Beginning just north of the Golden Gate, the Headlands encompass a treasure trove of historical and biological wonderlands, all within biking, boating, and, in some cases, jogging distance from San Francisco. Notable destinations within this extension of the Golden Gate Parks system include Point Bonita Lighthouse, Fort Cronkhite, Nike Missile Site, Battery Townsley, Rodeo Lagoon/Valley, Gerbode Valley, Hawk Hill, and Tennessee Valley. Hiking, biking, surfing, bird watching, camping – something for any and all outdoor enthusiasts.
The pictures you'll find within this album were all taken during a bike trip I took to Hawk Hill, home to what I consider to be the best views in California of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco proper – well, maybe tied with the less accessible Angel Island. Additionally, and less known by frequenters, the hill is also home to one of the largest known flights of diurnal raptors in the Pacific states. Each autumn, tens of thousands of raptors, including the aforementioned 'hawks,' are funneled by wind pressure caused by the peninsular shape of Marin County into the headlands. Raptors stick mostly to the hills, as the warmth of the land provides much more lift than does the cold waters of the Pacific, but in certain seasons the cold waters create updrafts that San Francisco residents are accustomed to witnessing in the form of fog rolling over the headlands and into the Bay.