Parks

Marin Headlands
Parks
Marin County
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 Valley/Lagoon, Gerbode Valley, Hawk Hill, Tennessee Valley) and remarkable...
Sutro Heights
Parks
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.
Running up the stairs at Mori Point
Parks
San Mateo County
See what wonders restoration work creates at this rugged coastal promontory in San Mateo County. Thanks to community volunteers the 32-acre wetland park now has trails, red-legged frog ponds, and a revived habitat for the San Francisco garter snake, once North America's most endangered reptile.
Muir Woods walk
Parks
Marin County
People do not just visit Muir Woods. They come from around the globe to pay homage to nature in this cathedral of redwoods. The trees' ages range from 400 to 800 years, their height up to 250 feet. Flat easy trails loop through the groves and across creeks. Parking can be an issue.
Tour at the Point Bonita Lighthouse
Parks
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...
Parks
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...
Stinson Beach
Parks
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.
Hiking in Tennessee Valley
Parks
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.
Wildlife of Point Reyes National Seashore
Parks
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.
Redwoods in Phleger Estate
Parks
San Mateo County
See a verdant redwood forest reborn here at the southern tip of the Golden Gate National Parks. This tranquil park was once severely logged and century-old redwood stumps and remnants of steam mills are still in evidence.