Introduction:
What? :
Point Bonita
Lighthouse, built in 1855, is still an active lighthouse located on cliff edge
just at the opening of the San Francisco Bay to the ocean.
Where? :
Located in Golden
Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Headlands section (north of San Francisco),
enter the park and follow the signs to the lighthouse.
Google Map Link
Additional blogs on nearby places you can visit:
When? :
Year round,
check for opening hours at weekends. Currently close due to Covid19.
Due note 1 : Check for
visiting hours, currently it is close as result of Covid19 situation.
Due note 2: There is
trailhead small parking at Point Bonita, if full of cars you can park at the
nearby YMCA parking lot.
Due note 3: Look for harbor
seal resting on the rocks below the cliff.
My thoughts:
I finally manage to visit the lighthouse after several visits where it was closed.
This is a short trail and the lighthouse unique position on the edge of the cliff where you need to cross a hanging bridge add to the visit experience.
There is an option to see the lighthouse from a nearby hill or other points to the north.
The visit:
Point Bonita
Lighthouse, built in 1855, was the third lighthouse built on the West Coast and
helped shepherd ships through the treacherous Golden Gate straits.
Located at the south
west corner at the Golden Gate park Marin Headlands section, right above the opening
of the bay to the ocean.
Point Bonita is
still an active lighthouse, its beam can be seen for 18 miles across the water
under clear conditions. In dense fog days, typical to this area, when the light
signal cannot be seen, a sound system comes into play.
The lighthouse
is located low near the water and not up at the hills because usually the fog
clouds are higher so lower point light has more visibility.
when I visit here (early May) the fog cover everything and you can understand the importance of the horns helping to navigate into the bay.
The trail:
A half-mile paved
trail, that is steep in parts, leading from the end of the road parking lot to the lighthouse below.
The short tunnel,
halfway to the lighthouse, cross the large rock and it is open only during
visiting hours.
After the tunnel the trail following the cliff line over the edge and soon after crossing small wooden bridge you will cross over another large hanging wooden bridge to the lighthouse cliff.
you can get into the lower floor of the lighthouse and read about it history.
Unfortunately, you cannot see the lighthouse from the trail.
The nearest place that has the lighthouse view is from the nearby “antenna hill”.
This is
“non-official” trail, not maintained and at short section you are hiking right
on the cliff edge, be careful!
The trail
starts at the parking-lot roundabout near the restrooms, hike up the road and
just before the antenna turn right and circle to the other side of the fenced
area. From here at the edge of the cliff you have good close by view on the
lighthouse, the lighthouse bridge is not visible from this location.
There are few
other lighthouses viewing point farther north on the cliffs, hike to Rodeo
Lagoon Vista Point and see the lighthouse.
www:
https://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm
Map:
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map_MAHE_150429web.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/point-bonita-lighthouse-trail.htm
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