Kirby Cove is known for having a swing with a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge on the beach. The swings are put up by random people but get taken down often by the fire department. However, it seems like people will continue the tradition and keep putting up a swing after it’s been cut off. If you’re planning on going, I suggest that you check on Yelp if the tree is currently there or not. It is about a 30 minute hike from the hills down to the cove, but it is a very ‘gram-worthy place even when the swing is not there.
How to get there:
- Put in “Kirby Cove Campground” in your GPS.
- Kirby Cove is on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge outside of SF.
- If you’re coming from SF and you plan on coming back to the city after, you will have to pay the toll again.
- The starting point is on the hills where people go to view the Golden Gate Bridge.
- which is called Marin Headlands – Hawk Hill
- Look for the white gate and you should be able to spot it from a car. Once you see the white gates for Kirby Cove, you are in the right area.
The white gate for Kirby Cove.
Parking:
- Once you have found the white gate, there are parking spots nearby but they are very limited.
- It is a very popular area to view the bridge and be ready for peopling fighting for parking spots.
- Kirby Cove is a campground so it is possible to skip the hike by parking at the bottom of the hill if you have a parking permit.
- To do so, you will need to call ahead of time to get a camping reservation to get the parking permit.
- The driving path is the same path you take to hike down.
The Hike:
- The start of the hike is at the white gate. You’ll know if there are the correct white gates if there is a Kirby Cove sign on it.
- It is about a 30 minute hike down to the cove. You are pretty much hiking to the bottom of the hill to reach the water, but you get awesome views while hiking down.
- Once you reach the bottom and see the parking area, you’ll see the entrance to the campsite. Walk through the campsite towards the water. (The swing used to be of the left side of the beach but it’s been cut down.)
My Experience:
I first went in July 2017 and I love it! The hike going down was easy and very scenic.
You get awesome views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the water.
I loved all the oceanic views.
It’s a dirt road so your shoes will get dirty.
Some of the hillside had cool formations.
Then you’ll get a lot of trees and greenery. It was like entering a whole different area.
Even the views of the hills were beautiful.
There were plenty of opportunities for great photos.
This was the area where the swing used to be.
I was lucky to come when the swing was still there in July 2017.
When I came back on Sept 1, 2017, the tree with the swing was cut down. 😦
We were still able to take nice pictures without the swing 🙂
Overall, going to Kirby Cove is a great experience whether or not the swing is there. The hike down is scenic and the views at Kirby Cove are beautiful.
I read on Yelp that there was a new swing put in a days after I came. Hopefully you get to enjoy the swing if you’re planning to go soon. You should keep in mind that the swings are made by random people are not the safest. I’ve read on Yelp from Vicki V. that the fire department has had to cut down 50 swings already. If you go, PLEASE BE SAFE ❤
Damn Tram 