California Coasting: Two Coastal Hiking Trails You’re Gonna Love

You can't do California right without hiking one of its serene coastal trails. So, when my sister came to visit from Seattle, I wanted to show her two of my favorite California pleasures. Wine country and a hike along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific ocean.

So, if you're looking for a few coastal hiking trail options in the Bay Area, look no further! I have two GREAT options for you.

Coastal Hike Trail to Muir Beach

This is a great hike if you're looking for something near San Francisco. The trailhead starts in Tennessee Valley (in the Marin Headlands) and takes you all the way to Muir Beach.

Plan to make a day of it, though, because the hike out and back is about 4-5 hours in total. So, 2+ hours there and 2+ hours back. The perk of this hike, though, is that it ends with a charming English cottage that is the Pelican Inn.

Located near Muir Beach, you’ll definitely want to make a pit stop here. Why? Because you can enjoy lunch (and drinks!) on their lawn. So, to be safe, add on another hour or so to your trip, and just stay awhile!

We opened a bottle of wine, grabbed a bite to eat and enjoyed the afternoon. Oh, and before you leave, don’t forget to enjoy the view of Muir Beach, too.

I’ve done the Coastal Trail hike twice now. The first time, we left Pelican Inn a little later than expected. So, our trek back was a bit of an adventure as we navigated the hills as the sun was going down. But even so, I couldn’t complain. We got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

The second time, we got fog on our way back. It felt like we were hiking through Jurassic Park. Which kind of made it more fun!

And then, of course, you stumble upon scenes likes this and you have a moment. It's beautiful, right?

Mount Tam’s Trojan Point

After our little day hike to Pelican Inn, my sister and I decided to jump in the car and drive up to Mount Tamalpais. It’s about 30 minutes from where we had started our day hike in Tennessee Valley (an hour from San Francisco).

We parked near Trojan Point and got out to enjoy the view. At the vista, it looked like we were above the clouds, which was pretty spectacular. You can even see the skyline of San Francisco in the distance from up there!

And to top it all off, the most random thing happened. As we were taking in the beautiful panoramic views of Trojan Point, a string quartet starts to play! Seriously! We look across the way, and there they are, playing for a small group who are enjoying a picnic. I couldn’t believe it.

So, for the next 20 minutes, we just sat up there and listened to the soft hum of the violin, viola and cello echoing over the rolling green hills of Mount Tam.

It was a magical moment. Man, life gets you sometimes.

Oh, and before I forget! There are several trailheads that start near Trojan Point. I’d suggest staying on the Matt Davis Trail (which you can connect to via Trojan Point).

For more stories, check out my travel blog Let's Go Places.

All photos are mine. Feel free to share but please credit me with a link back to the blog. Much appreciated and thank you for your support!