley, Gerbode Valley, Hawk Hill, Tennessee Valley) and remarkable historic sites (Point Bonita Lighthouse, Fort Cronkhite, Nike Missile Site, Battery Townsley).
See specific web pages for more information on each individual site.
In addition to a vast network of multi-use trails, amenities for visitors include the Marin Headlands Visitor Center and four unique campgrounds.
- Begin your explorations at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, open Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- Accessible restroom facilities are available at the Fort Cronkhite parking lot by Rodeo Beach, and also at the visitor center.
- Bring your own snacks; there are no food vendors in the Headlands.
- Picnic at Battery Wallace, near the Point Bonita trailhead. This is one of the parks’ most scenic picnic spots, complete with tables and grills (no water on site).
- Take a drive along Conzelman Road from the northern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Bonita. This five-mile road offers breathtaking views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean.
- Don’t plan on swimming (the ocean water is cold and dangerous).
- Survey the majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge from Kirby Cove.
- Tour the workings of Nike Missile Site SF-88-L, and gain insights into the Cold War era.
- Visit park-partner organizations located in the Headlands, such as the Marine Mammal Center and the Headlands Center for the Arts.
- In the fall, watch Golden Gate Raptor Observatory volunteers monitor the autumn migration of birds of prey. Each year, more than 20,000 raptors fly over the Headlands.
The sea cliffs and road cuts of the Headlands have exposed some of the finest examples of pillow basalt and radiolarian chert.
Millions of years ago, these rocks formed at the bottom of the sea, several thousand miles from the coast. The black pillow basalt was created from lava spewing from vents, while the red-brown radiolarian chert formed as the remains of radiolarians (microscopic protozoans) collected in layers.
As the seafloor moves slowly east, it slides under the North American continent and leaves behind scrapings of radiolarian chert and pillow basalt.
