Tomales Point Trail
Wide-open views atop a windswept peninsula, with a good chance of spotting wild elk.
Moderate Hiking
- Distance
- 15 km
- Ascent
- 391 m
- Descent
- 391 m
San Francisco's Best Hikes for Ocean Views
Experience the many moods of a dramatic coastline on these Bay Area trails.
Hiking Easy, Moderate, Difficult
Description
San Francisco is known for vivid seascapes—from the Golden Gate spanning the bay, to white waves crashing on yellow cliffs, to green meadows meeting blue water. It's also famous for the fog that rolls in from the sea, blanketing the coastal hills and valleys. Though views are sometimes shrouded, they are often all the more sensational in the mist. The only way to feel the many moods of this dynamic coastline is to hike and re-hike many miles of it, in all the various conditions it experiences.
To begin your explorations, try the trails on this list. They capture some of the best coastal scenes to be found, though it's tough to narrow down from such an aesthetic and extensive landscape. Use these selections as a starting point, then find your own favorite ocean overlooks in the Bay Area.
Routes included
Point Reyes Lighthouse Path
Cliff-top walk on a paved path to a historic lighthouse and whale-watching spot.
Easy Hiking
- Distance
- 2 km
- Ascent
- 104 m
- Descent
- 104 m
Tennessee Point
Hike from Rodeo Beach to a more secluded viewpoint along coastal cliffs.
Easy Hiking
- Distance
- 2.6 km
- Ascent
- 79 m
- Descent
- 79 m
Coastal Trail: Rodeo Beach to Muir Beach
Travel up and down panoramic hills above the sea, in between two of Marin County's best beaches
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 19 km
- Ascent
- 1 km
- Descent
- 1 km
Batteries to Bluffs Loop
Explore history and scenery along the dramatic coastline near the Golden Gate Bridge.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 2.1 km
- Ascent
- 81 m
- Descent
- 81 m
Alamere Falls via Palomarin Trailhead
A waterfall dropping into the sea is the culmination of this wildly scenic, somewhat strenuous, and very popular hike.
Difficult Hiking
- Distance
- 22 km
- Ascent
- 606 m
- Descent
- 607 m
Point Bonita Lighthouse and Battery Wallace
Exciting walk through a tunnel and over a suspension bridge to a lighthouse on the tip of Marin Headlands.
Easy Hiking
- Distance
- 1.7 km
- Ascent
- 61 m
- Descent
- 61 m
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San Francisco Hikes for the Whole Family
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