Urban Hiker SF

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 hike all of SF . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ Area of detail in the Presidio My last hike all of SF post was about hiking from Fort Funston to the Cliff House . This post is about another great coastal hike, the Batteries to Bluffs Trail . This gorgeous bayside trail is short - 0.7 miles one way -  but still manages to pack a punch due to a large number of stairs. But don’t worry too much about the stairs, there is plenty to distract you. When you’re not staring at breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Marin Headlands, you can learn about the historic gun batteries you pass on the cliffs.   S o what's with the gun batteries?   As a direct result of the Gold Rush, San Francisco's population exploded from 50(!) in 1844 to over 20,000 in 1850. With this mass influx of people and with San Francisco now on the figurative map, a joint...

I'm on a mission to hike all of SF . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________   With my goal to conquer all the hiking trails of San Francisco, I first had to figure out a starting point. I wanted to tackle something big to get my momentum up, and chose to hike all the segments on and near the California Coastal Trail , or CCT. One day, the CCT will line the entire 1,200 mile coast of California, and today, it is over half complete. Within San Francisco's city limits, the trail runs from Fort Funston to the Golden Gate Bridge. I decided to break up the trail into a number of segments, and started by hiking from Fort Funston to the Cliff House. About Fort Funston See, I told you there were a lot of dogs. Fort Funston was originally built as a military fort in the early 1900s, and was named for the Major General Frederick Funston after his death in 1917.     Today, when San Franciscans thin...

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 ...