Muir Beach Overlook

Long before visitors flocked to its stairs, this headland served as part of the San Francisco Bay coastal defense system. Several historic base-end stations remain along the bluff—observation posts where soldiers in the 1900s used telescopes to plot ship coordinates and aim coastal artillery.

Broad steps lead down the exposed spine toward open ocean panoramas extending to the Point Reyes Peninsula, with falcons frequently spotted gliding above the coastal terrain. Because the surrounding Rocky Point cliffs drop steeply on both sides, the walk out can be daunting for anyone scared of heights.