favorite national park sites in the san francisco bay area
point reyes national seashore
when we lived in palm springs, we were extremely fortunate to have joshua tree national park just 45 minutes away. we became frequent visitors - so much so that I began calling the cholla cactus my best friends. we’ve since moved to northern california and aren’t quite so lucky to have a national park less than an hour away. however, we do have nearly a dozen national park sites within three hours!
we regularly travel to the san francisco bay area and almost always hit a national park site at some point during our visit. with half a dozen sites within an hour of the city, it’s practically impossible not to! here are three of our favorite national park sites near the san francisco bay area.
point reyes national seashore
tule elk at tomales point
point reyes national seashore (coast miwok territory) is undoubtably one of the most beautiful areas of california we’ve visited. it’s also where we’ve seen the most wildlife. whether it’s the tule elk of tomales point or the river otters at abbott’s lagoon, point reyes national seashore is sure to deliver! and speaking of tomales point and abbott’s lagoon, these are our two favorite hiking trails in point reyes national seashore.
tomales point
tomales point is an unmissable spot in point reyes. this 9.4 mile out and back hike features tule elk, rolling fog, and gorgeous views (when the fog isn’t too thick, of course). and no need to complete the hike (we never have!) - just go as far as you like. and don’t miss mcclure’s beach trail. it’s an absolutely dreamy slice of paradise.
mcclure’s beach trail
abbott’s lagoon
abbott’s lagoon is hands down one of the most exciting california hikes we’ve ever done. this 3 mile out and back trail moves from stunning lagoon to breath-taking beach. we’ve had more animal encounters on this trail than any other! from deer to quail to vultures and otters, we saw so many amazing friends! we even saw a bobcat!
river otter at abbott’s lagoon
golden gate national recreation area
golden gate bridge from the land’s end trail
it’s hard to narrow down a favorite hiking trail in golden gate national recreation area (ohlone and coast miwok territory), from point bonita lighthouse to fort mason to the coastal trail there are so many gems to choose from. so we’ll share our most recent favorite: land’s end.
land’s end
in san francisco, land’s end features a number of historic sites along the 3.4 mile loop. following along the coast, the views are just stunning including picturesque vistas of the golden gate bridge.
land’s end trail
muir woods national monument
muir woods
the second you step into muir woods national monument you can feel how special it is. walking among the redwoods is always a moving experience. muir woods (coast miwok and ohlone territory) has 6 miles of trails with 3 intersecting loops. there are also options to connect to longer trails, including to the coast.
i hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into our favorite national parks near san francisco. let us know what gems we might be missing so we can be sure to stop by on our next visit to the bay area.
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