Batteries Loop Trail-Marin Headlands
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Battery Alexander Parking off Field Road, Mill Valley, CA, Marin Headlands
Starting Point: Trailhead for the Batteries Loop Trail is from the Battery Alexander Parking area (with toilet facility), off Field Road in the Marin Headlands, between the Nike Missile Site and Point Bonita Lighthouse.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Batteries Loop Trail information link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/batteries-loop-trail.htm
Batteries Loop Trail information link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/trails/batteries-loop-trail
Marin Headlands Map link (National Park Service) (scroll down to bottom left for detailed map of Batteries Loop Trail):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map_mahe_150429_508_2021.pdf
Marin Headlands information link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm
Marin Headlands information link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/marin-headlands
Also recommended:
Battery Alexander historical information link (militarymuseum.org):
http://www.militarymuseum.org/BtyAlexander.html
Distance:
This is a short, easy walk. The Batteries Loop Trail is noted as 0.5 miles with destination points including Battery O’Rorke, Battery Smith-Guthrie, and Battery Alexander as an added short walk off the main loop. You can add a little extra distance by walking back along Field Road after climbing the stairs at Battery Alexander. You can also add on the 0.2 miles down the hill on the South Rodeo Beach Trail for a visit to the beach (uphill climb back). See the end of the trail description for other trails in the surrounding area that you can take for longer hikes.
Considerations:
• This is a good sized parking lot, but as always, weekdays and earlier in the day on weekends typically mean fewer visitors.
• There is a toilet facility at this parking lot.
• Watch out for poison oak. A scrub like Technu is handy for accidental exposure.
• Dress in layers. Hot sunny skies can turn to cold blustery winds in the blink of an eye.
• Pay attention to trail safety and wildlife information signs.
The trail:
This is a fairly large parking lot but is easy to miss. We’ve been driving by it for over two decades and just noticed it recently. The relatively smooth trails make for a very easy walk with a huge payoff in scenery.
Wildflowers dotted the pathways during our springtime visit. From the trailhead, there’s a good view along the South Rodeo Beach Trail down to the south end of Rodeo Beach that is sometimes inaccessible from the main part of Rodeo Beach during high tide. We’ll check out this trail for a beach visit next time.
We took the short trail toward Battery Alexander first. A short rise in the trail leads past ice plant-covered ground dotted with a couple of trees. The path splits toward Battery Alexander and offers headlands views that include Rodeo Lagoon below in the distance, and the old Nike Missile site in closer view.
Old military battery buildings are interesting to look at, including the graffiti art that covers most of them. Picnic tables are on offer in the open space at Battery Alexander. A steep stairway leads up past what looks like a little jail cell and takes visitors up to Field Road for a short walk to the right back toward the parking area. We enjoyed this extra bit of walking to get back to the original trailhead. This time we took the trail leading to Battery O’Rorke, a short stroll with low brush and ocean views that looks down over Rodeo Beach and Lagoon. A lone bench sits at the top of this part of the trail for a great view of the ocean.
On a moderately clear day, you can see the phantom shape of the Farallon Islands rise above the horizon, always a great visual when you can catch it. To the north, you can also see all the way to Chimney Rock in Point Reyes when the visibility is good.
Battery O’Rorke offers structures to climb around while catching views in all directions, and then it’s another short walk on a pretty trail to Battery Smith-Guthrie, which has slightly more interesting structural points of interest with stairs and tunnel ways to peer through.
The path back was highlighted with purple lupine and orange poppy flowers, with bright neon pink flowers of ice plants also on view for many stretches of this walk.
For anyone wanting an easy outing with great views, this is a great spot that offers a lot of visual splendor in a half mile loop.
Those wishing to take a longer hike nearby have plenty of options. Other Marin Headlands hikes to check out are noted in Tennessee Point Labyrinth, Battery Townsley, Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, Rodeo Lagoon Loop – Marin Headlands, Marin Headlands Visitor Center to Rodeo Beach and Old Bunker Road or other Hike Notes under Marin County in the Quick View Hike List.
