A Day Exploring the Marin Headlands

A few years ago, I stopped by Point Bonita Lighthouse to take some pictures. I first heard of it from another photographer friend, who wanted take some night time shots. The trail to the tunnel prior to the lighthouse is open 24/7, but the tunnel leading to the lighthouse is only open to the public on Sundays and Mondays from 12:30pm-3pm (we didn’t research this ahead of time, which was a mistake I’ll never make again). We spent a few hours out here and I ended up with this photo:

I came back again half a year later with a few friends, but because it was an impromptu trip, I didn’t have my camera with me as . So, finally… 2 years later, I finally made it with my camera, and during the right time with the lighthouse open.

The Point Bonita Lighthouse was built in 1855 to help ships get through the Golden Gate straits. Prior to its construction, many ships would hit the coast while trying to navigate through fog and treacherous waters in the San Francisco Bay. The lighthouse is still actually still active today and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The lighthouse is accessible on Sundays and Mondays from 12:30-3:30 (and it’s free!) — so try to make it during the open hours, as there would be no way to get around the tunnel when it is locked up.

It’s pretty crowded during the spring and summer, but the crowd level was pretty low on a Sunday in the winter.

You can’t actually go to the top, but if you hang around enough downstairs there are always a few NPS volunteers who will be around to give you a history lesson or answer any questions.

The volunteer that was there this day told us about 3 separate shipwrecks, and turns out the current location of the lighthouse wasn’t the original location, but a bit higher up where the radio tower is. It was hard for ship captains to see the light through the fog at the original location, so they moved it.

From the Point Bonita Lighthouse parking lot, you can go on a plethora of different hikes and walks, including a short loop to see Battery O’Rorke and Battery Smith-Gunthrie.

If you’re looking to do more sightseeing. You can get to Rodeo beach by hiking a couple miles (with beautiful coastal scenery on the way down), and further up there is also the Marine Mammal Center where you can learn more about marine mammal rehabilitation. In any case, if you’re looking to do a half day trip or a full day trip or even a couple days out here — there’s plenty to do and see. I’m hoping to be back here again soon.

Merry Christmas Everyone.