Marin Headlands
Hike Review
I explored the Marin Headlands counterclockwise by hiking the Point Bonita Trail, Mendell Trail, Field Road, an unnamed trail that ran parallel to Conzelman Road, an unnamed trail that connected Conzelman Road and Coastal Trail, Coastal Trail, Rodeo Valley Trail, Miwok Trail, Lagoon Trail, Rodeo Beach, and back up to the parking lot via the Batteries Loop Trail. Most of these trails were either single-track or double-track packed dirt trails with little shade.
One point to highlight is that on many maps, there is an unnamed trail between Conzelman Road and Coastal Trail. This is not a real trail. It starts from Conzelman Trail as a real trail, but once you hit the downhill into a field of poison oak, it is a few hundred-meter slog. My virtual resistance to poison oak allowed me to carefully walk through it. For those sensitive, this is not an acceptable path at all.
Another point is that the tunnel to the Point Bonita Lighthouse is open during certain hours, but the lighthouse itself is closed for the foreseeable future (the sign stated that construction would begin in the winter of 2026).
The parking lot was mostly empty, but this is probably because I came here on a random Friday afternoon while most people were working.
The restrooms were clean (for housing non-flush toilets) and well-stocked.
What I Learned
Unlike most hikes I do when I have a clear objective and timeline in mind, I meandered throughout the day and I quite enjoyed myself. Most of the time was spent exploring the historic batteries that were being reclaimed by nature—slowly decaying buildings wearing a new coat of paint spray and being overrun by flourishing plants. I got to flex my artistic photography muscles and that was definitely fun.
While I was mostly happy with the 27mm-equiv lens, I did wish I had another lens with a bit more zoom for certain pictures (I heard from a fellow photographer that I bumped into at Rodeo Beach that the otters that hang out at Rodeo Lagoon are not shy).
I was a little bummed out that the lighthouse was closed due to renovations. I’ll have to come back with the ladies in my life when they reopen it.
It was pretty cool that there were two bunkers at Battery Mendell where the hatches were open and there were no signs stating to keep out. I got to jump in and have a look around the cramped quarters. I imagined being a soldier in one of these bunkers staring down little gray dots on the horizon not knowing if the ships were friendly or foe—and if the latter, when the aerial bombardment would hit and if I would survive (and if I did survive, in what mental and physical condition I’d be in).
Media Consumed
Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer—finished!
Wayward by Blake Crouch
What Happened?
6.5 mile, 3 hrs, 1201 ft of ascent
I had my heart set on a trip to the Sierras—specifically, Mount Langley—but the smoke from the Garnet Fire damped my enthusiasm. The final nail in the coffin was a forecasted thunderstorm that would have a 20% chance to hit while I would be thousands of feet above the tree line in exposed granite terrain.
Instead of focusing on what could have been, I decided to head a bit closer to home and explore a part of the Pacific Coast that I had neglected to visit. And I figured I could boost myself further by stopping by my favorite Korean restaurant on the way home.
I arrived in the Marin Headlands a bit after lunch and easily found parking a quarter mile down the road from the Point Bonita Trailhead. On this trail, I got to see the view of the San Francisco Bay from the maw, and I found the aqua water of the Pacific to be as entrancing as ever. I didn’t stay long at the lighthouse, as without the ability to go into the lighthouse, there just isn’t very much to do.
My next stop was Battery Mendell, which I had all to myself. I explored every room with an open door and tried to imagine myself as a soldier stationed here during World War 2. I remembered reading the news clippings about the real perceived threat of the Japanese navy showing up to start the invasion of the United States. I wonder how it felt to be stationed at Battery Mendell; I wondered how much trepidation the soldiers felt whenever they spotted a new ship coming over the horizon; I wondered how fast it all got boring for them as the Japanese were repulsed thousands of miles away at Midway.
If at Battery Mendell I got my creative juices flowing, it hit its crescendo when I found a tucked-away building at the Mendell Trailhead. There was just this small, innocuous-looking trail leading to a few abandoned buildings, so I took it to see where it led to. What I found was a few derelict buildings absolutely covered in graffiti and vines. I had a great time taking photos from various angles and just being enamored with all the color that popped against the gray concrete.
I then walked back to the car to put on some more sunblock before heading to Battery Rathbone/McIndoe. I took a few photos here, but it didn’t hold a candle to Battery Mendell. Here is where I ran into the literal poison oak minefield, but I survived with only a few scratches and headed down the Coastal Trail.
The walk down to the Rodeo Lagoon and Beach was peaceful, and I saw no one else on the trail. This part did feel a bit surreal as the first half of my hike was all about an abandoned urban environment. But here, the views were dominated by nature—of the water, trees, and birds. I enjoyed the walk on Rodeo Beach and slowly made my way up the hill back to Ramona (my truck).
And as I neared the end of the hike, I felt great. I had found so much creativity where I had not expected it, and got to express some of my own through photography. And even better, I was only about an hour away from eating my favorite meal in the Bay Area—the $18 plate of BBQ short rib at Steve’s Korean BBQ in Berkeley.
