Backyard Retreat: 48 Hours in the Marin Headlands
Posted by admin on Jul 30, 2010
Just a few miles north of the city, the Marin Headlands is a superb spot to escape the hustle and bustle. As a bona fide urbanite, I was curious to find out what hikers, bikers, and bird-watchers have relished for years. In two days, I discovered that San Francisco’s backyard offers much more to the intrepid visitor than iconic Golden Gate Bridge snapshots.
TUESDAY
3:30 p.m. - Welcome and Relax
An old red-roofed chapel houses the Marin Headlands Visitor Center and it makes for an informative first stop on the itinerary. Inside, guests can access free maps, wildlife info, and hiking suggestions from friendly park rangers or choose from well-stocked shelves of regional books. Interpretive exhibits outline the Headlands past history from the Miwok natives to the vaquero cowboys and Portuguese dairy farmers who settled the land in the 1800s, to the army life and barracks that took over in the 20th century. You may be surprised to find out that the area was this close to becoming Marincello, a development of high-rise condos, in the 1960s.
5 p.m. - Historic Check-in
It was Bob Marley who said "sweet life, it must be somewhere to be found instead of concrete jungle." The Marin Headlands Hostel makes the concrete jungle feel hours away; it’s the perfect respite away from it all and an ideal home base for a Marin Headlands adventure. Housed in two 1907 buildings, the hostel is nestled in the wilderness amongst awnings of cypress trees. Take a breather — the air is fragrant with sweet eucalyptus and a tinge of salt from the Pacific. Overlooking an expansive meadow, wildlife sightings are frequent; my first was a coyote followed by rabbits and wild turkeys. Star-gazing is stellar.
7 p.m. - Sunset Beach
The hostel is conveniently located with an abundance of hikes, rides, and strolls just outside the doors. Wander down along Rodeo Lagoon, a pretty oval of sea, to Rodeo Beach to watch the sunset. Surfers hog the breaks closest to the parking lot, while photographers prefer the stretch on the far end near Bird Island. The rock outcrops dramatically shift color as the sun descends. The root-beer-brown beach is wide and soft and various hiking trails rise up on both sides if you want to get a primo view.
9 p.m. - Eat & Meet
Both the main hostel building and the annex have fully equipped kitchens begging to be utilized. Fortunately, I had picked up provisions back in Sausalito at Fish and Golden Gate Market. Fish is a chic yet casual restaurant committed to serving sustainable seafood on the waterfront. You can eat in or buy the fresh catch to prepare yourself. The wild Ecuadorian tilapia, Tomales Bay oysters, Alaskan salmon, and California halibut are all fresh and reasonably priced. The hostel annex has a large dining and sitting room filled with games and books like the 1966 National Geographic encyclopedia set. I enjoyed some Idaho trout while playing Scrabble with another guest, and a mother and daughter shared their leftover cake from the mother’s 86th birthday celebration.
WEDNESDAY
10 a.m. - Sea Life
The state of the art Marine Mammal Center is perched on a hill on Fort Cronkhite overlooking a sweeping view of Rodeo Beach. It’s the largest center in the world that rescues and rehabilitates sick, injured, and orphaned marine mammals with the aim of returning all back to the wild. Forty staff members and 800 volunteers run the vet research and education center; last year alone, they cared for more than 1,700 animals found along 600 miles of California coast. It’s free to enter and there are tours led by docents a couple of times a day. Alternatively, you can take an educational audio tour for $10 during which staff guide you around the fish kitchen, laboratories, and even the post-mortem viewing area. The upper and lower outdoor viewing areas allow guests to see the solar-paneled patient pens and pools which house the lounging sea lions, fur seals, and often-talkative elephant seals, some of whom can reach up to 15 feet in length and weigh up to 4,500 pounds!
12:30 p.m. - History Dose
Relive your school field trip days at the Nike Missile Site, up the hill past the Visitor Center. The Bay Area had 12 Nike Missile sites at its peak time in the 1950s. This particular site held 135 army personnel who took turns waiting, waiting, and waiting for a red alert to take effect. Fortunately, it was all waiting and not much action. The Nike Ajax missile was the first command-guided missile in 1953 — think remote controlled car and you’re not too far off. The missile assembly and testing building contains a now warhead-free Hercules missile that weighed 10,000 pounds and could travel 100,000 feet in the air at 2,000 miles per hour. Volunteers lead didactic tours that show off the radar once used to identify all aircraft in the Bay (friends or foes) and enter claustrophobic chambers where the army did a lot of waiting with their "computers." The most exciting part of the tour involves taking an elevator ride to the underground magazine, which holds six additional missiles. Everything on site is the actual materials used in that era — yes, you can touch them!
2 p.m. - Meat & Cheese
If your food rations have run out, take a quick detour into Sausalito for a cheap lunch at Louie’s Deli Cafe. An archetypal family deli more commonly found on the East Coast than the West, Louie’s offers hot panini and freshly made sandwiches with the usual accompaniments of pickles, chips, and potato salad. The iced coffee hits the spot on a hot day.
3 p.m. - The Great Outdoors
Many miles of hiking and mountain biking trails dot the Marin Headlands landscape and the park rangers are super about guiding you in the right direction. A nice two-hour afternoon loop starts from the Miwok Trail, cuts over across the Wolf Ridge Trail, and finishes off at the Coastal Trail. Going in this direction has you leaving the heat behind as you climb some 800 feet up; cool breezes greet you at the top, wildflowers dot the landscape, and effort is rewarded with broad Tennessee Valley views. The grand finale descends toward the expansive Pacific Ocean, passing rusting graffiti-filled military batteries and bunkers along the way. At the peaks on a fog free day, San Francisco is easily seen in the distance. If you’re there during the week, like I was, chances are you may have the trails all to yourself, less the distant sound of fog horns and bells in buoys, massive cargo ships entering the Golden Gate, and the crashing waves of Rodeo Beach.
