Kirby Cove

A little slice of nature sandwiched between metropolitan city and bustling streets! I never knew of this place even though I've lived here for the past three decades. That was until my friend invited me to go camping!

It's open for day use, but the campsites themselves have to be booked three months advance on Recreation.gov(We use the App!). The campsites can be hard to get, but it is understandable as to why!

Getting here can be quite an ordeal particularly in weekends. The roadway get congested, as it's a hotspot for tourists! That means a lot of cars stopping and slowing on the one way road to take pictures and wait for parking spots. So make sure you start venturing here early to check in at 1PM!

Once you turn onto the oh so exclusive Kirby road, it's smooth sailing(if you can get the gate lock off!). It's all dirt road going down, but my Honda civic made it just fine. The walk to the campsites isn't far, but a wagon is useful. We camped at site 3!

Our thoughts on Camp site 3:
- Spacious, and hade 4 different platforms for tents! Would be great for big groups.
- Nice open area, so don't expect any shade for this camp site.
- closest to the parking lot
- farthest from the beach, but appreciated when we were met by gusty strong winds.

About the wind:
- We camped here memorial weekend and while the weather was pleasant, it grew foggy quite often. The real bugger was the wind intensity. The way the campground is positioned, the wind just hits it dead on. Sent our camp
Chairs flying and flattened our tents a few times. Be careful, bring enough tent stakes, and make sure you secure all your items! We were also woken up a few times at night when the gust of wind would come through and flatten our tents.

If we came back to camp again, we would opt for campsites 1 or campsite 4 as you will have more wind break.

* Also, no water at the campgrounds so make sure you bring enough to drink and wash dishes.

Kirby Cove is a really special spot to visit in Marin County Sausalito if you like exploring Marin County and Northern California. This spot has amazing views of Golden Gate Bridge. You can come here for the day. It's an awesome camping spot. My organizer said he got the pass from Craigslist.

There are toilets that don't flush and no sinks or showers(no running water). I brought two big bottles of water for cooking and cleaning. There are so called "raccoons" that come here looking for food and spot anything that smells including toothpaste. I didn't heed the warning overnight and some raccoons found an old toothbrush and went through a bag. It just gets messy so don't forget about hiding anything that smells.

The campsite is nice and spacious. We had 5 people and 4 tents. We had a hammock hanging. The beach is a 5-10 minute walk away and has nice views. There's a secret cave, tunnel, and there was a swing. There's no real hiking trails nearby. The battery is fun to explore too. Really neat spot if you like adventures like this. Be careful at night and be careful. Somebody on our trip broke their arm slipping.

This was a fun hike with beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city. It's fairly easy trail and with the trip. It takes you down to the beach. It's definitely family friendly. I saw a lot of young kids on this hike. Definitely worth checking out!

As Madonna once profoundly said, "Beauty's where you find it, not just where you bump and grind it." Excuse me while I vogue. It's funny how the pandemic has opened up places I totally ignored back when I took travel for granted. This is a prime example of a hidden place that would've never made my radar had I not ventured to Battery Spencer for the spectacular view. It's a lot easier nowadays to park here due to the smart decision to make Conzelman Road a one-way route.

That was when I noticed there was a paved road hindered by a gate. It went down the hill to parts unknown, but very few tourists gawking at the Golden Gate Bridge bothered to go down and find out. I decided to take a chance and was rewarded for my arguably adventurous spirit. First, there was a leisurely bucolic 1-1/2-mile walk nestled against the bluffs that led to an isolated beach. Even though the weather was quite pleasant, I was surprised only a handful of people had made it down here.

The low-key vibe and lapping water made it a more becalming spot to look at the bridge than Battery Spencer, and there's even a campground if you want to stay overnight. I've heard about the swing they used to have hanging from one of the trees, but there was no sign of it anymore. The nondescript Battery Kirby is next to the beach, and the more graffiti-saturated Battery Wagner is just off the path and offers another nice view of the bridge. Take the time to go down to the cove. Totally worth it. Now go vogue.

RELATED - Traveling north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV

A lot of people go to Kirby Cove to get that Instagram shot of the swing. Not me....well since that swing is also often taken down when I go here.

Originally, Kirby Cove was called "Gravelly Beach Battery" due to the gravelly beach that the battery was built on. When it was renamed after Lieutenant Edmund Kirby, a 1st U.S. Artillery during the Civil War, the surrounding campground and valley eventually took on his name.

