Great Marin County Hikes – Rodeo Lagoon Trail Loop

Photo ops abound in shorebirds’ natural habitat.

Egrets, blue herons, ducks, and other wildfowl inhabit the oval-shaped Rodeo Lagoon. The 1.5-mile loop trail rings the inlet, marked on its eastern curve by the former Marin Headlands Visitor Center (and before that the Fort Barry Chapel, whose spire is easy to spot); on its western shore lies windswept Rodeo Beach. The trail briefly rises as it skirts a portion of the lagoon’s southern bank, but for the most part, the terrain is flat. You can park at either the former center or the beach.

Rodeo Lagoon Trail Tips

Tips: Park at Rodeo Beach and pick up the trail on the south side of the lagoon (to the right as you’re facing the lagoon with the beach at your back). Summer 2025 construction around the chapel may require rerouting at the eastern end of the loop.

Rodeo Lagoon Trail Details

Difficulty level:  Easy.

Why locals love it:  Bird-watching; photo ops; mellow.

Cut to the chase:  Park at the beach or the visitor center and walk a small portion of the trail.

Reward yourself:  Head to downtown Sausalito for ice cream at Lappert’s (two locations on Bridgeway) or Fort Baker for a cocktail at Farley Bar at Cavallo Point.

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Getting Here

By Car

The easiest way to visit the headlands is by car.

If heading north from San Francisco:  After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, take the Alexander Avenue exit, and turn right; after a tenth of a mile, turn left onto Bunker Road to the Baker-Barry Tunnel. Once through the tunnel, continue west on Bunker Road, and then Mitchell Road. Follow signs to Rodeo Beach.

If heading south on U.S. 101 from anywhere in Marin:  Take the Alexander Avenue exit and turn right. You’ll pass under U.S. 101 before turning left (about a quarter-mile from the exit) on Bunker Road to reach the Baker-Barry Tunnel. Once through the tunnel, continue west on Bunker Road and then Mitchell Road. Follow signs to Rodeo Beach.

Info

Trailheads
Western: Mitchell Rd., Rodeo Beach
Eastern: 948 Fort Barry (chapel parking lot)

More Hikes Locals Love

Abbotts Lagoon
Battery Mendell to Battery Townsley
Coastal Trail to Bass Lake and Alamere Falls
Coastal, Wolf Ridge, Miwok Trails Loop
Dipsea Trail
East Peak Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais Muir Woods Loop
Olompali State Park
Rodeo Lagoon to Point Bonita Lighthouse
Roy’s Redwoods Open Space Preserve
Steep Ravine to Matt Davis Loop
Tennessee Valley
Tule Elk Preserve

This story first appeared online in 2017; it was fact-checked and updated in 2025.