The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year. It is also one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a size two-and-a-half times that of the consolidated city and county of San Francisco.The park is not one continuous locale, but rather a collection of areas that stretch from northern San Mateo County to southern Marin County, and includes several areas of San Francisco. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz, and the Presidio of San Francisco. The GGNRA is also home to 1,273 plant and animal species, encompasses 59 miles (95 km) of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries of California history, from the Spanish conquistadors to Cold War-era Nike missile sites.
Trails
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail
Explore the spectacular cliffs along a short trail above the Pacific Ocean less than 30 minutes from San Francisco.
Explore the spectacular cliffs along a short trail above the Pacific Ocean less than 30 minutes from San Francisco.
Moderate
0.3 mi/
0.5 km
0.5 km
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
East Peak, Mt. Tamalpais State Park
The best panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area are just a half-mile hike away atop Mt. Tamalpais.
The best panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area are just a half-mile hike away atop Mt. Tamalpais.
Easy
0.5 mi/
0.8 km
0.8 km
Verna Dunshee Loop Trail around Mt Tamalpais East Peak
Experience some of the best views in the Bay Area along this flat, paved trail. A great hike for young kids.
Experience some of the best views in the Bay Area along this flat, paved trail. A great hike for young kids.
Easy
0.7 mi/
1.1 km
1.1 km
Mountain Theater and the Southwest Slope of Mount Tamalpais
The amazing theater and an afternoon hike on Tam's west slopes
The amazing theater and an afternoon hike on Tam's west slopes
Easy
2.0 mi/
3.2 km
3.2 km
Steep Ravine via Matt Davis, Mt Tamalpais
Get an early start to enjoy one of Mt Tamalpais' most loved and most distinctive trails.
Get an early start to enjoy one of Mt Tamalpais' most loved and most distinctive trails.
Moderate
6.5 mi/
10.5 km
10.5 km
Stinson Beach to Mt. Tam East Peak via Matt Davis Trail and Northside Trail
Hike to the top of Mt. Tam and Bike down
Hike to the top of Mt. Tam and Bike down
Moderate
16.3 mi/
26 km
26 km
Stinson Beach to Mt. Tamalpais
A great day (or overnight) hike from the beach to the top of Mount Tamalpais where you can see the entire bay area.
A great day (or overnight) hike from the beach to the top of Mount Tamalpais where you can see the entire bay area.
Difficult
17.3 mi/
28 km
28 km
San Francisco
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Crissy Field Exploration
Crissy Field's 100 acres of wild, windswept shoreline are a favorite place for recreation and enjoying wildlife.
Crissy Field's 100 acres of wild, windswept shoreline are a favorite place for recreation and enjoying wildlife.
Easy
1.3 mi/
2.1 km
2.1 km
Golden Gate Bridge Walk
Walk across one of the most beautiful bridges in the world with great views of San Francisco in the distance
Walk across one of the most beautiful bridges in the world with great views of San Francisco in the distance
Easy
3.6 mi/
5.8 km
5.8 km
Muir Woods National Monument
Summary
Difficulty
Distance
Muir Woods and Tourist Club Loop
Backdoor entry to Muir Woods on an uncrowded trail where you can enjoy scenery (and a bar!) most visitors never see.
Backdoor entry to Muir Woods on an uncrowded trail where you can enjoy scenery (and a bar!) most visitors never see.
Moderate
4.5 mi/
7.2 km
7.2 km
Muir Woods National Monument Exploration
You may not think of salmon when visiting the redwoods in Muir Woods, but it's home to a population of Coho Salmon.
You may not think of salmon when visiting the redwoods in Muir Woods, but it's home to a population of Coho Salmon.
Moderate
6.0 mi/
9.7 km
9.7 km
Coast View Trail Loop, Mt Tamalpais State Park
Perfect Mt. Tamalpais coastal scenery, Muir Wood redwoods and a chance to quench your thirst at an old British pub.
Perfect Mt. Tamalpais coastal scenery, Muir Wood redwoods and a chance to quench your thirst at an old British pub.
Moderate
8.5 mi/
13.7 km
13.7 km
Muir Woods via the Bootjack Trail
Beat the crowds by walking to famed Muir Woods. 6-mile moderate hike.
Beat the crowds by walking to famed Muir Woods. 6-mile moderate hike.
Moderate
8.9 mi/
14.3 km
14.3 km
West Point Inn, Mt. Tamalpais SP
Explore the remnants of a bygone era on the slopes of Mt Tamalpais.
