No beach in the world has a view like this. From its sandy shore just west of the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, look east to a stunning panorama of the city. Limited parking. Camping reservations required.

Just a few miles from Muir Woods, Muir Beach is a lovely haven with a restored lagoon. Redwood Creek, home to a rich variety of shorebirds, salmon, and trout, empties here. The beach lies in a quiet and dramatic cove with its own sheltered picnic area.

You're in another world here, a picture-perfect rural valley bordering both the Golden Gate National Parks and Point Reyes National Seashore. This pastoral landscape stretches for nine miles, its ribbon of Highway 1 unspooling between the slopes of Bolinas and Inverness Ridge. Here you have an opportunity to experience two national parks in one trip.

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.

Imagine yourself on the coast of Scotland. At this glorious, rocky bluff off Highway 1 near Stinson Beach you can park and hike down to Red Rock Beach. The Pacific roars, winds stir the chaparral, and if you make reservations far in advance you can spend the night at rustic cabins here.

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.