Bay Area Hikes with Ocean Views

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Bay Area Hikes

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Gateways To Joy

Bay Area Hikes

Bay Area Hikes with Ocean Views

1 Jan 2012

Hikes listed below offer ocean views but do not meander along the Pacific coastline. For hikes that go along the coastline, see see Coastal Hikes. For hikes going through only one beach, see Beach Walk Hikes. For hikes that may be done only in low tide conditions, see Low Tide Hikes. For hikes that offer awesome views of various bays like San Francisco Bay, see Bay View Hikes. Hikes below are listed geographically, from north to south.

Mount Tamalpais

Trails in the western section of Mount Tamalpais have coastal views. Of note are Coastal Trail and Willow Camp Fire Road.

8.5 miles
2100 ft

Matt Davis - Coastal - Willow Camp - Steep Ravine

A gorgeous hike along trails meandering along creeks and through redwoods, forests and open spaces. Awesome ocean views as well along Coastal Trail and Willow Camp Fire Road. The loop should be done in the anti-clockwise direction to enjoy the ocean views along Willow Camp Fire Road.

Marin Headlands

Several trails in Marin Headlands provide ocean views. Those hikes that predominantly go along the coastal trail are covered in Coastal Hikes section. The hikes do not go along coastal trail but go through ridges or hills with ocean views.

7.6 miles
1000 ft

Miwok Trail - Rodeo Beach - Point Bonita

A fantastic route through green rolling hills and beaches with great ocean views. The loop should be done in the anti-clockwise direction to enjoy ocean views when descending from Hill 88 down to Rodeo Beach.

9.5 miles
1500 ft

Rodeo Beach - Black Sands Beach Loop

An awesome hike through two beaches and hills in Marin Headlands with great valley views. The loop should be done in the anti-clockwise direction to enjoy ocean views when descending from Hill 88 down to Rodeo Beach.

9.4 miles
2300 ft

Tennessee Cove - Long Route

An awesome hike through green rolling hills with panoramic valley views culminating in a quiet beach. There are unnamed trails on either side of the cove that climb quickly for gorgeous views of the coastline.

Milagra Ridge

Milagra Ridge is a small park in Pacifica which offers great ocean views.

2.1 miles
400 ft

Milagra Ridge Summit

Nice views of Sharp Park Beach and Pacific Ocean from various vista points along a ridge trail.

Wilbur's Watch

Wilbur's Watch is a short two-mile hike to a vista point with great ocean views.

2.0 miles
250 ft

Wilbur's Watch

A pleasant short hike to a vista point which offers expansive views from Pigeon Point Lighthouse in the north to Gazos Creek Beach in the south.

Garrapata State Park

Rocky Ridge Trail is a steep trail in Garrapata has really gorgeous views of the Pacific.

6.2 miles
2200 ft

Doud Peak

Awesome hike through a redwood canyon, chaparral filled ridges and views of jagged Big Sur coastline. The loop should be done in the anti-clockwise direction to enjoy ocean views when descending Rocky Ridge Trail.

Andrew Molera

The western section of Andrew Molera that lies to the west of Highway 1 has hills with trails that offer great ocean views.

8.2 miles
1400 ft

Ridge Trail - Panorama Trail - Bluffs Trail

Great hike through varied terrain including a beach walks, a side trip to a secluded beach and trails over rolling hills with great ocan views.

11.2 miles
4300 ft

Cabezo Prieto Ridge

A classic Big Sur hike from Andrew Molera State Park to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Several points along the route offer expansive views of the Pacific.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns

In the eastern section of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Waters Ridge Trail meanders among hills, parallel to the coastline. The views from this trail are pretty good.

8.8 miles
2600 ft

Tan Bark — Waters Ridge

A pleasant 9-mile route that first climbs up a shaded canyon along a single-track hiking trail, then meanders down a fire road with awesome views of the Big Sur coastline. In between, the route goes along a connector trailcalled Waters Ridge Trail that parallels the Pacific.

1.5 miles
400 ft

Partington Cove

A short sweet hike leading to a beach and a promontory which can be explored by careful scrambling. Awesome views of rocky Pacific shoreline.

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