Hill 88

One of the most beautiful and unique hikes I’ve been. Park at Rodeo Beach and take the Coastal Trail, follow the signs, up to Hill 88. Beautiful views at every turn, the ocean, beach, steep cliffs, Golden Gate Bridge, old bunkers, a giant artillery gun, wild flowers. At the top is an abandoned military base of sorts with tons of cool graffiti. It was like a ghost town. Bring layers though as it gets extremely windy.

Absolutely beautiful views and a great hike with dogs. It is the best view in the Marin Headlands. It should be noted that GRAFFITI IS ILLEGAL HERE. If you see anyone painting or carrying graffiti tools call the park dispatch at 415−561−5505. Thousands of our taxpayer dollars are going to keep these old buildings from becoming eyesores from aspiring «artists» who like to deface other’s property and leave their litter behind.

Good place for bot hiking and learning military history.
Although it was foggy when I hiked here, it was interesting to see Nike missile site and learn about the Cold War.

A really nice hike! Beautiful views of the coastline and the city (you can see the bridge, Baker Beach, Richmond, Twin Peaks, and Ocean Beach, just to name a few notable sites).
Be aware:
There is basically no cover. Be prepared to be in the sun all day.
If you want to see Hill 88, head up to the north from the fort’s parking lot, not down across the laguna on the beach.
There are a lot of cool spots to stop and take a snack. So much so that our 5.8 miler (including our detour down the beach away from Hill 88, unbeknownst to us) took about 4.5 hours. Just know that for every spot that looks like it has a cool bunker with a really cool view, there is probably another one just a little further on that has an even cooler bunker with an even cooler view.
We came in November, and while it got pretty warm in the sun, once we got past Hill 88 and took the Wolf Ridge & Miwok trails back (so as not to backtrack), these were completely in the shade as they were on the eastern side of those mountains and it got really chilly really fast.
There were some people doing graffiti art on the buildings at Hill 88 as well. It looked like the start to something really cool.
Trail map:

This is actually the coastal trail. On a sunny day the views will knock your socks off. San Francisco, the Ocean, the topography… just splendid. It is not an easy hike as you climb 1000 – 1500 feet relatively quickly.
From the top you can take the miwok trail back home or head over to Tennessee valley or many other options.
One cool aside we happened to run into the GGRO folks (Golden Gate Raptor observers). They were electronically tagging a red tailed hawk… very cool.
Park at the end parking lot next to rodeo beach. Plenty of bathrooms. Pack water as well.
Hike on!!!

I’ve hiked all over the bay area in the past few years and this is an awesome hike – great scenic route, dogs are allowed, nice breeze from the ocean… there is heavy foot traffic of bikers, casual walkers, hikers and trail runners. Really easy to get to from SF (101 exit Alexander and a few miles in you’re right there!). Parking is not a problem and you can hang out by the beach after making it to the top. No coverage, so bring sunscreen and a hat. The first part of the hike is breezy from the ocean, so you’ll need to layer. This isn’t that difficult of a hike, but you can make it longer by taking the Miwok trail back to add mileage to your trip.

A great family friendly day hike with astonishing views and world war 2 sites.
It’s also well marked with a sizable parking lot, so it’s easy to enjoy without preparing for too long.
Highly recommended!

Amazing views from this abandoned radar station. The hike up Hill 88 from the Wolf Ridge Trail is short, but the views go on forever. Dress in layers as the weather can be cold and windy one minute and hot the next. The easiest route to Hill 88 is as follows: Tennessee Valley trailhead past the Miwok Livery to Old Spring Trail to Miwok Trail to Wolf Ridge Trail. A little side trip up Hill 88 t then back down to the Tennessee Valley Trail ending back at the Tennessee Valley trailhead. About 6 miles. Trail difficulty varies from easy to moderately strenuous.

The Unilocal listing shows this place as located in Mill Valley. Actually I’d say it’s more towards Sausalito since it’s pretty much just above the Rodeo Lagoon.
Anyway, this is the end destination of a hike going up on Coastal Trail starting from the Rodeo Beach parking lot. According to the hiking guide, it’s over 1,000 feet up. The view is spectacular when it’s a day without fog.
My only disappointment is that once you’re at the top it’s all flat concrete, no bench or anything to sit on and enjoy. I understand about this being an old military or missile site during WWII, but still I could be rewarded a bit better for the long climb, especially with that final uphill slope at the end when I’m already worn out.