6:30 p.m. - Art Walk?
After a full day of wildlife, history, and the outdoors, it was time to relax and imbibe some culture. Beautiful Sausalito is a mere 5 miles away from the Marin Headlands and hosts an Art Walk the second Wednesday of the month, May - October. However, on this particular second Wednesday, no galleries appeared to be open! After inquiring with a few confused shopkeepers along Bridgeway Street, the main lane winding along the waterfront, I gave up on art and chose the next best event — happy hour. Trying to escape the tourists on the central drag, I slipped into the No Name Bar, the perfect fix. No snobbery here! The place is filled with salty characters laughing loudly, reading classic novels, and smoking on the inviting back patio. Live music occurs later in the evenings.
8:30 p.m. - Atypical Combo
Avoid the hoity-toity restaurants downtown and cruise up a mile and a half north to Avatars. An unassuming place, Avatars has perfected the uncommon yet creative fusion of Indian and Mexican cuisine. The owners claim the Punjab enchiladas will be "the best thing you’ve ever tasted!" and while that may be a stretch, both the rock shrimp and jerk chicken enchiladas are tender and tangy. The service was speedy and friendly and the place was packed with locals. Best part? Dinner barely puts a dent in your wallet.
THURSDAY
8:30 a.m. - Fuel Up
I needed to fill my belly while waiting for some of the chilly fog to burn off on the coast. Breakfast choices abound in sunny Sausalito, but I was drawn into low-key Anchorage 5. Slightly incognito and located in what looks like a small office park, Anchorage 5 discerningly plays up its ship motif while dishing out hearty omelettes, benedicts, and Mexican specialties like huevos rancheros. Away from the tourist trail, you’ll definitely find a seat amid locals sipping bottomless cups of coffee while reading the paper to a classical music soundtrack.
10 a.m. – Choose Your Own Adventure
The small crescent of chocolate sand that sprinkles pristine Tennessee Cove can be reached two ways. Hardy hikers will relish the wildly overgrown and steep Coastal Trail which meets up with the Tennessee Valley Trail far below (3-4 hours roundtrip from Rodeo Beach). I saw three garter snakes along this route, bees buzzed, and red and blue dragonflies danced along with me as I rambled. The wider and smoother Upper Tennessee Valley Trail, accessed via a parking area, is more easily navigated. Despite being smaller than Rodeo Beach and Muir Beach, the cove has ample sand to romp around, occasional natural tide pools, and a few nooks and crannies to enjoy solitude. Rock walls soar up on both sides of the sparkling lagoon and a trail leads to an overlook. Bring water as there are no amenities.
1:30 p.m. - Cruise to Views
Meander down to Fort Baker to snap the quintessential Golden Gate Bridge photo and gaze dreamily at the fabulous views of the Bay, Alcatraz, and San Francisco. Fort Baker includes Cavallo Point — an upscale lodge, spa, restaurant and more understated bar — and the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a must-see if you’re hanging out with the under eight-year-old crowd. The museum engages and educates kids through hands-on exhibitions, an outdoor learning lab, and a permanent wave workshop, which recreates the habitat under the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the current programs and daily events on their website.
2:30 p.m. - Humble Abode
Otis Redding wrote his hit song The Dock of the Bay in Sausalito, where he had rented a houseboat in late 1967. Practice your whistle after grabbing an espresso at A Taste of Rome and stroll up to the next block, Johnson Street. Hang a right and wander towards the public dock to catch a glimpse of a few of Sausalito’s eclectic houseboats. At the end of the yacht harbor, you’ll find the extravagant one modeled after India’s Taj Mahal. Every September, the Floating Homes Association offers houseboat tours; check the website to find out exactly what day. Most of the marina docks and piers are open to the inquisitive public.
4 p.m. - Tall Trees
When the heat index is rising in Sausalito, it’s hard to resist a detour to cool off under the giant trees at Muir Woods, eight miles north. Open 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year, the park is cool, shaded, and moist under the redwood canopy. A mere $5 gets you in and a six-mile network of trails loops in between the tallest living things in the world. Forget about steel and glass skyscrapers, this is the real deal. I easily found peace and isolation in moseying amid these gentle giants and I definitely forgot I was only 15 minutes from the city go go go.
Plan Your Trip
It’s easy to book a stay at the Marin Headlands Hostel online or over the phone: (415) 331-2777. The hostel offers accommodations in private, family, and shared rooms. It is located four miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge. Please note that there are no stores or restaurants within the park — the nearest shopping and dining options are five miles away, in the town of Sausalito. Bring food and necessities with you.
Public transit options to the Marin Headlands are limited. The MUNI-76 bus travels to the Marin Headlands Visitors Center only on Sundays and holidays ($2, exact change). The Golden Gate Ferry as well as the Blue & Gold Fleet carry passengers across the bay from San Francisco to Sausalito. From Sausalito, you can bike or take a taxi to the hostel.
The Coastal Trail is currently inaccessible at certain points due to road construction. Be sure to check with the Marin Headlands Visitors Center for the latest updates.
If you have more time:
The Point Bonita Lighthouse is worthy of a visit and only open Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
The Headlands Center for the Arts provides emerging and established artists with time and space for open-ended investigation, experimentation, and collaboration. Check the website for events and open studio days and times.
Mount Tamalpais State Park is less than 10 miles north and provides fantastic views and more hiking trails.
Stinson Beach is 20 miles up the coast and accessible by car.
The following regional resources may prove helpful in planning your trip:
Marin Headlands
Sausalito
Marin County
Marin Magazine
This feature was written by Mary Polizzotti, the marketing and communications intern for Hostelling International’s Northern California hostels.