Coastal Trail. The Golden Gate s. Where, when, and how to discover the best photography in America. Updated - March, Published since 1989

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1 Updated - March, Where, when, and how to discover the best photography in America Published since 1989 Looking south on the SCA Trail 37, N 122, W The Golden Gate s Coastal Trail T he San Francisco Bay is surrounded by rolling hills covered with oaks. The Petaluma River and wetland marshes are to the north and the beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore are a few miles to the west. On the southern tip of Marin County are the Marin Headlands, south of Mill Valley and west of Sausalito. The Headlands rise steeply from the north shore of the Golden Gate Bridge, the entrance into San Francisco Bay. The Coastal Trail winds through the hills of western Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge, then follows steep cliffs south of the Golden Gate. The trail continues along the sandy shore of Baker Beach, passes through forests of Monterey cypress and climbs above the surf for panoramic views of the bridge, the Marin Headlands, and Lands End. From the Golden Gate Bridge to Fort Funston, the San Francisco section of the Coastal Trail winds for nine miles along the city s western coastline. This newsletter describes some of my favorite tripod holes, in places along the Coastal Trail. The next time you visit San Francisco, bring your camera gear and your hiking boots.

2 issue 66 - page 2 Battery Spencer overlook 37, N 122, W T he National Park Service protects the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Almost all of San Francisco s ocean coastline and most of Marin County s are public lands open and accessible to everyone. A Coastal Trail winds south, along the western slopes of Mount Tamalpais and the edge of Rodeo Lagoon on the western shore of Fort Cronkhite, a former military post. At the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, the trail crosses under the roadway and heads west along Baker Beach, before following paved sidewalks through a few blocks of exclusive and private residences in the neighborhood of Sea Cliff. Just beyond China Beach, the Coastal Trail enters a forest of cypress, pines, and eucalyptus as it winds up and down the ridge line along rugged bluffs above crashing surf on the south shore of the Golden Gate. The Coastal Trail takes you to Lands End, around the cliffs above Point Lobos and past the Cliff House. Out on the western edge of San Francisco, the Coastal Trail heads south at Seal Rocks to follow the edge of the surf. Hikers can walk the solid wet sand along Ocean Beach to Mussel Rock, near Daly City. Battery Spencer Start your explorations by photographing the Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer. Head north across the bridge from San Francisco and take the Alexander Avenue exit. Turn left at the stop sign and go under the highway. Turn right (not back onto the bridge) and drive up the hill on Conzelman Road. A half mile up Conzelman Road, park on the left side of the road in the turnout near the old brick buildings of Battery Spencer. A trail leads through the concrete gun emplacements to an overlook above the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Arrive in the late afternoon when low, warm rays of sunlight make the orange hues of the bridge glow. Walk out toward the north tower of the bridge as far as necessary to frame the skyline of the city in the steel cables. This is a great location for photographing sunrises above the city or fingers of fog creeping over the span. Kirby Cove Turn toward the west and look down from the overlook at Battery Spencer. Below is a small, sandy beach just west of the base of the bridge s north tower. Kirby Cove has a wonderful view of San Francisco, framed beneath the span of the bridge and above a sandy beach. Allow two hours for the walk down and back. Leave your car in the same spot where you parked at Battery Spencer. The gate at the trail down to Kirby Cove is a few feet west of the parking area. It s a one-mile walk down a wide, graded-gravel incline, a scenic trail down to the beach.

