Activities in the Parks

Can’t Choose Your Own Adventure? Start Here and Go!

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With hundreds of miles of trails threading through 37 distinct sites across 80,000 acres of the Golden Gate National Parks, it can be hard to decide where to go and what to do. Let the Parks Conservancy’s experts be your guide! We’ve carefully curated our favorite hikes, walks, and excursions to share with you and your loved ones. There’s something (and some place) for everyone! We reveal some of the natural wonders and historical highlights you’ll experience along the way, but there are plenty more surprises for you to discover. So browse below, then grab your boots and backpack. Your national parks are waiting.

View over Green Gulch Farm Zen Center
Hiking
  • Birding
Ditch the summer fog in San Francisco for the sunny peaks of our Golden Gate National Parks in Marin County. Have some fun in the sun on this moderate eight-mile hike and finish it off with a frothy pint at the local "English" inn! Along the way, you'll see newly...
Cyclists power forward along the Miwok Trail
Trail
Difficulty: Very Strenuous

Length

15.91 miles round-trip
The long, snaking Miwok Trail winds from a trailhead at Tennessee Valley to a junction with the Redwood Creek Trail near Muir Woods . On this strenuous 10-mile-long path, visitors will enjoy wildflowers, great views, and some breathtaking climbs (both in scenery and in exertion!).
View of the Golden Gate from the Marin Headlands
Trail
Difficulty: Easiest

Length

0.71 miles round-trip
Highway 101 lies just below this trail. Take your time and enjoy the views in the canyon as you make your way up the hill side, and look out over the bay as you follow numerous switchbacks.
Muir Beach Overlook
Trail
Difficulty: Moderate

Length

0.02 miles round-trip
This trail to the Muir Beach Overlook offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Marin County coastline.
Family outing at Muir Beach
Trail
Difficulty: Easiest

Length

4.00 miles round-trip
This four-mile hike includes a 900-foot elevation gain and will take you a good afternoon to hike. Much of the trail through coastal scrub habitat is exposed and open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.
Dog walker takes her leashed dog through Oakwood Valley
Trail
Difficulty: Moderate

Length

2.58 miles round-trip
The trail loop begins on the single-track Oakwood Valley Trail and finishes on the broad Fire Road Trail.
Visitors cross the bridge to Point Bonita Light
Trail
Difficulty: Easiest

Length

1.10 miles round-trip
The walk down to Point Bonita Lighthouse is a hallmark Bay Area experience that offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge .
A park visitor runs on the SCA Trail in the Marin Headlands with the San Francisco skyline in background.
Trail
Difficulty: Easiest

Length

4.02 miles round-trip
A hike along the SCA Trail will provide a breathless vista of the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding Bay. When the sun is shining and the fog is lifted, hiking along this trail will make memories that will last a lifetime.
Habitat restoration volunteers work on Alta Ridge
Hiking
  • Hikes
Within the blissfully remote Marin Headlands, Tennessee Valley has become a prime destination spot for casual hikers, bikers, and riders.
Tennessee Valley Trail is perfect for the whole family
Trail
Difficulty: Moderate

Length

3.40 miles round-trip
Tennessee Valley is an amazing offshoot of the Marin Headlands, with hiking trails that suit the whole family.
Stairs down to Black Sands Beach
Trail
Difficulty: Easiest

Length

1.08 miles round-trip
The Upper Fishermans trail down to Blacks Beach is steep with plenty of stairs.
Poppies overlooking Fort Cronkhite and Rodeo Beach
Trail
Difficulty: Strenuous

Length

4.40 miles round-trip
After taking the Coastal Trail up from Rodeo Beach , you'll take the Wolf Ridge Trail on your way to Hill 88 (accessed by a spur trail). It's a bit of a climb, but the Wolf Ridge Trail rewards doughty visitors with spectacular views of the Marin Headlands and Pacific...

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