The Bay Area is full of beautiful hidden hikes (like the Heart-Shaped Labyrinth in the Oakland Hills), and San Francisco is full of secret swings. But there’s only one that lets you swing out directly over the Pacific Ocean: the swing at Kirby Cove.
I recently posted a video of the swing on my Instagram Story and received hundreds (!!) of comments and DMs asking me how to get there. So, here’s how:
To get to Kirby Cove, drive across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and take the exit for Alexander Avenue. Park as close to Battery Spencer as you can, since that’s where the trailhead starts.
Once you’ve parked, face Battery Spencer and the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll see a locked white gate to your bottom right. You can only drive down past the gate if you have a camping reservation, which I’ll write about soon! (I’ve camped at Kirby Cove three times now and it’s always an amazing experience.) Walk past the gate and downhill to the beach.
The main swing is at the end of the beach facing the Golden Gate, as seen in these photos. There’s also sometimes one at the other end of the beach, so keep an eye out! Here are the exact coordinates for the beach on Google Maps.
Leave a Reply