Muir Beach Overlook is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just south of Stinson Beach on Highway 1 and north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Not only does this cliffside park have some beautiful sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastline, but it also provides a glimpse into our wartime history.
Muir Beach Overlook contains several historic base-end stations. From these stations, soldiers viewed ships and triangulated the distance, speed, and direction of these ships in coordination with different stations. These stations were mostly important for artillery units stationed on the coast to attack any invasion. They gained particular importance during World War II immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor when many in California feared San Francisco or Los Angeles would be the next target. These stations became obsolete when radar technology took over. A few of them remain open like ruins where you may enter them to get somewhat of a perspective of the soldiers who were stationed there.
On clear days you can see San Francisco but there was a little bit of cloud cover so I could only see the Sutro Tower in the distance (photo 7). You also get a slight view of Muir Beach (photo 3) and you can see the top of Mount Tamalpais (photo 4, top right peak). The last photo is the large scale tactile topographic model which I thought was quite cool! It’s a beautiful place to visit with an iconic staircase that leads to the small overlook on the cliff. I highly recommend it if you’re ever in the area!
Check out my Instagram post for more pics!
