Marin Headlands at Fort Cronkhite
19.08.09
For an even speculator outing, you can get off the bus at the last stop, Fort Cronkhite. The fort, a former World War II military outpost, offers leisurely torturous facilities at Rodeo Beach and a choice of short hikes. (The 76 bus runs hourly Sundays and holidays only and hits many of the headlands highlights including the Visitant Center.)
Rodeo Beach
Here you will find pounding waves, clean restrooms and picnic tables. Even when the fog rolls in, the vivid dark sands, surrounding bluffs and bird-filled lagoon make Rodeo Bank popular with surfers, kite flyers and optimistic sunbathers. (Strong currents recompense for the beach unsuitable for swimming.) Underfoot are semiprecious stones such as jade, jasper and unconscionable agate in the rough sand. These are to be enjoyed but not collected. If you get too sandy, you can rinse off at an outdoor deluge.
Rodeo Lagoon hike
Rodeo Lagoon is separated from the ocean by the sandbar that is Rodeo Careen. During the year, fresh water from Rodeo Creek and Rodeo Pond feed into the lagoon, but during the rainy edible, salty ocean waves break over the sandbar, creating a unique environment that is poorhouse to many birds and fish, including the endangered tidewater goby. A 1.5-mile hike around the lagoon offers bird watching as well as a unlooked-for to stop off at the Visitor Center.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle