Where to Take Photos in the Marin Headlands

Where to Take Photos in the Marin Headlands

If you’ve ever visited the Bay Area, there’s a good chance you’ve taken a slow drive through the Marin Headlands and stopped at various vista points along the way. Located on the North side of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands is a stunning and iconic location for landscape and portrait photographers alike. It offers a multitude of locations with epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, surrounded by lush greenery, coastal views, and the bright blue ocean in the background. In this blog post, I’m going to highlight three of my favorite spots for where to take photos in the Marin Headlands.

#1: Battery Rathbone Mcindoe

• Location: Fort Barry, Conzelman Rd, Mill Valley, CA 94941
• Parking: You can park for free in between the batteries on the left hand side of the road.
• Hours: The gate leading to the battery is closed one hour after sunset, but I don’t know why you would want to go there at night anyway. 🙂
• Good For: Wedding couples portraits, couples photos, maternity, or maybe a family with small baby they can carry around. I do not recommend this location for families with rambunctious children as there are many steep cliff faces that need to be avoided.

Special Notes

How do I get there?

• DO NOT plug the address into your phone and follow Google Maps directions! It will take you to the wrong location and tell you to hike there, which is incorrect. Instead, punch “Hawk Hill” into your GPS and head to the top of the mountain. When you reach Hawk Hill, keep driving forward onto the one way road. Keep an eye on your GPS and look for Battery Rathbone McIndoe on your left, just over 1 mile down the road.

What’s the weather like?

• Like any Headlands location, this spot can be pretty windy and cold at times! Additionally, the fog can roll in pretty thick during parts of the year. It’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case the weather turns right before your photo session. You will not be able to see the water when the fog is there, but it’s still pretty epic!
• On a clear day you can still see the Golden Gate Bridge in the far distance. And if you look in the other direction, you get this epic coastal view looking towards Seal Rock and the Point Bonita Lighthouse. It’s amazing!
• You can expect the weather in the Headlands to be the same as what’s happening at the Golden Gate Bridge, so be sure to check ahead of time if having the bridge in the background is important to you!

Best time of year?

• This location is beautiful year round. However, the grasses can get really brown during the summer and fall! If you want more lush greenery in your photos, try and schedule your session in the early spring!

Why do I love this spot?

• I also love this location because it’s super underrated. It’s not a tourist destination so it’s usually pretty empty. You might have some teenagers hanging out or maybe another couple taking in the sweet view. I’ve even had couples elope to this spot and it’s easy to find a private spot with stunning views in every direction.

#2: Battery Spencer

• Location: Conzelman Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965
• Parking: Free parking along the side of the road but can fill up very quickly, especially on weekends.
• Hours: Open 24 hours!
• Good for: Wedding portraits, couples photos, or a surprise engagement. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this spot for a family or maternity session because it’s just a busy spot, and I like my family/maternity sessions to be more intimate and private.

Special Notes

This location has one of the closest views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and therefore is a tourist destination. So if you’re considering this location for your photo session, I recommend aiming for non-peak hours which are usually weekdays and mornings. But don’t let the fact that there are other people there deter you from documenting beautiful photos! It’s easy enough to work around the crowds and you can also document some fun photos in the battery itself. This location is especially beautiful at dusk when the lights are illuminated on the bridge and you can see the city glow in the background. I will admit that I’ve never photographed anyone there at that time. Could you be the first? 🙂

#3. Hawk Hill

• Location: Hawk Hill, Conzelman Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965
• Parking: Free!
• Hours: Open 24 hours
• Good for: Wedding portraits, couples photos, family photos or maternity photos.

Special notes

This spot can get busy on a weekend afternoon, so I highly recommend to sticking with a weekday if you can! Sunrise sessions are particularly beautiful at this spot, and you’ll see far fewer visitors (which means parking is easy)! Aside from epic views in all directions, this location has an old battery and Nike Missile launch site. So between all the lush trails, epic vistas, historic launch pads, batteries, and tunnels, there’s a lot to explore!

---

There you have it! Three of my favorite locations in the Marin Headlands for photos! I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments section below!

Bay Area Family Photographer | Bay Area Maternity Photographer | Bay Area Couples Photographer

Looking for the perfect location for your photo session? The Marin Headlands are a great option! If you have any more questions about where to take photos in the Marin Headlands, leave them in the comments section below. And if you’re considering one of these locations for your next photoshoot, I’d love to be a part of it! Feel free to learn more about me. If I sound like the perfect photographer for you, then inquire with me. In the meantime, check out more incredible Bay Area photo locations and photoshoots on the blog for inspiration! Where to take photos in the Marin Headlands is a question many clients ask, and I’m always happy to provide insight into the best spots for breathtaking images.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also love:

Rainy Day Photoshoot Locations, Bay Area

Camille & Zach’s Engagement Photo Session on Mount Tamalpais

What to Wear for Outdoor Family Photos