Lagoon to Wolf Ridge Loop via Miwok Trail

Miwok Trail on a foggy summer morning in the Marin Headlands.

Climb up and around Wolf Ridge, and take in coastal views on your way down to Rodeo Beach.

Location: Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Length: 4.3 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Shade: open
Parking: at Visitor Center or Rodeo Beach
Public Transportation: none
WC: toilets at the Visitor Center
Dogs: not allowed on most trails, check the map for other trails that allow dogs in the Headlands

Link to park website

Hiked: Jul 2021

In the fog over Wolf Ridge Trail, everything is muted except the wildflowers!

Trail Route

Starting the hike from the Visitor Center, take the trail at the end of the parking lot near the toilets. Then turn right onto Lagoon Trail. You’ll walk along the road for a bit; look for the trailhead on the other side of the street. Take Miwok Trail for about 1.6 miles. You’ll start on a flat trail but then it starts to climb up.

At the top of the trail, take Wolf Ridge Trail to the left, which alternately climbs up then descends. After about 0.7 miles, you’ll hit Coast Trail, where you should follow the signs towards Rodeo Beach. The trail can be hard to spot sometimes, so look for the trail markers. Pass Battery Townsley on your way down, and enjoy the views of the ocean and Rodeo Beach as you walk. When you’re at Rodeo Beach, continue on Lagoon Trail along the road to get back to the Visitor Center.

You can also start this hike from Rodeo Beach, in which case you’ll start circling the lagoon clockwise and look for Miwok Trail across the street on your left. Then follow the same route as above.

Views of Rodeo Beach from Coastal Trail.

Notes

The headlands can be really foggy and chilly in the mornings, even in the height of summer, so wear layers! It’s also worth going in the morning because the traffic getting in and out of the Headlands can be pretty heavy and parking can be difficult to find. We arrived at the parking lot around 8am and there were no other cars, but when we left sometime before 11am, the lot was full.

I haven’t hiked much in the Headlands, so I can’t judge this against other trails, but I would definitely hike this route again. The climb up to Wolf Ridge actually felt like exercise and the morning fog was very much appreciated. The wildflowers were lovely spots of color in the gloom, especially since by July the flowers elsewhere in Marin have pretty much disappeared.

Note that the Visitor Center has been closed due to COVID-19, but the bathrooms at the parking lot are open.