4 min
Overview
Coastal Trail – Hill 88 Loop is a coastal hike northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This loop begins at dog-friendly Rodeo Beach, climbs steeply past Battery Townsley to a former Nike Missile Site, and descends on the Miwok Trail beside verdant Gerbode Valley. The combination of coastal air, Golden Gate views, military history, wildlife viewing, and spring wildflowers makes it one of the most engaging hikes in the Marin Headlands. Rodeo Beach Begin your hike next to Rodeo Beach. Pass through the white gate at the end of Mitchell Road, hiking northwest up the road on the Coastal Trail towards Hill 88. From the trailhead, it’s fun to watch surfers in wet suits catching waves on the north side of beach. The “Rodeo” in Rodeo Beach and Rodeo Lagoon are a nod the headlands’ cattle ranching heritage in the early-mid 1800s, before dairy ranchers, the military, and the National Park Service arrived. In 0.1 miles, bear left to follow the hiking route for the Coastal Trail. Wooden fences line the dirt path as it veers along the edge of the cliff above the ocean. The rows of red-roofed buildings you see below were former army barracks and recreation buildings at Fort Cronkhite, a military post completed in 1941. Soldiers here operated batteries during World War II and radar sites during the Cold War until 1974, when the military left and the post became part of the newly-formed Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today, non-profit groups and National Park Service staff use the buildings. Continue following signs for the Coastal Trail towards Hill 88, rejoining the wide gravel road. At 0.7 miles, arrive at Battery Townsley, built between 1938 and 1940 to protect the west coast during World War II. This concrete and steel structure housed powerful 16-inch caliber guns that shot projectiles 25 miles out to sea. Walk through the tunnel into the concrete casemate, noticing the scale and depth of the concrete room built to protect the soldiers from air
Trail Stats
9.7 km
380 m
284 m
-6 m
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