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Tour at the Point Bonita Lighthouse
Parks

Point Bonita

Marin County
Yes, this lighthouse at the southwest tip of the Marin Headlands is still active and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Getting there is a challenge. Parking is limited and the 0.5-mile walk is steep and precarious. This spot, at the "world's end," is ruggedly beautiful. Nearby, old army buildings...
Wildlife of Point Reyes National Seashore
Parks

Point Reyes National Seashore

Marin County
Endlessly explore the vast wilds here, one of the most stunning oceanfront parks in the world. This 70,000-acre peninsula north of San Francisco stretches from the wild and wind-chilled great beaches on the northwest side (where Sir Francis Drake landed in 1567) across forested ridges to the south. Find plentiful...
Presidio
Parks

Presidio of San Francisco

San Francisco
Visitors keep discovering new pleasures in this jewel of a national park. From eucalyptus-lined ridges overlooking the City to its restored wetlands and beaches, it is both a place of tranquil seclusion and unique activities. Transferred from the Army to the National Park Service in 1994, the Presidio offers forests...
Rancho Corral de Tierra
Parks

Rancho Corral de Tierra

Marin County
Ready for a challenge? This 4,000-acre park above the San Mateo coast is a former Spanish colonial land grant. It boasts miles of winding public trails, important watersheds, diverse wildlife, and, atop 2,000-foot Montara Mountain, a breath-taking 360-degree view from the Bay to the Pacific.
Rodeo Beach
Parks

Rodeo Beach

Marin County
Windswept, exhilarating, and covered with unique red and green pebbles, this beach is just three miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sheltered by cliffs and bounded by a lagoon, it offers good picnic sites and is ideal for kite flying or just watching the roaring Pacific.
Rodeo Lagoon
Parks

Rodeo Lagoon/Valley

Marin County
Rich with wildlife habitats, Rodeo Valley winds through the heart of the Marin Headlands and is edged by grassy, wind-swept hillsides. Where it descends to the Pacific, there is a lagoon and shallow wetlands home to shorebirds including egrets and ducks, as well as butterflies and occasional bobcats.
Stinson Beach
Parks

Stinson Beach

Marin County
Amble along the alabaster sands here, one of the most perfect beaches on the California coast. Find it 35 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge via Highway 1, which unwinds atop heart-stopping cliffs. Stinson's long sandy strand is an outstanding spot for swimming and surfing (a wetsuit helps) as...
Sutro Heights
Parks

Sutro Historic District

San Francisco
The fine ruins here excite visitors' imaginations. Adolf Sutro, a visionary 19th-century San Francisco mayor, built a home and gardens on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Today all that is left are dreamily romantic gardens. Below it, on a rocky shore, are the vast remains of Sutro Baths a lavish...
Parks

Sweeney Ridge

San Mateo County
Ridges and ravines mark this hiking area 25 minutes south of San Francisco. Wildlife, including hawks, deer, and wildflowers, abound on the slopes which drop to the Bay on one side and Thornton Beach on the other. The park's highest point is 1,200 feet and has a plaque honoring Portola's...
Hiking in Tennessee Valley
Parks

Tennessee Valley

Marin County
Offering more of a stroll than a hike, the two-mile trail that meanders through the meadows of this serene valley leads you to bluffs overlooking the Pacific. There you'll several fine sand beaches and the Pacific's shattering surf.