I feel the same as LA. When/​Why did they paint over the buildings!!! And clean up the debris? It takes so much of the character away. Everything is so sterile and blah and a horrible horrible green.
I love the Headlands, but Hill 88 has lost it’s magic. Sad face. Saddest face.

Although we didn’t make it all the way up to Hill 88, the trails in this area come with breathtaking views of the bay.
We ended up going down to the coastline and sat for a while just to take in the fresh air. I can’t believe I’ve only discovered this place — what a shame.
Definately coming back to do a trail run, and to also make it to the top for the 360 panoramic view!

Here’s what you ought to know:
1. Getting here and back is a big hike, which is perfect, if you’re into that sort of thing.
2. You can park at Rodeo Beach and hike up the coast side. The trail is clearly marked, the views are awesome, and there’s generally a nice layer of coastal fog to keep you from overheating.
3. Near the top, before Hill 88, you’ll find yourself hiking by moss-​covered bushes. Know that this moss thrives and survives only in the cleanest of air. Take in a lungful.
3. After you enjoy Hill 88, head back down via the Miwok Trail. It’s a big loop, you won’t have to backtrack, and you’ll wind up right where you began.
4. Dogs are allowed on this trail, so make your dog happy and bring her along. (Don’t head towards Tennessee Valley or Muir Beach… no dogs allowed on those trails).
5. Bring a camera to explore Hill 88’s decrepitness energized by sincerely impressive grafitti.
6. Know that this was the Nike Missile Site (think Cold War), but all of the actual stuff has been moved over near the Visitor Center (back down the hill and up another hill). If that’s your thing, go see it sometime when they’re open and giving tours. I found the remnants up at Hill 88 infinitely more interesting, but if you’re heavily into that sort of thing, you might want to check it out as well.

A lovely hike up this so called ‘hill’ can be very rewarding. About a 3 mile hike uphill. By the time you get to Battery Townsley, you will be panting like a dog (if you’re out of shape). After stopping for a little while to catch your breath, the heavenly fog will inspire you to hike hike hike! Then, after 30 more minutes of uphill madness, YOU’RE THERE and you give yourself a big PAT PAT PAT on your back!
At the top lies a ghostly little military base – or something along the lines of that– buried in a thick fog cloud. The buildings are creepy… Tin walls with skeletons and skulls graffiti’d all over. You slowly enter a building and you hear creaking… you get really scared and then *BAM* a bird flies out from the ceiling right at you. *AAAH!*
The hike down only takes about 20 minutes. Don’t go down the way you came up. Go down the bike route – paved.
After you finish your round trip, sit at the picnic tables by the restrooms and wait for your panting friends to finish their hike.
Then go to some fancy restaurant to refill on those 600 calories you just burned.
Delightful.

Just in case you want to find Hill 88:
37.842,-122.532

Hill 88 is a wild ghost town in the sky, hidden way up high in the Marin Headlands. It’s on Wolf Ridge, between Fort Cronkhite/​Rodeo Beach and Tennessee Valley. You can barely see it from below, and it’s nothing like most of the old little rusty lifeless bunker sites. This is a crazy Cold War mega-​complex teeming with tons of crows dancing in the whipping wind above huge expanses of the bay and SF. It’s part of the old Nike Missile program, officially SF-​88C. Was apparently the radar and control center (aka the IFC, or Integrated Fire Control area) of the Nike Missile launch site that’s further down the hill to the east.
At the top of Hill 88, after coming through the entry gate and guard’s post (this place was only open to secret and top secret military officials when in use) you get a gorgeous view while feeling like you’re in the middle of a post-​apocolypse world (think mad max), or in a post-​apocolypse, science fiction computer game (half-​life) hiding out from assassins. It feels so abadoned but haunted. It’s amazing what still lies unpreserved and raw up in those hills.
What’s so great is there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people who go all the way up (probably because you’d never expect to find all that up there, even when just a little ways below it.) I hope this review doesn’t spoil that…