3 The Golden Gate s Coastal Trail

4 issue 66 - page 4 This trail passes through groves of tall eucalyptus and wind-blown Monterey cypress. A group campground is at the bottom, just above the beach. With the right amount of winter rain, California poppies can cover the bluffs above the Golden Gate through April. By the end of May, green grass covering California s coastal ranges has turned golden yellow. By mid-june, the dry grass weathers to a muted shade of brown until the first winter rains bring forth new fields of green grass. The view from Kirby Cove 37, N 122, W GGNRA Centers Back at your car, drive west out to the beach on the Pacific side of the Marin Headlands. Stop at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Visitor Center in the Fort Barry Chapel. Here you can pick up a free hiking trail map and ask your questions about the area. They have natural history exhibits, old photos of the historic military installations, and a large selection of hiking guides, trail maps, and books on the area for sale. Continue west from the Visitor Center, making right turns at the next two corners. Drive up the hill above Rodeo Lagoon into the California Marine Mammal Center. This nonprofit group cares for and rehabilitates sick and injured marine mammals. A chain-link fence around the enclosures prevents photographers from getting close-ups of the seal lions and elephant seals. Ask for permission at the visitor center to get escorted through the gate and a little closer. Up the Morning Sun Trail Go east on Bunker Road to the onelane Baker-Barry Tunnel. There is a five-minute wait for the green light that allows cars from either end to alternately enter the long, narrow, one-way tunnel. The 2,300-foot-long tunnel takes you under the highway to Alexander Avenue. Turn right (south) and follow the signs to continue north on Highway 101. Continue through the Waldo ( Rainbow ) Tunnel, take the next exit (Spencer Avenue/ Monte Mar Drive exit) onto the frontage road (Monte Mar Drive), and drive a quarter mile past the fire station. Turn west (left) under the freeway overpass, and park in the small park-and-ride lot on this west side of the freeway. The trailhead is across the road (west side). Watch out for the traffic that comes off the freeway, around a blind curve. The stairs that climb up the Morning Sun Trail zigzag up the steep hillside through a dense grove of oaks that make an especially nice composition in the fog. It s often foggy this close to the Golden Gate Bridge. The stairs, formed of rough wooden beams, climb to an opening above the oak grove for a great view of Sausalito and Angel Island in the bay below.

5 issue 66 - page 5 You cross a chaparral-covered flat before the trail continues climbing through a grove of pines and then a jungle of tall eucalyptus near the top of the ridge. When you see the eucalyptus, you ll know you are nearing the end of the climb. The Morning Sun Trail 37, N 122, W The trail is steep, but short. It takes less than fifteen minutes to reach the top of the Morning Sun Trail. From this point on, you will be out of the woods and walking trails across open rolling hills with views in every direction. Turn right on the marked Alta Trail and walk a half-mile to the Bobcat Trail junction. Turn left and walk a few hundred feet down hill to the left turn onto the Rodeo Valley Cutoff Trail. All these trails are well-marked. This trail climbs gradually and circles around the highest peak (1,111 feet). In a quarter-mile, you ll round the peak and drop over the ridge for another view of the city. It takes about forty-five minutes from the start up the stairs to this spot on the Rodeo Valley Cutoff Trail. This is an afternoon photograph. Both the city and the hills in the foreground will be backlit silhouettes in the morning. A short telephoto or a normal lens will frame this scene perfectly, depending on how much foreground you want to include. S.F. Skyline Panoramas Continue on Highway 101, heading north, past the last Sausalito exit, staying in the right lane. Take the Highway One exit, and follow the Shoreline Highway one mile west of the freeway toward Stinson Beach and Muir Woods. After passing through the first stop light, turn left at the next stop light onto Tennessee Valley Road. It s a two-mile drive through the hills, out to the end of the pavement to a large unpaved parking lot. Pack your gear and head up the road leading to the entrance of the Miwok Riding Stables. The wide and smooth Marincello Trail veers left just beyond the parking lot. The Miwok trailhead is on the left, a bit farther up the road toward the stable. The Miwok Trail is narrow, steeper, and deeply eroded in many places. The Miwok is a shorter and more direct route to the spot you re headed for. To reach one of the best views of the San Francisco skyline framed in the rolling hills of the Marin Headlands, climb nine-hundred feet to the top of the ridge. The best viewpoint is at the junction of the Miwok Trail and the Bobcat Trail. You can reach the same spot via the more gradually inclined, but longer, Marincello Trail. When the Marincello Trail reaches the Bobcat Trail, turn right and climb uphill a quarter-mile west to the Bobcat/Miwok junction.

