Fort Barry's Field Road loop is the orientation pause on the valley floor, anchored by a former army chapel that now houses the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. Stop in to confirm which limited-hours attractions are running before you commit to the Nike or Point Bonita spur, or aim for the signal-controlled tunnel home.
You've reached the valley floor now, and the road eases as Field Road loops you through old Fort Barry. Take a breath after that one-way descent, because the hard driving is behind you for a while. Off to your side you'll notice the parade ground, a broad flat green ringed by weathered wooden barracks, and set among them a small building with the lines of a chapel. That's exactly what it once was. Today it serves as the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, and it makes a fine place to get your bearings before you push on.
This is where Gerbode Valley meets Rodeo Valley, the green corridor that runs on toward Rodeo Lagoon and the beach beyond, and Fort Barry was laid out down here to guard the coastal approaches to the Gate. What was once a working army post is now the front door to the wilder corners of the headlands. If you can spare a few minutes, the center is worth a stop, and there's a good practical reason beyond the history: several of the best sites out here open only on limited days, and the folks inside can tell you what's actually open today.
That matters, because the road ahead splits into a spur down the valley toward the old Nike missile site, SF-88, and out to Point Bonita. Both are time-gated. The Nike tours run a limited schedule, so it's worth calling ahead at four one five, three three one, one five four zero to check before you count on it. Point Bonita is a park-and-walk with hours that vary and often conflict, so check nps.gov slash goga first; and know that even when the trail is open, the suspension bridge out to the light is closed until further notice, so you'll reach the viewing platform but not the lighthouse itself. When it comes time to leave the headlands, your way back east runs through the Baker-Barry Tunnel, a single narrow lane that alternates direction on a signal, so you'll wait your turn and never enter against the light.
So set your plan here. Confirm what's open, decide your route, and then let's follow the valley toward the sea.
Photo: Kwakamacca · CC BY 3.0
