Urban Hiker SF

When I first moved to San Francisco in 2007, I didn't really know what to do in the Presidio. Since that time, this neighborhood and former military fort has become a lot more interesting. A new visitor center opened recently, and it now houses four Andy Goldsworthy's artworks , fantastic restaurants like The Commissary , and other draws like Off the Grid and The Walt Disney Family Museum .   A nd then there is hiking...   With over 25 miles of trails, The Presidio is quantifiably the best neighborhood for hiking in San Francisco. For this reason in my book, Urban Trails San Francisco , there is an entire chapter on hiking in the Presidio—with seven routes in that neighborhood alone. And while following one of the Presidio's trails is great, sometimes it's nice to create loops that combine a number of different trails. In the spirit of creating new hikes, here are two great loops that start and end right in the Presidio Main Post. For...

Many of us read the book or saw the movie Wild and were inspired by Cheryl Strayed's trek along the 2,600+ mile Pacific Crest Trail . Hiking the PCT is a massive accomplishment and not surprisingly, it takes most people five months to complete. But, in case you don't have that sort of time right now, not to worry—there are plenty of adventures to embark upon a little closer to home. In fact, there are four 500+-mile-long trails that pass right through San Francisco. Each of these covers at least 10 miles in the city—and has plenty more mileage just outside city limits Here's a list of these epic trails ordered from shortest to longe st . Heron's Head Park on the California Coastal Trail 1. Bay Trail   The Bay Trail will be 500 miles long when completed, extending as far north as Napa and as far south as Milpitas. In San Francisco, the route traces the bay from Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to the Golden Gate Bridge...