Alta Trail-Bobcat to Rodeo Valley Trail
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Alta Trail, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA.
Starting Point: Alta Trail can be reached from multiple trailheads. The short section of the Alta Trail described and shown in the photo gallery in this post is a middle leg of a loop hike, the first leg of which is noted in Gerbode Valley-Bobcat Trail, so the starting point for that hike is noted here. We started from the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking lot (Presidio Riding Club Trail parking lot) at Bunker Road near the intersection with Simmonds Road.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Marin Headlands info link (Golden Gate National Recreation Area/National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm
Marin Headlands Map (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map_mahe_150429_508_2021.pdf
Distance:
From the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking on Bunker Road (near Simmonds Road) to the trail junction with Rodeo Valley Trail is about 0.1 miles, and turning left, it is another 0.3 miles to the Bobcat Trail. Once on the Bobcat Trail, it is 1.9 miles to the junction with the Alta Trail. The section of the Alta Trail described here and shown in the photo gallery for this post is a comfortable 0.7 miles, connecting between the junction with the Bobcat Trail and the junctions leading to the Rodeo Valley Trail which takes just under 2 miles to get back to the Gerbode Valley Trailhead.
Considerations:
• The parking area is fairly large.
• There is a vault toilet at the east end of the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking area.
• Follow health, safety signs, and wildlife information signs.
• Having a poison oak scrub like Technu is handy for any trail.
• As with any Bay Area outing, bring layers. You may be hot in the sun one moment and shivering under fog and a chilly breeze the next.
The trail:
The Alta Trail in full stretches between Orchard Valley Road and Wolfback Ridge Road. The section of the Alta Trail described here is the 0.7 miles that connects between the junction with the Bobcat Trail and the junctions that lead back to the Rodeo Valley Trail.
This short stretch of trail starts with wide open views in view of the Wolfback Ridge radio antennas. At various points along the trail, it is possible to see the Pacific Ocean, Richardson Bay and Tiburon, the east peak of Mount Tam, and the rolling hills of the Marin Headlands.
There is a great combination view that features the east peak of Mount Tam rising up behind Richardson Bay and Sausalito with the rolling hills of the headlands in the foreground.
This short stretch of trail not only offers a variety of broad views, but also takes hikers through a tree-covered area, including a lovely grove of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are not native, having been brought from Australia with the intention of creating a fast-growing lumber source, but they are a favorite feature of many California hikes. I love their beautiful bark patterns, their smell, and the patterns their long, narrow leaves make on the ground.
In the tree-covered part of the Alta Trail, there are openings that give peek-a-boo views of Richardson Bay and Angel Island. Hikers will also see a sign for the Morning Sun Trail, which is a short trail starting from a trailhead down the hill in Marin City.
One of the joys of San Francisco Bay Area hikes is how much variety one short stretch of trail can offer. Open sky, tree tunnels, ocean and bay views, wildlife—it’s all here.
Our hike when covering this stretch of the Alta Trail looped back to the Gerbode Valley trailhead via junctions with Wolfback Ridge Road and or the SCA Trail.
The other sections of the loop hike that includes this section of the Alta Trail are: Gerbode Valley-Bobcat Trail and Rodeo Valley Trail-Marin Headlands. Other hikes to try from near this location in the Marin Headlands: Tennessee Point Labyrinth, Battery Townsley, Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands, Old Bunker Road, Batteries Loop Trail-Marin Headlands, and South Rodeo Beach Trail.
(Alta Trail-Bobcat to Rodeo Valley Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “His Own Two Feet” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Alta Trail, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA.
Starting Point: Alta Trail can be reached from multiple trailheads. The short section of the Alta Trail described and shown in the photo gallery in this post is a middle leg of a loop hike, the first leg of which is noted in Gerbode Valley-Bobcat Trail, so the starting point for that hike is noted here. We started from the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking lot (Presidio Riding Club Trail parking lot) at Bunker Road near the intersection with Simmonds Road.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Marin Headlands info link (Golden Gate National Recreation Area/National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm
Marin Headlands Map (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map_mahe_150429_508_2021.pdf
Distance:
From the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking on Bunker Road (near Simmonds Road) to the trail junction with Rodeo Valley Trail is about 0.1 miles, and turning left, it is another 0.3 miles to the Bobcat Trail. Once on the Bobcat Trail, it is 1.9 miles to the junction with the Alta Trail. The section of the Alta Trail described here and shown in the photo gallery for this post is a comfortable 0.7 miles, connecting between the junction with the Bobcat Trail and the junctions leading to the Rodeo Valley Trail which takes just under 2 miles to get back to the Gerbode Valley Trailhead.
Considerations:
• The parking area is fairly large.
• There is a vault toilet at the east end of the Gerbode Valley Trailhead parking area.
• Follow health, safety signs, and wildlife information signs.
• Having a poison oak scrub like Technu is handy for any trail.
• As with any Bay Area outing, bring layers. You may be hot in the sun one moment and shivering under fog and a chilly breeze the next.
The trail:
The Alta Trail in full stretches between Orchard Valley Road and Wolfback Ridge Road. The section of the Alta Trail described here is the 0.7 miles that connects between the junction with the Bobcat Trail and the junctions that lead back to the Rodeo Valley Trail.
This short stretch of trail starts with wide open views in view of the Wolfback Ridge radio antennas. At various points along the trail, it is possible to see the Pacific Ocean, Richardson Bay and Tiburon, the east peak of Mount Tam, and the rolling hills of the Marin Headlands.
There is a great combination view that features the east peak of Mount Tam rising up behind Richardson Bay and Sausalito with the rolling hills of the headlands in the foreground.
This short stretch of trail not only offers a variety of broad views, but also takes hikers through a tree-covered area, including a lovely grove of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are not native, having been brought from Australia with the intention of creating a fast-growing lumber source, but they are a favorite feature of many California hikes. I love their beautiful bark patterns, their smell, and the patterns their long, narrow leaves make on the ground.
In the tree-covered part of the Alta Trail, there are openings that give peek-a-boo views of Richardson Bay and Angel Island. Hikers will also see a sign for the Morning Sun Trail, which is a short trail starting from a trailhead down the hill in Marin City.
One of the joys of San Francisco Bay Area hikes is how much variety one short stretch of trail can offer. Open sky, tree tunnels, ocean and bay views, wildlife—it’s all here.
Our hike when covering this stretch of the Alta Trail looped back to the Gerbode Valley trailhead via junctions with Wolfback Ridge Road and or the SCA Trail.
The other sections of the loop hike that includes this section of the Alta Trail are: Gerbode Valley-Bobcat Trail and Rodeo Valley Trail-Marin Headlands. Other hikes to try from near this location in the Marin Headlands: Tennessee Point Labyrinth, Battery Townsley, Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands, Old Bunker Road, Batteries Loop Trail-Marin Headlands, and South Rodeo Beach Trail.
(Alta Trail-Bobcat to Rodeo Valley Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “His Own Two Feet” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
