Photo: Daniel L. Lu · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized
Golden Gatewildlife
National park· National Recreation Areaat Hawk Hill and the Marin Headlands
At Golden Gate National Recreation Area, wildlife is best at midday (10 am to 2 pm) in September and October, per the National Park Service; no official report yet this season. That's one spot's timing, not Golden Gate National Recreation Area's own peak dates: Raptors over Hawk Hill.
Updated
Sources for this timing ↓About Golden Gate
- What it is
- A National Recreation Area in California
- A little history
- In 2011, six acres became a restoration site for the mission blue butterfly and declining bird species: non-native Monterey pines and cypresses, likely grown from seeds in soil the army used during World War II, were replaced with thousands of native coastal scrub and prairie plants.
- What you'll see
- Fall hawk migration over Hawk Hill · Sep–Oct
- Before you go
- What should I bring to watch the hawks? Binoculars and water, and dress in layers.Why do so many birds pass through Golden Gate? It lies on the Pacific Flyway, so birds traveling between the tropics and the Arctic stop here to rest and feed.
Your guide to the area
- Golden GateAt one spot: September and October, 10 am to 2 pmThis page
Where to watch
- Hawk HillUp to 19 kinds of raptors, more than 20,000 birds, pass over in fall; best at midday in September and October, with views over the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge
- Rodeo LagoonBird Island off the lagoon is one of northern California's largest brown pelican roosts; several hundred land in the lagoon each fall
Worth the drive
- RedwoodNational park254 miNovember through December
- Channel IslandsNational park306 mibegins at the end of December and lasts until AprilSatSunny
- Malheur RefugeWildlife refuge422 mimid-AugustSatSunny
- CabrilloNational park463 miMid-January is the peak time for migration, but whales are visible from mid- to late December through MarchSatSunny
- Tijuana Slough RefugeWildlife refuge473 mifrom mid-March to mid-SeptemberSatSunny
- OlympicNational park711 milate September to early October
The year at Golden Gate
- Wildflowers peak (some bloom most of the year)late winter, spring, and summer
- Several hundred brown pelicans in Rodeo LagoonNoweach fall
- Raptor migration over Hawk Hill, best at middayNowSeptember and October
- Western snowy plovers spend the winter at Ocean Beach and Crissy Field Marshwinter
Golden Gate in pictures
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see wildlife at Golden Gate National Recreation Area?
We don't have local timing for Golden Gate National Recreation Area yet. Raptors over Hawk Hill: best at midday (10 am to 2 pm) in September and October, per the National Park Service: September and October, 10 am to 2 pm. That's for that one spot, not the whole place, and not a forecast.
Is it the season at Golden Gate National Recreation Area right now?
There's no official report yet this season.
When is the best time to see hawks at Hawk Hill?
Midday, from 10 am to 2 pm, in September and October.Source: National Park Service, Raptors at Hawk Hill - Golden Gate National Recreation Area ↗ (opens in a new tab)
What should I bring to watch the hawks?
Binoculars and water, and dress in layers.Source: National Park Service, Raptors at Hawk Hill - Golden Gate National Recreation Area ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How many raptors fly over Hawk Hill?
In fall, as many as 19 species and more than 20,000 birds; Golden Gate Raptor Observatory volunteers monitor the migration every year.Source: National Park Service, Hawk Hill Overlook ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Why were the trees on Hawk Hill removed?
In 2011, six acres became a restoration site for the mission blue butterfly and declining bird species: non-native Monterey pines and cypresses, likely grown from seeds in soil the army used during World War II, were replaced with thousands of native coastal scrub and prairie plants.Source: National Park Service, Hawk Hill Overlook ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Why do so many birds pass through Golden Gate?
It lies on the Pacific Flyway, so birds traveling between the tropics and the Arctic stop here to rest and feed.Source: National Park Service, Birds - Golden Gate National Recreation Area ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where are the best spots in Golden Gate National Recreation Area?
Hawk Hill: up to 19 kinds of raptors, more than 20,000 birds, pass over in fall; best at midday in September and October, with views over the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge; Rodeo Lagoon: bird Island off the lagoon is one of northern California's largest brown pelican roosts; several hundred land in the lagoon each fall.
What is Golden Gate National Recreation Area like through the year?
Raptor migration over Hawk Hill, best at midday (Sep–Oct), Several hundred brown pelicans in Rodeo Lagoon (Sep–Nov), Western snowy plovers spend the winter at Ocean Beach and Crissy Field Marsh (Dec–Feb) and Wildflowers peak (some bloom most of the year) (Feb–Aug).
How we know · Sources (4)
How we know
National Park Service, Raptors at Hawk Hill - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · National Park Service, Hawk Hill Overlook (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · National Park Service, Birds - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) · National Park Service, Wildflowers - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (opens in a new tab) (Oct 2) National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.