6 issue 66 - page 6 It takes about forty-five minutes to walk from my car in the parking lot to the viewpoint above the San Francisco skyline on the Miwok Trail. Coming back down the Marincello Trail takes about the same amount of time because it s not as steep as the Miwok. Bicycles are permitted on the Marincello Trail but are not allowed on the Miwok Trail. The best photograph here is a late afternoon image. Be up there on the ridge an hour before sunset, ready for the perfect light. Watch for the shadows across the hills in the foreground. The more southerly angle of the winter sun casts shadows over the Gerbode Valley below the ridge. Summer evening light fills in the deep shadows across the distant hillsides and may improve your compositions but you may not get down off the hill and back to your car before 10:00 pm because of more daylight hours. Summer is the foggy season along the California Coast. The view can be obscured by fog coming in through the Golden Gate. Arrive at the Tennessee Valley trailhead no later than two hours before sunset. That may be as early as 2:00 pm in mid-winter. Vista Point There is an observation point and a large parking lot at Vista Point on the northeast end of the bridge. My favorite image from this point can be taken from one spot. A long ring of stone pillars support a low wall around the viewing area. Find the spot nearest the highway, on the right end of the sidewalk behind the wall, where you can line up the south tower in the exact center of the north tower. I ve used lenses from 200 mm to 600 mm to frame the lower tower opening. The extreme foreshortening of these longer lenses makes the hump in the middle of the bridge appear much steeper than it really is. Arrive before sunrise during commute hours and the bridge will be illuminated with headlights and taillights. For reflections on wet pavement, photograph from this spot on a rainy morning. Fog through the bridge 37, N 122, W Driving south across the Golden Gate Bridge, stay in the right lane, the wide lane for buses, and continue through the last toll booth on the right side. Tolls are no longer collected by a toll taker; your license plate is photographed and a toll invoice is sent. Take the first right turn, fifty feet beyond the toll booths. The sign is marked 25th Avenue Exit. Drive past the toll plaza parking area and up the hill a short distance on Merchant Road. Just beyond the bridge employee parking area, there are wide shoulders on the road where you can park and take Bluffs Trail that passes four old military bunkers and gun emplacements at the top of the cliffs on the ocean side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

7 issue 66 - page 7 Cypress Grove At the stop sign, turn right onto Lincoln Blvd. Turn left at Washington Avenue and continue to the small parking lot on the right just before the World War II Maritime Memorial to service men lost in the Pacific. Park in the lot. Cypress grove in the Presidio Across the road, the large grove of tall cypress is a wonderful place for photography on a foggy day. A multitude of vertical tree trunks disappear into the mists. Arrive mid-morning, wait for the sun to burn through the top of the fog banks, and you ll see long rays of sunlight streaming down through the forest, a magical sight. Leave your car parked in the same lot and walk north, back along Washington Blvd. toward the bridge. Walk across Lincoln to the walking trail for a view of both towers of Golden Gate Bridge. Return to your car and continue southwest on Lincoln Blvd. Follow the signs to Baker Beach and park in the lot. Baker Beach Mile-long Baker Beach lies on the west side of the Presidio and offers some spectacular views of the Marin Headlands and the bridge. The bottom of the trail reaches the beach at a point where you can photograph the bridge and the Marin Headlands with crashing surf breaking over the rocks at the north end of the beach. This area is in deep shadow in the morning. Arrive late in the afternoon or closer to sunset for the best light on the scene. Sea Cliff to China Beach You can drive or hike from Baker Beach to China Beach. Use a city map for the best route. For the trek, there s a small gap in the Coastal Trail through the neighborhood of Sea Cliff, where homes have been built down to the edge of the bluffs above the Golden Gate. After leaving the south end of Baker Beach, hikers must walk eight blocks Baker Beach 37, N 122,28.943W of city sidewalks through Sea Cliff. Follow Lincoln Blvd., called El Camino Del Mar, starting at the edge of Sea Cliff. Except for China Beach, a few blocks

