Kirby Cove

Kirby Cove nestles at the foot of the Marin Headlands just west of the Golden Gate. The steep, mile-long trail to the cove begins at the parking above Battery Spencer, on Conzelman Road?eye-level with the bridge?s towers?and descends through a grove of cypress, eucalyptus, and pine. Tucked inland, above the beach?s cliffs, is the abandoned Battery Kirby, which saw service from 1898 to 1934. At the cove, you will find a pristine wedge of course-sand beach with a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge and northern San Francisco?and you might even spy a whale. The waves are usually gentle on this beach, but there is no lifeguard.

Pitch a tent or unroll a sleeping bag with friends and family at one of Kirby Cove?s four campsites. Kids can play hide-and-seek in the trees and watch big ships steaming through the Golden Gate. Four sites are available, each with a maximum capacity of ten people. Parking is restricted to three cars per site, within 100 yards of the campsites. Pit toilets, BBQ-pits, picnic tables, and fire rings are available, but there's no water for drinking and hygiene. Only one weekend reservation per group per season is allowed. Visit the National Parks Service?s website or call 1-800-365-CAMP for more information and reservations.

Accessibility
This site presents difficulties for visitors with disabilities. If arranged in advance, arrangements can be made to allow vehicle access to the picnic site for disabled guests with a valid DMV placard.

Nature
Seafloor Rocks
The sea cliffs and road cuts of the Marin Headlands, including Kirby Cove, have some of the finest exposures of pillow basalt and radiolarian chert to be found anywhere. Millions of years ago, these rocks formed around mid-ocean ridges several thousand miles from the West Coast at the bottom of the sea. The black pillow basalt was created when volcanic vents spewed lava onto the seafloor; upon contact with the cold water, the lava solidified into pillow-shaped deposits. The red-brown radiolarian chert formed as layer upon sedimentary layer of skeletal radiolarian remains (microscopic protozoans) collected on the seafloor. As the seafloor moves slowly east (at about the rate a fingernail grows), it slides under the North American continent and leaves scrapings of radiolarian chert and pillow basalt behind.

Tips for Visitors
Walk in your own water, and plan on an uphill walk back up from the cove.
Reservations for Kirby Coves? few campsites are highly sought-after; try to reserve well in advance.
Survey the majesty and mystery of the entrance to the bay (many exploring ships passed by but never saw it) from Kirby Cove.
Scan the skies in autumn during fall migration season?watch for hawks, kestrels, harriers, falcons, and other birds of prey.