Now it's a campsite for day-use, picnic area and my favorite outdoor activity - hiking. To get here, you really gotta hike one mile to get to the bottom and the path here is one of the more scenic and picturesque in the Bay Area. But then again, I say that to every spot I hike at. However, with the Golden Gate Bridge so prominent as the backdrop, you can take a shot from different angles.

The hike itself is pretty easy as it's all downhill, but coming back up is uphill with a gradual easy slope. Once you get to the campground below, you're greeted with Eucalyptus, Pine and Monterey Cypress Trees. Originally, this was not the case as very few trees grew in this wind-swept valley. The non-native trees were planted over the years as it was developed into a park under the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It creates a bristling and creaking sounds as the wind passes through the valley.

On an early morning hike earlier this year, I was here solo and didn't see another person until later in the day. While I was down in the valley exploring the campground underneath the trees, there was a sound that would keep going on and off and it scared the heck out of me as I tried to figure out where it was coming from. My imagination ran wild as the sound kept going until I realized it was my phone ringing in my pouch. Dagnabit, I just scared myself silly for no reason at all. But since I was the only human there at that time, I let my fears get the best of me...but got a good chuckle out of it.

You can spend some time exploring the valley and there's also the battery
which it is named after. The beach is a serene and quiet area compared to the south side across the bay. It's quite a contrast, and a relaxing place to get away without venturing out too far.

#YelpChallenge2020 review No. 85

This is my favorite hike in the area and for good reason, the views from the beach are incredible! It is an easy 1.5 mile hike in (down) but the hike back up will be a bit of a slog, due to it being all uphill.

There is a campground and a day use area just before the beach that I plan to utilize some day soon. Just prior to arriving at the beach you can explore the ruins of an old military fort.

Then there's the beach itself. No words or pictures could do this place justice. It truly is special. There used to be a swing down there but Rangers decided to not only take it down, but cut the tree it was attached to down as well. Maybe someone got hurt? Don't know.

Towards the far side of the bridge end of the beach, if the tide's low enough, you'll be able to check out a little "cave" cut into the rock. Don't attempt it if you cannot walk on the sand with water at your feet, though. It's too dangerous otherwise.

This review is for the campground. We stayed in site 2.

The coded locks on the gate for the drive down to the campground were hard to work with, but thankfully someone left one of them unlocked.

By far the largest, non group campsite I've stayed at. There were 4 designated tent spots, a fire pit, 4 picnic tables, and bear box. There's no potable water, and pit toilets only. Pit toilets were in decent shape (I've been to worse).

There's stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and just a short walk down to the beach.

It's definitely windy and chilly so make sure you bring plenty of layers and gear to hold down your tent.

Highly recommend you stay here at least once in your lifetime!!

- Coastal Trail hike to Kirby Cove-
6-5-2021

Trailhead:
Park at Trailhead Parking off Conzelman Rd
(37.8325109, -122.4820159)
Conzelman Rd, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Hiking:
Take SCA TRAIL up to Conzelman Rd. (0.2 mile)
From there take Coastal Trail all the way to Kirby Cove campground (1.2 mile )

You can take a side trail to the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point and Battery Spencer . There's a public restroom there.

Just take Coastal Trail all the way to Kirby Cove following the sign, it's pretty straight forward. You'll be rewarded with a view of the bridge from the beach and along the trail.

Super windy. Take a windbreaker.

Wildflowers:
California poppies, goldfields, purple lupines, Indian paintbrush, dandelion, sweet peas, ithuriel's spears , morning glories , wild yellow mustard, etc..

Trail Rating : 10/10
Humans : too many to count
Bikers : lots
Wildlife: Quail
Benches : Picnic tables at the campground
Stroller friendly: No
Distance : 5.44 mile stopping at two different batteries
Elevation Gain : 561 ft
Rated : Easy

I had been trying to get a spot here for years. Then...one magical morning a little blue A popped up. A as in, available. Site #1. I booked it and rubbed my eyes to make sure it wasn't a dream.

The night before, reservation, anticipation, and nervous excitement consumed me. Would Kirby be as magical as it seemed? Would the windy cliff side drive down to camp terrify me?

After a side trek through a tunnel because it's now a one way road, you are greeted by the beautiful and infamous Golden Gate. You feel super elite when you get out & use your code to open the gate & get your vehicle inside.

The drive down is a bit windy and steep but it is maintained very well. My Altima had zero issues navigating it. We parked, grabbed a couple of the provided wheelbarrows and brought our stuff over to the best camping site in the world. Site 1 is furthest from parking and it's a pretty good trek. There is a handicap loop around the other sites.

