This is one of the best trails to do post Pineapple Express storms. Part muddy part slippery but keeping amazing views in distance throughout. I would suggest start mid day and when you are back you are ready soak in early dinner and wine! The best part was it is not continuous incline but you still end up gaining ~900 ft elevation. I will definitely revisit to do more in marine headlands. Weather is perfect to explore beautiful Bay Area on feet! read more

Pirate's Cove - Engagement anniversary spent well - Beaches Near Me

Way before Johnny Depp, I recall my favorite ride at Disneyland was the Pirates of the Caribbean. The politically incorrect sea chantey they had on autoplay was drilled in my subconscious: "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot Drink up me 'earties, yo ho" I didn't sing it out loud, but I was thinking it as I was scaling this rugged coastal trail. At not quite two miles, it wasn't that challenging except for the last 350 feet. At that point, you don't see a trail anymore but a lot of rocks. I was puzzled until I saw a couple of young girls pass me and repel themselves forward. This was a pivotal point that separated prematurely mature men from fearless youth. As I was listening to the high tide coming in, I did an about-face and didn't look back. Well, actually I could see the cove from the trail and noticed the waves lapping up the shore almost completely. Redemption. There were plenty of inclines to work out my thighs, and the windswept scenery was nice in a Perfect Storm sort of way - though I think the Owl Trail on the other side of Muir Beach Outlook was more picturesque. RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV read more

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Such a majestic little cove! Getting there is only half the fun. It's definitely quite the hike and scrabble, but once you reach the cove, you'll see why it's worth the short trek. Hiked here with a friend last summer from Muir Beach via the Coastal Trail, and we were both blown away by how beautiful the hike and cove was. It's only a 1.7 mile hike from Muir Beach (about 3.5 miles roundtrip), but the first mile or so is all incline with a few steep sections. The hike was moderately trafficked but most people that we encountered wore masks. This is a dog friendly trail and we passed by lots of beautiful dogs on the way there. The coastal views are insanely gorgeous on your way there and back. Once you reach an even pathway, you'll soon begin descending down several steps until you reach a trail split. The split will either lead you out to Tennessee Valley or down to the cove. You can continue the hike out to Tennessee Valley, but it is definitely a lot more difficult of a hike, so be prepared. We decided to do a shortish hike that day, and went down to Pirate's Cove. Getting down to the cove does require quite a bit of scrabbling. It's super steep, narrow, and you will have to depend on the rocks and your upper body strength to make it all the way down. Luckily, this section is pretty short and of course, totally worth it. Once we made it down, we were just so in awe. The views are definitely breathtaking down there, and void of the crowds at nearby Muir Beach and Tennessee Valley. We hung out there and played with my friend's dog for a while. It was such a serene experience. What goes up must come down... and then back up again. The climb back up the cove and then back up the hill was killer, but ultimately a wonderful quick little workout. You will definitely get some nice elevation gain throughout this hike. We took our time and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the coastline. Afterward, we got lunch at the Pelican Inn and ate it on Muir Beach. It was the perfect way to end the hike. So glad that we were able to hike this amazing little gem! I would love to hike here from Tennessee Valley and even stop here again on a longer hike from Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley or visa versa next time. It's absolutely worth each and every hill and scrabbling point. read more

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The incline was rough. I wore the wrong shoes and my feet was slippen on the rocks. The destination was beautiful. Nice tucked away beach and beautiful scenery. Definitely a great outdoor route. read more

Pirate's Cove - Beaches Near Me

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I hiked to this cove from Muir beach a few months ago but I had to post a review about it because it's probably one of my favorite hikes in the area. It's about a 3.5 mile trail through hills, so it consisted of some incline but nothing too difficult until the end. Before you reach the cove, you'll come across really rocky terrain. There's a lot of loose dirt and rocks so be CAREFUL because it's a steep way down. Be sure to wear the right shoes so that you don't slip either (this was my mistake)! Overall this was a really beautiful hike along the coast. We saw a ton of rabbits, birds, different plants, and interesting looking bugs. The views were absolutely gorgeous because it overlooks the ocean. The beach itself felt like a world of its own because of how quiet and secluded it was, and the best part was that it wasn't busy either. Maybe I went during a but it didn't seem to be a very crowded area because my hiking group and I were the only ones on the beach! The hike took about 3 or 4 hours total but only because I stopped to take a LOT of pictures and did my fair share of exploring. I couldn't help myself with how pretty the views were. read more

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This beautiful beach cove is surprisingly secluded considering all of the traffic. It probably helps that the sign marker was taken down. There are several rock formations, both large and small, scattered throughout that make the beach scenery more rugged and picturesque. You can climb on the rocks, too, not that I did. A few warnings: the trail down is steep and not manicured. The trail up is not only steep, but gets steeper once you join the main trail headed south. Serious elevation climb and only for people that are in fairly good shape. Watch for the tides too. I don't recommend getting in the water here. read more

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A day at the beach recharges me. We happened upon this place after a perfect day at Muir Woods. The beach was relatively empty. I considered this a much welcomed respite from the touristy activities we had planned. There was a lot to explore and there were plenty of secluded little areas. This. This is my idea of a great beach. It was soothing and cool, almost cold since the sun was starting to set. There were maybe two other couples, but we felt that we had the beach to ourselves. It was peaceful and exactly what I seek from a beach day. read more

