Many travelers know about the world-renowned Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and flock there as soon as they get to the city and they should, it’s an icon of San Francisco. As someone who has lived in the city for almost two decades, tourist attractions in San Francisco are nice, but I want to share one way to spice up the experience of visiting the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay area by combining it with lesser known but still great hiking spots and vista points. These are the best hikes in San Francisco to get you outdoors and offer amazing views.
1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Most travelers tend to start their Golden Gate Bridge walk at the base of the bridge, turn around and walk back. They take some pictures along the way and go home. That isn’t bad, but to get more exercise, take in better views, and end up feeling more satisfied by having a day full of more varied experiences let’s take things a bit further.
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area boasts miles of hiking trails, and unobstructed views and is the perfect way to see a different side of San Francisco. It spans both the Marin and San Francisco sides of the Golden Gate Bridge and has hiking trails for every fitness level. For more information on hiking and parking visit the Golden Gate Bridge Website.
2. Lands End
The trail along Lands End Hike isn’t too long, but it is quite magical. The walk offers tremendous vistas unique to San Francisco. On a clear day, the hikers can see far into the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Marin Headlands to the north, and the Golden Gate Bridge to the east.
Start off in the Outer Richmond area at the edge of Lands End Golden Gate Area near the Cliff House and the historic Sutro Baths and Park at the Lands End Main Parking Lot. From there, a trail leads into Lands End within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and your adventure starts.
The area is called Lands End because it is located literally at the end of all land to the west as its cliffs end at the base of the Pacific Ocean. The narrow trail that parallels the cliffs doesn’t disappoint. It quickly leads the travelers right along the edge of the cliffs, below which the Pacific Ocean waves crash into the rocks.
Surprisingly, the park also has one of the best art museums in San Francisco. The Palace of the Legion of Honor is a great place to take a break for an hour or two and take in some Picasso and Rembrandt before finally heading off to Golden Gate Bridge. The Lands End Trail ends (no pun intended) on a street called El Camino Del Mar, which has some of the best views of the ocean in the entire city and is in a prestigious neighborhood.
Viewpoints include the Sutro Baths, Eastern Coastal Trail Lookout, Lands End Labyrinth, Dead Man’s Point and the Golden Gate Bridge.
3. Golden Gate Bridge
Walking back from Lands End Trail, you can walk all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The street El Camino Del Mar passes China Beach and then turns into Lincoln Boulevard which leads toward the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a highway-like street, but pretty soon, smaller walking trails become available as detours and lead towards the bridge via a quieter and more scenic walking route unhindered by cars.
4. Batteries To Bluffs
Sticking around the same area as the Lands End hike is the Batteries to Bluffs trail hike in San Francisco. Located in San Francisco’s Presidio, a 1,500-acre park on a former military post, the Batteries to Bluffs trail hike offers views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay area, and the rugged coastline. This is just a 2-mile (3.2 km) hike round trip, so it can easily be added to your San Francisco Itinerary.
The trail starts at Lincoln blvd where you can park at the Langdon Court Parking lot. This parking lot connects to the trails leading to the Golden Gate Welcome Center which features the Golden Gate Overlook and the batteries used to protect the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from 1891 to 1946. You can walk through these historic sites with views of the Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio, Battery Boutelle, Battery Marcus and Battery Cranston.
The Golden Gate Overlook is one of the premier spots to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge so the trail is busy, but for good reason. It offers the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge in the city. There are a lot of wooden steps along this hike and one of the best places to for sunset is to take the steps down to Marshall’s Beach.