Hanging out in the beach, going to sleep under the soft glow of the lit up Golden Gate and exploring battery Kirby make this place phenomenal. It's like having a multi-million view, for $30 a night. There are actual tent pads in the 5 camping areas. Just pit toilets and it's hike in only, no RVs or sleeping in cars.

As long as it's not a spare the air day, you are free to build a fire in the fire pit. You need to bring all of the water you will require. It got pretty windy and a little cold at times in August but really, nothing could dampen my spirits here.

The only, only downside is that we had quite a few groups wander into our site & ask how to get down to the beach..and the stupid swing. It's 100% gone and there isn't even an area to hang it from now, so don't ask. You might want to bring your own beach access area sign & place it near the battery.

We saw other campers on the way in and out, but never really had any interaction or interference with noise. Two of the sites are exposed to full sunshine. I saw one ranger check the toilet in the early morning but that was it. They leave you to enjoy the place, as long as you are respectful of this amazing little slice of paradise.

With most picturesque view of the city of San Francisco and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Kirby Cove is no ordinary cove or beach. Located within the Marin Headlands adjacent to Fort Baker, Kirby Cove represents the ingenuity of its overseers, first it was the United States Army who once occupied this entire region north of the Golden Gate, as it was a pivotal defense post during the heights of military action, and now with supervision of the beach being transferred to that of the National Park Service who transformed the area into a diverse park. There is so much more one can do at Kirby Cover from beachcombing to hiking to dog walking to even camping there seems to be something for everyone to do, and all mere miles away from the city limits of San Francisco. The first time I saw was on a catamaran, of all things, as we speed along the bay underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and we saw a small beach alongside the cliffs and my friends and I said we have to get there one day. That one day turned out to be a delightful spring day were we had actually stopped off to see the Golden Gate Bridge and I knew that there were a multitude of lookout posts along the winding roadway that overlooks the Golden Gate and I knew we had to get to the right post if we were to get the best view. It turns out that one Battery Spencer was the fourth and final outpost and the closest one to the actual Golden Gate Bridge and parking was pretty easy, which was remarkable considering the crowds that were there that weekend afternoon. But we weren't expecting the large pathway to our right when we got to Battery Spencer, which looked so inviting and once we were done with our picture taking at the Battery, we decided to take a walk with the dog we had with us, and venture down to parts unknown, as everyone else seemed to be doing the same.

After about a mile and a half walking along the path, you'll appreciate the descent through stately groves of Monterrey pines, cypress and eucalyptus trees. Coastal sage bushes and colorful Lupine plants dot the hillsides during the spring as you pass by the five overnight camping sites and one day-use picnic table site. We eventually got down to the jagged makeshift staircase made of broken up wood, which led us to one of the most pristine and unkept beaches you would ever see in an urban metropolis. Coarse and moist brown sand greet you alongside balmy temperatures thanks to the shadows coming from the craggy hillsides, but we and our dog loved running around, especially with the great view of the city and Golden Gate Bridge as our background. And then it was our eagerly anticipated our hike back up the hill, which as it turned out wasn't too bad, as we took our time and made it back up with no gasping for air in site.

For anyone heading to Kirby Cove, it's know how to get there easily, especially when crossing the Golden Gate Bridge off of Highway 101 from San Francisco. Once you exit the Alexander Ave exit you follow the traffic, you're no longer allowed to travel underneath the highway and must head the long way through the Baker Barry Tunnel which is a one lane road controlled by a traffic signal. From there you travel on Bunker Road and follow the signs by turning left onto McCullough Road which leads you up the winding hills of the Marin Headlands and then you will make it to the Coastal Trail roundabout, parking lot and restroom. But the key here is not to stop and park here because you will be tricked into thinking this was the only place to park, but rest assured there are additional parking spaces along the way on what is now Conzelman Road which twists and turns parallel to that of the coastline. Your second parking lot is the North Tower Golden Gate Parking Lot and your third lot is the Golden Gate View Point Parking Lot. Finally your fourth and final stop is the promised land of Battery Spencer Parking Lot. When you are lucky enough to grab a parking spot (you can wait for a brief time as traffic comes in and out) you get out of your car and if you turn right and look at the steep hill, Kirby Cove awaits! The term hidden treasure gets thrown around too much, but with Kirby Cove it's true, because a lot of people are intimated by the long stretch of dirt road they see ahead of themselves and they think about the long hike back up, but with the beachside views, your feet will actually thank you later that you got to experience a hike like this in an urban oasis.