Point Bonita Lighthouse050

The Point Bonita Lighthouse has something for everyone in the family. The kids get to tunnel through solid rock, cross a suspension bridge, and check out a century-old gun emplacement. Mom and Dad get a nice walk, spectacular views and insight into Marin's fascinating history. To get to the Lighthouse, you drive to a parking lot in the Marin Headlands (see Getting There), and follow the signs to a trail that leads across two bridges and straight through a rock ridge. As you cross the first bridge, look down; below is a rocky cove with the remains of the Golden Gate lifeguard station. The concrete foundation is still there, along with the rusted steel rails that once transported the lifeboats and their crews from the station to the water. Harbor seals or sea lions sometimes lounge on the rocks at the east end of the bay. Situated on a pinnacle of rock at the end of the trail, the Lighthouse itself is reachable from the mainland only by a wire suspension bridge. The span is quite dramatic, and not for the faint of heart. Inside the Lighthouse is a collection of historic photos on the history of the lighthouse and navigation in the Golden Gate Bay. Just to the north of the parking area, on the bluff overlooking the ocean is Battery Mendell, a gun emplacement built around the turn of the century. All that remains now is the massive concrete structure. Kids will love climbing up and down the stairs, looking out over the parapets, and peering into the dark ammunition bunkers.