(Batteries Loop Trail-Marin Headlands Hike Notes were originally paired with the "Beauty Amidst the Ruins" Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! 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: Battery Alexander Parking off Field Road, Mill Valley, CA, Marin Headlands
Starting Point: Trailhead for the Batteries Loop Trail is from the Battery Alexander Parking area (with toilet facility), off Field Road in the Marin Headlands, between the Nike Missile Site and Point Bonita Lighthouse.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Batteries Loop Trail information link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/batteries-loop-trail.htm
Batteries Loop Trail information link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/trails/batteries-loop-trail
Marin Headlands Map link (National Park Service) (scroll down to bottom left for detailed map of Batteries Loop Trail):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/map_mahe_150429_508_2021.pdf
Marin Headlands information link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm
Marin Headlands information link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/marin-headlands
Also recommended:
Battery Alexander historical information link (militarymuseum.org):
http://www.militarymuseum.org/BtyAlexander.html
Distance:
This is a short, easy walk. The Batteries Loop Trail is noted as 0.5 miles with destination points including Battery O’Rorke, Battery Smith-Guthrie, and Battery Alexander as an added short walk off the main loop. You can add a little extra distance by walking back along Field Road after climbing the stairs at Battery Alexander. You can also add on the 0.2 miles down the hill on the South Rodeo Beach Trail for a visit to the beach (uphill climb back). See the end of the trail description for other trails in the surrounding area that you can take for longer hikes.
Considerations:
• This is a good sized parking lot, but as always, weekdays and earlier in the day on weekends typically mean fewer visitors.
• There is a toilet facility at this parking lot.
• Watch out for poison oak. A scrub like Technu is handy for accidental exposure.
• Dress in layers. Hot sunny skies can turn to cold blustery winds in the blink of an eye.
• Pay attention to trail safety and wildlife information signs.
The trail:
This is a fairly large parking lot but is easy to miss. We’ve been driving by it for over two decades and just noticed it recently. The relatively smooth trails make for a very easy walk with a huge payoff in scenery.
Wildflowers dotted the pathways during our springtime visit. From the trailhead, there’s a good view along the South Rodeo Beach Trail down to the south end of Rodeo Beach that is sometimes inaccessible from the main part of Rodeo Beach during high tide. We’ll check out this trail for a beach visit next time.
We took the short trail toward Battery Alexander first. A short rise in the trail leads past ice plant-covered ground dotted with a couple of trees. The path splits toward Battery Alexander and offers headlands views that include Rodeo Lagoon below in the distance, and the old Nike Missile site in closer view.
Old military battery buildings are interesting to look at, including the graffiti art that covers most of them. Picnic tables are on offer in the open space at Battery Alexander. A steep stairway leads up past what looks like a little jail cell and takes visitors up to Field Road for a short walk to the right back toward the parking area. We enjoyed this extra bit of walking to get back to the original trailhead. This time we took the trail leading to Battery O’Rorke, a short stroll with low brush and ocean views that looks down over Rodeo Beach and Lagoon. A lone bench sits at the top of this part of the trail for a great view of the ocean.
On a moderately clear day, you can see the phantom shape of the Farallon Islands rise above the horizon, always a great visual when you can catch it. To the north, you can also see all the way to Chimney Rock in Point Reyes when the visibility is good.
Battery O’Rorke offers structures to climb around while catching views in all directions, and then it’s another short walk on a pretty trail to Battery Smith-Guthrie, which has slightly more interesting structural points of interest with stairs and tunnel ways to peer through.
The path back was highlighted with purple lupine and orange poppy flowers, with bright neon pink flowers of ice plants also on view for many stretches of this walk.
For anyone wanting an easy outing with great views, this is a great spot that offers a lot of visual splendor in a half mile loop.
Those wishing to take a longer hike nearby have plenty of options. Other Marin Headlands hikes to check out are noted in Tennessee Point Labyrinth, Battery Townsley, Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, Rodeo Lagoon Loop – Marin Headlands, Marin Headlands Visitor Center to Rodeo Beach and Old Bunker Road or other Hike Notes under Marin County in the Quick View Hike List.
(Batteries Loop Trail-Marin Headlands Hike Notes were originally paired with the "Beauty Amidst the Ruins" Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
