Godfrey Overlook

Mélange on the coastal bluffs with areas of greenish serprentinite rocks above and gray mudstones.

Quick Facts

Amenities

1 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot

From the edge of the cliff, look south. You can see blue-green serpentinite rock formations moving into a dark gray, rocky mélange, or mixture of rock types that is part of a geologic unit known as the Franciscan Complex. These rock types are telling signs of a tectonic plate boundary, in this case, one that marked the edge of the North American and Farallon plates 100 million years ago. This plate boundary is known as a subduction zone, a place where the Farallon plate sank beneath the North American Plate.

Also, keep your eyes peeled out to sea. These waters are home to many marine mammals. Dolphins are most common in summer, and whales migrate through the region from November to February.