For a while I've been thinking about visiting Point Bonita Lighthouse which is at the San Francisco Bay entrance in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito. While I was looking out for lighthouses in Northern California, I stumbled across this one and since then this was on my list of places to visit.
Finally I've decided to visit the place over the weekend and realized that it's only open for public 2 days a week (Sun & Mon) and for 3 hrs (between 12:30 - 3:30). Unfortunately by the time I reached the place they've already closed it but I ended exploring the entire area except the lighthouse itself.
It offers beautiful view of the bay bridge along with stunning scenery all around, here's few snaps of the views you can expect to see. The Parking area is limited near the spot closer to the lighthouse, however 5 mins down the road you've reasonable spots. Also, there are well maintained restrooms in the parking spot.
Here are few snaps of the area surrounding the Point Bonita Lighthouse and tips/things to remember when visiting.
- Site may be closed due to inclement weather.
- Make sure to bring your own water when visiting.
- Remember to stop by Battery Wallace, one of the parklands' most scenic picnic spots.
- Open Sundays and Mondays from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
The hike from parking spot to the entrance of the lighthouse is along the pacific coast which offers stunning views and is a photographers delight. Even though I was disappointed I couldn't see the lighthouse I was very happy to spend time there as the geography of the area is very interesting which offers unique views.
The most interesting aspect is crossing a suspension bridge to reach lighthouse which is only one of it's kind in U.S.
I'm definitely going back to this place of course to visit the lighthouse and to further explore the area up north of the lighthouse.
After spending nearly 2 hrs near Point Bonita Lighthouse it was time to move on and our obvious choice was to head to Golden Gate bridge which is close by. I think it's only fair to say that perhaps Golden Gate Bridge is the no.1 attraction in SFO and who would disagree. I've been to this place numerous time and it never ceases to amaze me, be it the sheer beauty of the scenic views, the bridge itself or the ocean breeze.I've to admit I'm not a big fan of cold pacific breeze there's something about bay bridge which keeps pulling me back again and again.
The interesting part of the bay bridge is it's weather where a sunny afternoon near the bridge can be cold and foggy an hour later. SFO is surrounded by cold ocean current and the extreme heat of California's Central Valley. The result is a pretty steady onshore flow of cool air, pulled in by the stifling hot air inland which rises. This also pulls the famous fog inland onto the city which is the best time to photograph bay bridge.
Short time-lapse of the bay bridge.
Our trip has ended here at the bay bridge, we've concluded the day watching sun set over the pacific. A Day well spent!
Thanks for taking time to read my Travelogue, I keep updating my site every cpl of weeks. Do come back if you want to read similar stories of my journey.
Credits:
Kranthi Kiran Boyina