Hawk Hill: Open for Golden Gate Bridge views, raptor-spotting after major lift

Surveying the skies over the Marin Headlands with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory.

Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy

Atop Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands, you're above the Golden Gate Bridge and in the heart of the Pacific Flyway. Each fall, Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and other birds of prey swoop past in one of the Pacific Coast’s most dramatic raptor migration displays.  

This fall marked a major milestone for Hawk Hill in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area: the Parks Conservancy and National Park Service completed 15 years of work to restore and improve this iconic Marin Headlands birdwatching site.

Thanks to this public-private partnership, Hawk Hill now features new hiking trails, restored habitat, and better accessibility, including:  

• An accessible Tunnel Loop Trail with ocean viewpoints, rest areas, and improved wayfinding. 

• Restored native butterfly habitat and erosion control around historic military batteries.  

• New amenities like vault toilets, bike racks, seating, and Golden Gate Bridge overlook upgrades. 

The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) remains the heart of Hawk Hill. For over 40 years, volunteers and scientists have tracked the annual raptor migration, logging nearly 1 million sightings and identifying species by characteristics including plumage, tail length, and wing shape. 

Celebrating the completion of 15 years of work at Hawk Hill in December 2025! Helping cut the ribbon were, from left to right, Sausalito Vice Mayor Melissa Blaustein, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Superintendent David Smith, California State Coastal Conservancy Executive Officer Amy Hutzel, and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy President & CEO Christine Lehnertz.

Brittany Hosea-Small / For the Parks Conservancy

On a foggy day in December 2025, we celebrated Hawk Hill's reopening with project partners including the National Park Service, Parks Conservancy, California State Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and GGRO staff and volunteers. Thanks to all who helped transform this space and the Parks Conservancy donors and members who have supported this project through the years. 

Hawk Hill is fully open to the public, and you're welcome to come check out the Marin Headlands trails, views looking DOWN on the Golden Gate Bridge, and even a hawk or two. Enjoy one of the most inspiring locations in the GGNRA, now safer and more deeply connected to the science and stewardship that define Hawk Hill.