June, 23, 2021

 June 21, 2021

Coastal Trail, Lagoon Trail Loop to Rodeo Beach

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

hikers:  Mark and Lecia

distance:  a mile and a half loop, easy.

There is actually parking at Rodeo beach but we wanted a little walk so we parked in the parking lot for the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, which was closed unfortunately.  We took the Coastal Trail to Rodeo Beach.

That strip of sand out there is the beach 

and the water on this side of it is Rodeo Lagoon.

There's the ocean and what looks like a pile of rocks.

Only it wasn't a pile of rocks!  It was a beached whale.  A baby whale I guess 

but then I don't know a lot about whales.  It has been there for a while 

and if you are on the side away from the ocean the breeze blows your way 

and it has quite a stench!  

It was actually really cool.  Not every day you see a beached whale.  

First time ever for me!

You can see it's size compared to me.

Here is the ocean

And on the other side of the beach is the lagoon.

The white building you see on the other side of the lagoon is the visitors center, where we parked.  We walked back on the other side of the lagoon, 

the Lagoon Trail Loop.  

The coastal trail was the nicer trail because the loop trail goes along the road, but we were able to walk all the way around the lagoon on those trails.