Skip to main content

2014 Resolution: Hike all the Trails in San Francisco!

After college, I sat at various desks at various jobs for 10 years. When I realized 10 years had come and gone, I was in a state of shock. The years were blending together and flying by with nothing too memorable about them. As time went on, I found myself grumpier and grumpier about my work and my commute. I wasn't in a good place. 

Without a real place to go afterward, I quit a cushy job in January 2012 in order to take a few months off to reflect. At first, the feeling of freedom made me giddy. But then it made me nervous. I thought, "What am I going to do with myself now?"

And then sometime in May, had the idea for Urban Hiker SF. The idea for the company allowed me to combine my love of novelty, exploration, and the outdoors with the business knowledge I've accumulated over the years.

In February, it will be 1 1/2 years since I launched UHSF. We're running a number of tours weekly, and meeting wonderful people from all over the world.

But, while we do this, I want to keep exploring. When I initially planned my Presidio Exploration hike, I remember reading that the Presidio had over 25 miles of hiking trails. I couldn't believe that we had a trail network that extensive in a city so small -- and that was just in a single neighborhood.

The 25 miles fact got me curious, and I started cataloging all the trails I could find.

First, I discovered that there were three major trail systems in our city:

These trails range from 350 to 1,200 miles and are part of larger systems that extend way outside the boundaries of San Francisco.

I next found sand, dirt, and paved trails in the following public parks:
The Ecology Trail in the Presidio
And then there were the Presidio Trails
I had originally read about:

And then there were historic hiking trails too:
And lastly, I found trails on islands that are part of San Francisco.

Realizing its never too late to come up with a New Years resolution, I made it my resolution to explore all of these trails! I'll be posting about them here, so we can all learn more about the nature inside the city.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Four Quick Steps For Identifying Poison Oak

It's that time of year again, and poison oak leaves are sprouting out all over the Bay Area. Getting poison oak is no fun, so if you don't know what poison oak looks like, today is your day to learn!   Poi son oak, you say... So first, why is poison oak so poisonous? It's not that it's actually poisonous, but it does contain urushiol , an oil that can irritate the skin, causing rashes or blisters. The frustrating thing about poison oak (well, one of many frustrating things) is that it's hard to know immediately if you've had contact with the plant. It normally takes 24-36 hours for any skin irritation to appear. I have a quick four-step system to identify poison oak. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. (Remember, I am not a medical professional. This is not medical advice. :)) The four-step system Step 1: Listen to the old adage, "Leaves of three, let it be." Poison oak has clusters of three leaves on the entire plan

Visiting San Francisco's TEN Mosaic Stairways

San Francisco is home to TEN beautiful mosaic stairways ( see map here ), but they were all inspired by one. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project (2005) The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project began in early 2003 when Sunset residents Jessie Audette and Alice Xavier decided to bring people together while beautifying their neighborhood. Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher were chosen as the project artists. The 163-step mosaic features a landscape that spans from the bottom of the ocean all the way to the sun in the sky. The inspiration for the steps came from SelarĂ³n’s staircase , a mosaic staircase in Rio de Janeiro named after artist Jorge SelarĂ³n. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on August 27, 2005–which the mayor’s office proclaimed “16th Avenue Tiled Steps Day.” Location: Moraga Street between 15th and 16th Avenues Hidden Garden Steps (2013) Inspired by the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, the neighboring Hidden Garden Steps were conceived in January 2010 and completed in November

Two Great Hikes Near Cavallo Point and Fort Baker

L ast year, I went to a wedding reception at the Cavallo Point Lodge and my boyfriend and I decided to spend the night there. The morning after the reception, we wanted to take advantage of our location and get some exercise, so we decided to explore some local trails. I revisited these trails again recently and wanted to write about them so you can take advantage of them, too. Hike 1: Cavallo Point Loop 
1.9 miles, 300 feet elevation gain Shortened version on the trail on Relive     Strava route to download or duplicate From outside the hotel’s main building (where the valet stand is) walk diagonally across the large lawn to reach the intersection of Murray Circle and Center Road. There you'll see a (small) trail sign for the Bay Trail. Head straight here onto Moore Road and then take your first left onto Sommerville Street. Start walking along Horseshoe Bay.  When you reach the Presidio Yacht Club after about 0.1 mile, take a wood walkway in front of the buildi