Urban Hiker SF

A version of this blogpost was originally posted on Thrillist on 7/28/14: http://goo.gl/yIxexN San Francisco’s hills can seem like a cruel joke at the end of a hard workout, a long night, or let’s face it - even with a bag of groceries - but they’re also what makes our city unique. We can’t complain too much about our hills because they give us the views that give others city envy while making us proud to call San Francisco home. Get your ‘pano’ mode ready - here are 10 hikes with the best views in San Francisco.* 1. Mt. Davidson In a city of over 40 hills, Mount Davidson is the tallest of them all. The 0.44 mile hike to the top is easy, and you can choose an exposed or eucalyptus-covered route to take you there. Once at the summit, you can soak in the downtown views, or stand at the foot of the 103-foot cross featured in the ransom scene of Dirty Harry . Two popular entrances for the park are on Dalewood and Juanita Way. 2. Twin Peaks Twin Peaks may be five...

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...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. ____________________________ Hike Name: Philosopher's Way Location: McLaren Park in Visitacion Valley Distance: 2.7 miles Difficulty: Easy In the past week, summer weather has arrived in San Francisco. When you live here, you never know when the heat will suddenly come—or go—so I wanted to make sure to get outside while balmy temperatures prevailed. Philosopher's Way Hikes I decided to head to McLaren Park to do a hike called the "Philosopher's Way." There are Philosopher's Walks or Philosopher's Ways in many cities such as Heidelberg , Toronto , and Kyoto .Their goal is to provide an opportunity to walk, ponder, and meditate. About McLaren Park McLaren Park is the second largest park in the city after Golden Gate Park. It's less central, and as a result, less visited, however, it still houses a number of appealing points of interest including seven miles of walking trails,...