Best bird watching trails in Marin Headlands, California

Note: As of October 2020, due to aggressive coyotes in the area Tennessee Beach closes at 5pm. Please do not feed the wildlife and if a coyote approaches, yell, wave your arms, and chase it away. This is a great route that offers beautiful views of the ocean and the rolling hills of the Tennessee Valley. A great place for trail running and a short mountain biking ride. This place is a chaparral habitat for bands of roaming coyotes and home to bobcats and deer! Show more

Please note you can bring your dog on a leash all the way to the cut off to Tennessee Valley but there you have to turn around. Excellent loop hike beginning at Muir Beach and taking in Tennessee Beach and Pirate's Cove. When done right, this hike has it all: wildlife, views (of San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, and rugged stretches of Pacific Coast), beaches, etc. Much more interesting than doing the more typical out and back from Muir Beach to Tennessee Beach along the Coastal Trail. If you start in mid-morning, Tennessee Beach makes for a great picnic spot.Show more

This is a great alternate spot to get a nice view of Bird Island. From the beach you can walk to the left on the rocks and get very close to the Island. Show more

This dirt trail is nice and wide. It is steep at the beginning, so be prepared for that.Show more