8 issue 66 - page 8 west, there are no views and no public access to the shore at Sea Cliff. China Beach is a tiny cove between Baker Beach and Lands End. It was named for the Chinese fishermen who anchored their junks in the cove and camped on the beach. I spread out a large plastic bag to lie on and used a 17 mm wide-angle lens to frame the whole beach and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. Lands End Trail Drive west on El Camino Del Mar. After crossing 32nd Avenue, at the eastern end of the Lincoln Park Golf Course, park along the El Camino Del Mar at the beginning of the Lands End Trail where it descends through forests of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus along the ridge above the steep cliffs lining the south side of the Golden Gate. In places, the trail is steep and narrow, along precipitous viewpoints. There are many wooden stairs and some flat and level stretches. Several side trails off the Lands End Trail lead steeply up to El Camino Del Mar, the western extension of Lincoln Blvd. Several side trails off the Coastal Trail lead down to the top of the cliffs above Lands End, the wildest and most rugged point along this coastline. The easiest and safest trail descends a narrow wooden stairway. At the bottom, bear right and follow a trail out to an old gun emplacement at Lands End. When the tides are low, you might see the remains of the Lyman Stewart, the Frank Buck, and the Ohioan, ships that ran aground on these rocks while trying to enter the Golden Gate. According to maritime records, there have been ninety-seven shipwrecks on the shores of the Golden Gate from Spanish Galleons to oil tankers. Stairs on the Coastal Trail 37, N 122, W The view from Lands End 37, N 122, W Cliff House / Sutro Heights Return to your car, continue on to the Legion of Honor, turn around in their lot and head back along El Camino Del Mar to 32nd Avenue. Turn right onto 32nd Avenue; continue to Geary Blvd. Drive west (right) on Geary Blvd., stay to the right and merge onto Point Lobos Avenue.

9 issue 66 - page 9 As you approach Point Lobos, on the right is a parking lot and the visitor center, Point Lobos Lookout. Below the visitor center are the remains of Sutro Baths, built in the 1880s by Adolph Sutro. The Sutro gardens, once an open area of sand dunes, are filled with exotic trees and flowers and surrounded with wide lawns and formal gardens decorated with statuary. The original pair of stone lions still guard the entrance to the Sutro Heights Garden at the corner of 48th Avenue and Point Lobos Avenue. The Cliff House above Ocean Beach 37, N 122, W Walk down the hill to the stairs below the Cliff House restaurant to photograph the sea lions or to visit the Giant Camera Obscura. Steller sea lions, with lighter-colored coats, and darker California sea lions bask in the sun on Seal Rocks just below the Cliff House. Drive Point Lobos Avenue around the point and past the Cliff House. As you continue south and onto the Great Highway, park at the northend of the long Ocean Beach parking area near the intersection of Balboa Street. For the best viewpoint, walk out onto the beach. You can see the Cliff House to the north and all the way down Ocean Beach to the south. This is another excellent spot to wait for a perfect sunset. Fort Point Driving south across the Golden Gate Bridge, stay in the right lane and continue through the last toll booth on the right side. As you did to get to Point Lobos, take the first right turn, fifty feet beyond the toll booths. The sign is marked 25th Avenue Exit. Drive past the toll plaza parking area near the bridge offices and up the hill a short distance on Merchant Road. But this time at the intersection with- Lincoln Blvd., turn left and drive under the freeway. Continue along Lincoln Blvd. to Long Avenue on the left. Turn left onto Long Avenue, continuing to the end as it becomes Marine Drive. Sitting beneath the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point is a classic example of a pre-civil War brick fortress and is a National Historic Site. Climb the cast iron stairs to the third level to photograph the long row of red brick arches receding into the distance. Palace of Fine Arts From Fort Point, drive east along Marine Drive and Long Avenue. Turn left onto Lincoln Blvd. Follow the map to continue along Lincoln Blvd., winding along and parelleling Doyle Drive. Just beyond Funston Avenue on the right, turn left onto Girard Road.

10 issue 66 - page 10 Girard Road merges into Marina Blvd. As soon as Lincoln straightens out, turn right onto Baker Street. Park any where along here to photograph the restored ruins of the Palace of Fine Arts, part of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. The Palace of Fine Arts 37, N 122,26.825W Ocean Beach The Coastal Trail extends south from the Cliff House along Ocean Beach and the western edge of Gold Gate Park. The beach is wide, and it s easy to walk for miles along the damp and firm edge of the surf. It can be cold and foggy in the summer but a wonderful place to walk in October and November. Walk out through the dune grass to shoot the flocks of snowy plovers wading in the surf. If it s too cold and windy on the beach, walk through the western end of Golden Gate Park. Golden Gate Park is a city park and not a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Golden Gate Park is four miles long from east to west and a half-mile wide along the beach. The first, and most obvious, thing to photograph along the edge of the park is the large Dutch windmill facing the sea. In the 1800s, these windmills pumped water to irrigate thousands of acres of gardens planted on sand dunes. Fort Funston To reach Fort Funston from the highway, drive south along the Great Highway and Ocean Beach. Merge onto Skyline Blvd. and continue on to Fort Funston. In less than a mile beyond the foot of Sloat Boulevard, the Great Highway merges into Skyline Boulevard. Turn right and head south, through the traffic lights at John Muir Drive. Drive to the top of the hill and turn right at the sign marking the entrance to Fort Funston. Park in the southwest corner of the parking lot. Fort Funston is one of the best hang gliding areas along the California Coast. Trail to Fort Funston Beach 37, N 122, W Arrive on a clear and windy weekend and photograph colorful hang gliders as their pilots take running leaps off the edge of tall cliffs. Photograph the hang gliders from the large observation

