Pirates Cove & Middle Green Gulch Trail is an 8-mile out-and-back in Marin Headlands near Muir Beach, CA. The route reaches Pirates Cove at the turnaround, 4 miles in. It climbs 1,664 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 27/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi89 – 902 ft · steepest grade: 15%8.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.86871, -122.56314
Nearest town Muir Beach, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Pirates Cove & Middle Green Gulch Trail
8 mi · ▲ 1,664 ft · 3 hr 30 min
Elevation 88–902 ft
Out & Back · Marin Headlands
Trailhead: 37.86871, -122.56314
Weather Aug 3: Overcast, high 68°F / low 55° · precip 1% · wind 12 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:18 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Middle Green Gulch Trail, heading SE.
- 1.6 miSharp right onto Coastal Fire Road, heading S.
- 1 miSharp left onto Coastal Trail, heading E.
- 1 miReach Pirates Cove, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miSharp right onto Coastal Fire Road, heading NE.
- 1 miSharp left onto Middle Green Gulch Trail, heading SW.
- 1.6 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
91% dirt2% gravel7% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 68°F55°
Precip1%Wind12 mphUV8Humidity92%
Hourly temperature
70°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:18 PM
Tue
61°54°
Wed
66°55°
Thu
73°54°
Fri
76°53°
Sat
76°52°
Sun
69°53°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.9 mi in (~32 min). Leave by 7:26 PM for the 8:18 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:57 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Muir Beach via Middle Green Gulch Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 207 ft
- Coyote Ridge Viewpoint & Middle Green Gulch Trail 4.7 mi · ▲ 967 ft
- County View Trail & Middle Green Gulch Trail 6.9 mi · ▲ 1,260 ft
- Muir Beach–Coastal Fire Road, 3 sights 7.1 mi · ▲ 1,700 ft
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