Pirate's Cove - Beaches Near Me

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The four of us came here early on Saturday around 8 am and the fog was not too thick ! Being a local we had never hiked this amazing trail to the pirates cove and beyond ! The uphill was quite challenging but we could do it and once we got to the top the views were freaking amazing - the ocean views - the wild flowers everywhere- the rocks , all pretty spectacular ! The only real challenge for me was hiking down the rocks to pirates cove - in my opinion just go slow as the stairs were quite slippery but once you get to the bottom it's freaking amazing - beautiful- spectacular! I seen So much sea life at the cove - I highly recommend this amazing trail - worth the hike - worth the views and can be a little tough at times but in my opinion anyone can do it just be sure to wear the right shoes - hiking boots make it a lot easier --- this is a absolutely beautiful place ! read more

As a resident of Northern California for the past 11 years is having the chance to discover so much beauty. I have always passed by Muir Beach, but my curiosity was waned once I saw the amount of cars heading to the small parking. On Sunday, my boyfriend suggested we hike the area. Since we've never been. The hike to Pirates Cove is 1.1 miles from the "crossroads" entrance to the beach. The initial climb up is literally that. Wearing running shoes was a big no-no as there are a lot of gravel areas and not so many pockets to sink your feet in. The hike itself seems long and the trail is narrow, but the end point is completely worth it all. Be forewarned the hike to Pirates Cove is steep and very rocky. Be careful and wear durable and nonslip shoes. Again the end result is a pocket and a private beach that captures spectacular sounds of crashing waves and that peaceful maritime ambiance. read more

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For all of you yelpers that like to find something beyond ! This place is beautiful i read the yelp below and thought i had to try this out myself! Its a bit of a walk but if your well prepared its work the hike! Me and my friends brought snacks, drinks and a speaker for music ! When you get to muir beach look at the map you will see " pirates cove " follow the roads that lead there ! I must warn you the first 15 minutes or so are tough at one point my husband said i dont think this place exists lol but then you start coming across one of the most beautiful views that the muir beach does NOT show you ! You know your there when you see it! Its amazing and beautiful ! And dont worry the walk back is much easier :)!! Once you get through the steep part :) wear closed non slippery shoes read more

Pirate's Cove - Pirates Cove - Beaches Near Me

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Great hike to Pirates Cove. It's up and down with the terrain. Bring water, stop along the marked trail and take in the amazing California Coastline. Look close and you'll see lizards, snakes, birds, butterflies along your hike. It's a great hike, however I would say it's pretty hairy going down the rocky hillside to get to the secluded beach. It's rewarding when a seal comes up to shore and gives a look around and then decides to take a nap along the rocks and pays no bother to you. From the Muir Beach parking lot to Pirates Cove it took us about 70 minutes....mind you, we stopped here and there to view sights and catch our breath. Going back was a bit quicker. I also would advise to leave the kids behind unless they are experienced and capable to climb down last section getting to beach. read more

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This is an amazing pocket beach just south of Muir Beach. Take the Coastal Trail and follow the signs for Pirates Cove. The first half mile is really steep, but stick with it and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous view all the way to Pacifica. Follow the trail on the cliffs for the next mile until steeply descending to the small beach. We planned it badly and arrived at high tide, so made due by sitting on some high rocks. I'd check the chart if I were you. The jagged rocks make for beautiful scenery, and you'll find there will be few there to share the beach with. Great outdoorsy date! Story goes it got its name because it is so secluded that it was used by bootleggers to smuggle booze in during Prohibition. I wouldn't suggest drinking the hooch down there, not sure if you'd make it back up! read more

We walked the coastal path from Muir Beach to the hill overlooking Pirate's Cove, and back over the fire road. This is a great hike, and not too busy (though by no means quiet). Get there early because the Muir Beach parking lot fills up quickly on sunny weekend days (though most people go to the beach, not to the hike). A star off because we didn't actually make it to Pirate's Cove itself -- the descent is steep and difficult due to excessive gravel an loose rocks. But we had a lovely picnic at the top. read more

This is a tiny little beach that takes a relatively short (~30min) hike to get to. The hike gives you a very scenic overlook of the pacific - high on a ledge, but sheltered enough by bushes that it's not overly windy (still a little windy, though. The beach itself is small, and probably only suitable for one or two groups - but it's rare for it to be extremely crowded. It's deep in a cove that takes some stairs to get down to, so quite private. Waves are sizable. read more

Beautiful coastline with waves crashing on the rocks below. If you are adventurous and up for a 5-6 mile run/hike, start at Muir Beach. Go up Middle Green Gulch, take a right at the top and then a left on to the Coastal Trail. This loops and you will eventually take a right to get to Pirate's Cove. I really enjoyed the views but during mid-day there are a lot of people on the trails. read more

Great hike from Muir Beach with many overlooks. Gets 4 stars because of the super steep and sketchy decent/ascent from the trail to the cove. Not and easy hike for little kids. read more

not sure if i'd call this a "cove" per se, but it was definitely one of the many vista points we saw during our day spent in mill valley/marin county. we drove to muir beach and hiked 1.7 miles from the parking lot/beach area to this vista point, and definitely got a good workout since the first 1/2 mile or so was straight up hill....i was definitely huffing and puffing as i made my way up what seemed like a mountain! this vista point offers a view of the ocean, the coastline, and the natural habitat that lives in this part of the bay. there were just a few other visitors here when we arrived, so not very crowded, and not very noisy, which allowed us to enjoy some peace and quiet while taking in the view. it was quite windy when i came though, so i didn't stand at the vista point too long, for fear of being blown away! i think i was expecting a bit more, so i left pirate's cove feeling a bit empty-handed, but it made for a good 3.4 mile hike. read more