Muir Beach Overlook is located just north of Muir Beach along Highway 1 in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area of Marin County. The Owl Trail, named for great horned owls that roost in the area's cypress trees, runs north from the overlook along high coastal slopes to Slide Ranch, where it splits for North Beach and South Beach. North Beach is small, turbulent and private, with large sea stacks just off shore. South Beach is more accessible, with renowned tide pools and brilliant wildflowers on its bluffs.

Looking north towards Gull Rock and Rocky Point from the Owl Trail

The Owl Trail drops through a colorful tapestry from Slide Ranch to North Beach

Lupine and wall flower carpet the bluffs over South Beach

View north from the Muir Beach Overlook Interpretive Trail

California Poppy

There's little room to maneuver when tides roll in at North Beach

The Dome campsite at Slide Ranch, used as a retreat and education center

South beach is narrow, but low tide reveals an expansive intertidal zone ideal for tide pooling

Sea stacks are comprised of basalt, remnants of coastal bluffs that eroded all around them

Shrubs of the coastal scrub ecosystem typically have bendable stems and soft leaves

The trail is known for its owls, butterflies, hummingbirds, hawks and vultures - various seabirds are also common

Eucalyptus and cypress along the Owl Trail

The Owl Trail is an ideal place to see migrating grey whales on their winter journey south

Identified by its bright orange-red beak and matching eyes, an American Oystercatcher nests in the rocks above North Beach

On clear days you can see Stinson Beach and the Bolinas and Point Reyes peninsulas from the Owl Trail

North Beach features a massive rock formation which plays home to Brown Pelicans, American Oystercatchers, Cormorants and Seagulls

The Owl Trail passes under a large tree canopy through Slide Ranch