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Two Great Hikes Near Cavallo Point and Fort Baker

Links and images refreshed 7/30/2025 

Last 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

  • 2.0 miles, 260 feet elevation gain
  • 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 building. Then continue walking along the bay through a parking lot, and at the end of the parking lot, take a dirt path on your left near point Cavallo that leads to a stairway up Battery Yates. Walk on a path along the battery, and then at the other end of the battery, climb down a few stairs.


Pick up a wide dirt path and turn on narrow path to your right (see below: you probably won't think this is a trail). This narrow path will take you to a wide dirt area (see below). Walk to the back of the wide dirt area and look for a narrow (often overgrown) path that takes you up stairway and then to East Road (no sign).

Across East Road and to the left is a trail sign for the Drown Road Trail. Continue uphill for 0.6 miles on this trail. The first 0.4 miles will mainly be in eucalyptus groves and the last 0.2 miles are exposed.

After this, you'll see the Chapel Steps Trail on your left. Follow this trail for a short 0.1 miles to a flight of stairs that leads you by the Mission Blue Chapel. Continue on the trail until it ends at the intersection of Merrill Street and Settler Road. Take Settler Road and then take your first left on Kober Street (no sign). You know you're on the right street when you see the large lawn peeking into view. Turn left onto Murray Circle to finish your hike. 

Hike 2: Slacker Hill

  • 3.5-5.4 miles, 900-1,100 feet elevation gain
  • Strava route to download or duplicate 

If you have access to a car or the hotel shuttle, you can do the shorter version of this hike (seen in linked Relive video above), which starts at the North Tower Golden Gate Parking area. If not, you'll have to climb Conzelman Road (see here) up to the Golden Gate Bridge. If you're starting at the parking area, walk to the back of the parking lot away from the highway. You’ll soon see a sign for the Coastal Trail. 

 

Head up a few stairs and enter a small grove of trees—your only shade on this route. At 0.1 mile, reach Conzelman Road. Cross at the crosswalk, and pick up the SCA Trail (Coastal Trail) on the other side of the road. For 0.3 mile, you’ll walk along a few long uphill switchbacks lined with coastal scrub as you climb high above busy US 101. Across the highway, you can see Fort Baker, the bay, and Angel Island. When the switchbacks end, your route heads north in the direction of the Robin Williams Tunnel.

 

When you reach a junction with the Coastal Trail at 1.1 miles, stay left to follow it toward McCullough Road. The din of car traffic will finally die down. After 0.3 mile, reach a sign for McCullough Road. Right after this, turn left and climb 0.2 miles to the top of Slacker Hill - elevation 930 feet. Here you'll get some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Return the way you came.

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Location: San Francisco, CA 94110, USA

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