Point Bonita Lighthouse has welcomed people to San Francisco Bay since 1855, according to the National Park Service. It is one of the hardest places in the Marin Headlands to get to: the trail is open only on the third Saturday of each month, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
What you can see right now
The suspension bridge to the lighthouse is closed until further notice, the Park Service says, so you cannot reach the lighthouse itself. You can still walk the trail to a viewing platform that looks out at the lighthouse. Rangers give a 15-minute "light chat" at 12:15 p.m. before the trail opens, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy says.
The next open dates listed are Nov. 21 and Dec. 19.
A dangerous coast
More than 300 ships ran aground near the Golden Gate during the Gold Rush years, the Park Service says. The worst disaster was in 1901, when the steamer SS City of Rio de Janeiro struck Point Diablo, near Point Bonita, and sank in ten minutes, killing 128 passengers.
When fog rolls in, ships navigate by sound. A cannon gave the first warnings. It was replaced by a fog bell and, in 1874, a steam siren. Today, a laser detects water and dirt particles on the light, and when they build up, an electric foghorn sounds.
Know before you go
- No pets, bikes or smoking on the trail
- Parking is limited. There is more parking at the Battery Alexander lot, a short walk away
- Bring binoculars for harbor seals, whales and porpoises