Urban Hiker SF

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf. These are the stories of my hikes. ______________________________________________________ Hike Name: Juan Bautista de Anza Trail Distance: 12 miles! Elevation: negligible Difficulty: Difficult Time: 5-8 hours Dog Friendly: Yes, on leash   Hike Description Since most people have a day off on Labor Day, I decided to take advantage of that to assemble some friends and tackle one of San Francisco's longest hikes, the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail . While the trail is 1,200 miles long in total, it covers 12 miles in San Francisco. This route Marks where Lieutenant Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led 245 men, women, and children on an journey to establish a settlement at San Francisco Bay between the years of 1 775 and 1776. Some trail highlights include Mountain Lake , Immigrant Point , and Rob Hill Campground , the only overnight campground in mainland San Francisco. The red dotted line on this site shows you the entire route. If y...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes . Hike Name: Lobos Creek Valley Trail Distance: 0.8 miles round trip Elevation: 50 feet Difficulty: Easy Time: < 1 hour Dog Friendly: Dogs not permitted Today's planned 5k turned into an unplanned half marathon around the northern neighborhoods of San Francisco. My friend Debbie and I awakened early to do a quick race on Crissy Field with the Dolphin South End Runners . When we found ourselves done by 9:30, we decided to take advantage of the day to keep exercising. We headed out on foot in the direction of the Legion of Honor, but with momentum ruling over us, we skipped the museum and continued walking to Ocean Beach...and back ( Strava proof of walk and Strava proof of 5k ).   While walking down Lincoln Boulevard, I realized we were heading right by a hiking trail I'd been meaning to visit, the Lobos Creek Valley Trail . At around 0.8 miles round trip, this is one of the...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________     Hike Name: Presidio Promenade Distance: 4.4 miles Elevation: 200 feet Difficulty: Easy to moderate Time: 1- 2 hours Dog Friendly: Yes, on leash   For this #hikeallofSF post, I decided to explore the Presidio Promenade , an easy 2.2 mile paved walk that starts at the Presidio’s Lombard Gate and ends at the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve hiked on many of the Presidio’s 25 miles of hiking trails, and was eager to see some new sites. An early gift - a first view of the GG Bridge This is a nice, easy walk suitable for hikers of all levels. The paved paths with minimal elevation are even great for people in wheelchairs or parents with children in strollers. When done as a roundtrip, the hike is 4.4 miles and leaves you in the Marina, an lively part of town for exploring restaurants and shopping. This hike starts at the Lomba...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ The Lake Merced Loop at 4.2 or 4.5 miles Hike Name: Lake Merced Loop Distance: 4.2 - 4.5 miles Elevation: <100 feet Difficulty: Easy to moderate Time: 1.5 - 2 hours Dog Friendly: Yes, on leash Hike Description Lake Merced is located in the Lakeshore neighborhood in the southwestern corner of San Francisco. The Lake Merced loop is not the most scenic hike in San Francisco, nor it is the most peaceful. Despite these negatives, what I like about this hike is that it carries a certain sense of accomplishment with it. It’s a good enough distance that you’re going to be walking for an hour to an hour and a half, and you get to circle an entire natural lake and bird habitat. Much of this route is flanked with busy roads - namely Lake Merced Boulevard, John Muir Drive, and Skyline Drive, so expect to hear some leve...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ In February,  I wrote about my first #hikeallofsf hike, Fort Funston to the Cliff House .  Today, I'm writing about a second hike around Fort Funston. This hike explores the area's upper trails. Fort Funston Loop Distance: 2.0 miles Elevation: ~100 feet Difficulty: Easy Time: <1 hour Dog Friendly: Off-leash walking is permitted Hike Description A view of the Ocean from the trails This hike is a nice, easy loop that will guide you through a number of Fort Funston’s trails. On a nice day, you get stunning views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and Sutro Tower to the northeast. Even on a foggy day, you can still take in ocean air, and enjoy the sandy landscape littered with ice plants and Monterey cypress trees.   Route Details Battery Davis To embark on this hike, you will start on the Sunset Trail, a...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ Interior Greenbelt and Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve Hike Name: Interior Greenbelt and Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve Location: Twin Peaks Distance: 3 miles Difficulty: Easy - moderate One of the best moments on our Urban Jungles tours is when our hikers enter a eucalyptus forest behind Sutro Tower. I love to see people's eyes widen when they discover a vast expanse of green space right in the center of the city. And this is just scratching the surface... Between the northwest end of Twin Peaks and the southeast end of Golden Gate Park are two parks that combine to form 80 acres of eucalyptus forest, the Interior Greenbelt (19 acres) and Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve (61 acres). About Adolph Sutro Eucalyptus Trees on the Trail These parks were once the private land of Adolph Sutro , the mayor of San Francisco from 1894 to ...