Explore the remnants of a bygone era on the slopes of Mt Tamalpais.
Moderate
9.0 mi/
14.5 km
14.5 km
Guides
Get an early start to enjoy one of Mt Tamalpais' most loved and most distinctive trails.
Backdoor entry to Muir Woods on an uncrowded trail where you can enjoy scenery (and a bar!) most visitors never see.
Walk across one of the most beautiful bridges in the world with great views of San Francisco in the distance
A nice loop in Mount Tamalpais State Park
Deep woods and towering vistas await at Marin County's most famous peak
A great day (or overnight) hike from the beach to the top of Mount Tamalpais where you can see the entire bay area.
The best panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area are just a half-mile hike away atop Mt. Tamalpais.
Five selected hikes in the coastal wilderness of "Mt Tam", just a stone's throw from the bustle of San Francisco.
Experience some of the best views in the Bay Area along this flat, paved trail. A great hike for young kids.
Headlands host beauty and history of San Francisco Bay Area
Explore the remnants of a bygone era on the slopes of Mt Tamalpais.
Perfect Mt. Tamalpais coastal scenery, Muir Wood redwoods and a chance to quench your thirst at an old British pub.
Community Trips
Spectacular scenery, amazing temperature changes, panoramic views of both Mount Tamalpaias and San Francisco on this short, refreshing hike. Point Bonita is rich in nautical history dating back to late 1700s and much of the other infrastructure dates back to 1902 with the consturction of the first US military installations. Today, the military property is decommissioned and most of the buildings in the area are used for recreational purposes. Besides the visitor\'s...
Stinson Beach to Mount Tamalpais Summit... and back
Stinson Beach, California, United States
15.2 miles
15.2 miles
I've been meaning to do this hike for quite some time. In addition to everything nice about it (the flowers, the views, the climb, the length, the company), it just seemed meaningful.Since several of us were considering that hike, it was just a matter of picking a date. Barbara and Pavla called it, and there we went.We started on the Stinson Beach parking lot shortly after 9:30 and took Dipsea trail to...
I've taken so little vacation recently that I'm not allowed to accumulate any more, so I decided to take a day off work and go hiking at Mt. Tamilpais. This is one of the most scenic and beautiful hikes you can do in the Bay Area. I took the Matt Davis trail from the Pan Toll ranger station down to Stinson Beach, and climbed back up via the Dipsea and Steep Ravine...
Inspired by the homebrew crew (Sounds like a good EveryTrail group name...) trip last weekend, David and I decided (last minute) to sneak in a hiking trip--wait, no--a BACKPACKING trip (which basically ended up with us carrying packs much heavier than we needed). We finally got all of our stuff together around 6pm in San Francisco and drove across the Golden Gate Bridge towards Mt. Tam. We were trying to decide if...
Bay Area Ridge Trail: Marin Headlands to Shoreline Highway
Sausalito, California, United States
8.3 miles
8.3 miles
This is a great hike across the headlands with expansive views of the Golden Gate, the Marin Headlands, the North Bay and Pacific. You gain a lot of elevation but for some reason (maybe temps in the 40s/50s?) it doesn't feel like half of what the DEM data says.Sammydee and I dropped a car up on Hwy 1 and shuttled back to parking at the NW parking lot near the northern end...
Paradise loop, San Francisco - Golden Gate - Tiburon
San Franscisco, California, United States
36 miles
36 miles
The classic Paradise loop from San Francisco to Tiburon, crossing the Golden Gate.
Today I met my friends Alan and Tony for a casual bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. We headed up the Headlands and rode the legal fire road trails. This is a good ride for riders who are not into technical riding, but are relatively fit and want nice views. The day we rode was a spectacular cool fall day. Clear skies and not much wind. I wore...
A hike from Stinson Beach to Pan Toll Ranger station via Dipsea trail
Excellent round trip hike from sea level at Stinson Beach to the summit of Mt Tamalpais and back. The myriad of trails on Mt Tam allow for some creativity with the loop and an incredible variety of terrain. We parked at the beach and picked up the Dipsea Trail from just south of the fire station. From Dipsea we followed Steep Ravine up and connected with old road for the rest of the...
OK, maybe not a swim, but pretty close. Barbara, Pavla, Rebecca, David and I decided to hike up Mount Tam this Saturday, despite the rain. It would just be a very wet hike and we had to embrace this. I much prefer sunny, dry weather, but the choice was between a wet hike or no hike at all.We met at a Starbucks store in Mill Valley to finalize our plans. The area...
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