11 issue 66 - page 11 platform above the cliffs or climb down to the beach and shoot up from below. There is a trail on the south side of the hang glider launching area where you can walk down to the beach on the wooden steps called the sand ladder. These round wooden poles, five-feet long, are spaced eighteen inches apart and strung on steel cables. They are surprisingly easy to climb and work very well to prevent erosion on the steep cliffs above Ocean Beach. Old pilings on Fort Funston Beach 37, N 122, W It takes a few minutes to climb two hundred feet down the steep sand ladders and another ten minutes walking to the south to reach old wooden pilings on the beach. Like most of the Pacific Coast facing the setting sun, this spot is best photographed late in the day when the old pilings are casting long shadows across the sand (above). Returning north to Fort Funston, you can pass the sand ladder and continue walking up the beach as far as the Sunset Trail before climbing up the bluffs and returning to your car in the parking lot by winding through the cypress groves of Battery Davis. This two-andhalf-mile loop trail follows the edge of bluffs for some great views looking north along the coast, all the way to the entrance of the Golden Gate. Bank swallows nest in holes in the sandy cliffs below Fort Funston. Some of the trails out to the edge of the cliffs may be closed during nesting season. Hike the length of the Golden Gate s Coastal Trail in a couple of days or break it up into short and easy sections spaced out as long as you wish. Walk the Marin Headlands trails in the spring when the hills are green and covered with wildflowers. Explore the Lands End Trail in the summer when dense fogs blanket the California Coast for days on end. The low angle of the winter sun casts longer shadows across the dune grass and the sun sets early enough in the day that you can finish your photography and still get home, or back to your hotel, in time for dinner.

12 Pilings on Fort Funston Beach 37, N 122, W If you have the time: Near the top of Marin s Mt. Tamalpais, Pan Toll Trail follows Webb Creek cascading down a narrow canyon filled with redwoods and ferns. You ll find great photography along this 2.2 mile trail that ends at Highway One above Red Rock Beach, just south of Stinson Beach. Point Bonita Lighthouse is two miles west of the Battery Spencer parking lot. Visiting hours are 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Fort Point is located directly below the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Red brick arches supporting the upper levels stretch into the distance making dramatic patterns that reflect in pools of rainwater after a storm. Have a great trip. My life-long career in photography began at San Jose State University in After college, I enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving as a photographer and darkroom technician. In Germany, my skills and experience with equipment and lab work were developed and polished. I took the opportunity to photograph the beauty of nature in the Black Forest. Returning to California in 1965, I produced industrial and military training films for Raytheon Electronics and began showing my color nature prints. From 1969 through 1981, my photography was exhibited and sold in West Coast galleries. During the early 1980 s, I taught color darkroom workshops, then expanded to include field trips. Former customers, who had purchased my framed photographs, wanted to learn photography. My Pacific Image Photography Workshops offered adventures to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest deserts, national parks, Hawaii, New England, Canada, England, and the South Pacific. The workshops evolved into writing and sharing my adventures with others. Photograph America Newsletter provides information on where, when, and how to discover the best nature photography in North America. Photograph America Newsletter is published quarterly (four issues per year) by Robert Hitchman with the assistance of technical associate/wife, Katherine Post Office Box 86 Novato, CA Visit for subscription rates, prices of individual newsletters, regional collections, and complete collections PDFs on a CD or USB flash drive, or printed issues. Download a PDF version of any newsletter immediately from the website. All contents of this newsletter copyright Robert Hitchman Please don t make copies for your friends. This is a violation of Federal copyright laws. This newsletter survives on subscriptions.