This is a great add on to the Point Bonita Lighthouse trail. It’s a wide dirt road leading out to a bluff high above the pacific ocean. The hike features spectacular views of the ocean, cliffs, Point Bonita lighthouse and Rodeo beach. It also has awesome bird action (bird Island is a Pelican stronghold), lots of plants, and there are World War I and II ruins along the way.
Description:
The trail starts on the north side of the parking lot, just to the right of the bathrooms. It’s not paved, but wide and well graded – I saw a ranger truck driving along it during my hike. At the end, the rails are again good enough for me to be comfortable, even with the kids.
Interesting bits:
Plant IDs:
- Baccharis pilularis – Coyote Brush
- Myoporum sp. – Ngaios
- Delairea odorata – Cape-Ivy
- Urtica dioica – Stinging Nettle
- Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow
- Cirsium vulgare – Bull Thistle
Activities and Amenities:
There are bathrooms at the parking lot, and a few hikes that start here. The trail itself doesn’t have any benches or tables. This is really all about the out and back. I didn’t have cell service.
Getting there:
You’ll want to follow a map or GPS program if you’re not familiar with the area, it’s a bit twisty turny to get there, and from the direction I was traveling, it was one exit before the bridge. I hate it when I go to San Francisco by accident. (It happens.. fortunately, not a lot.) If there’s no parking at the end of the road parking lot, there’s a larger one just slightly down the hill. Also, download your maps because cell service is minimal.
TLDR – get the basics here:
- You tube
- All trails
- iNaturalist
- The Park – Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Google maps to the parking lot
