Urban Hiker SF

At a book signing for Urban Trails San Francisco in early 2017, an attendee asked me if I had heard of Mt. Umunhum. Um...unhum? Um...no. I had done a fair bit of hiking in the Bay Area to research and write my book, so I was perplexed as to why I hadn't heard about this mountain. When I returned home, I Googled it and realized that Mt. Umunhum had been closed to the public since 1958. Lucky for me, it was set to re-open in September 2017.  Silicon Valley is somewhere there under the clouds Resting Place of the Hummingbird That gave me some time to learn more about this place. At 3,486 feet, Mt. Umunhum is the fourth highest peak in the Santa Cruz mountains and the highest point on the Bay Area Ridge Trail .  The mountain's name means "resting place of the hummingbird" in the Ohlone language. In fact, at one time, this was a large Native American population centers—with 70 diverse tribal units. Here's a timeline of what happened to the mountain s...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ Hike Statistics Distance: 0.5 miles one way Elevation: 150 feet Difficulty: Easy Time: <1 hour   Dog Friendly: No Introduction to The Visitacion Valley Greenway In 1995, Fran Martin and Anne Seeman had a vision for transforming Visitacion Valley, a working-class neighborhood that had developed a reputation for drugs and crime. The women worked with the Trust for Public Land to gain rights to empty lots in the neighborhood from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The women’s vision was the Visitacion Valley Greenway, a checkerboard of six adjacent one-block-long parks: Hans Schiller Plaza, a community garden, an herb garden, a children’s playground, an agriculture garden, and a native plant garden.      In 1999, the parties agreed to make the Greenway a r...

At the start of each Urban Hiker SF tour, we ask our guests if they have ever been on an urban hike. Most people either shake their heads 'no' or give us a slightly confused look. After posing this question to countless hikers, I realized that most people don't have their own definition of urban hiking.   For San Francisco, I usually define urban hiking as "exploring the stairways, hills, and hiking trails" of the city. But there aren't stairways, hills, and hiking trails in every city, so how else can we define urban hiking? I started thinking about this, and wanted to answer the questions of "What exactly is urban hiking?" and "How does urban hiking differ from other hiking and walking?"   Here are a few characteristics that, when put together, create an urban hike:   1. Urban environment   I may be stating the obvious, but an urban hike has to be in an urban setting. This is the main characteristic that sets urban hikes a...

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...

So once again Valentine’s Day is upon us. And you’ve planned…..nothing. Don’t let yourself end up in this situation . If you’re in San Francisco and poor planning is your thing, you’re in luck - some of the best Valentines Day ideas here require neither reservations nor prior planning. If your special someone likes spending time outdoors, places like Twin Peaks and Ocean Beach are always crowd pleasers. However, if you want to go a little farther off the beaten path, here are 10 unexpected spots (in no particular order) to share with your love this February 14th. 1. Jack Early Park Vibe: Romantic, Classic SF  Neighborhood: Telegraph Hill   Details: What this park lacks in size, it more than makes up for in romantic ambience. After climbing a quick flight of stairs, you’ll find yourself on a small platform that is Jack Early Park. This pint-sized wonder has panoramic views of the Bay including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz. What’...