Best Urban Hikes in San Francisco to Get Your Vitamin D Fix
From casual strolls to serious treks, SF has tons of places to get your hike on. These are a few of our favorite options, but we would love to hear yours.
Presidio Promenade, The Presidio: With 25 miles of trails, the Presidio has enough hiking routes to work for serious hikers to casual strollers. There’s no one best trail in this historic ‘hood, but if there was, it’d be Presidio Promenade, which stands out for its views of the Bay, Marin, and Crissy Field. The 2.2-mile paved trail starts at the Lombard Gate and visits the Presidio Main Post and San Francisco National Cemetery before reaching the Golden Gate Bridge.
| Lands End, Lands End: Lands End may be San Francisco’s most perfect hike. At 3.5 miles round-trip, it’s a legitimate workout. To get a harder workout, follow signs for Mile Rock Beach to visit the super-awesome Land’s End Labyrinth.
Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park: Hidden in Golden Gate Park, Strawberry Hill occupies an entire island in the center of Stow Lake. The top of Strawberry Hill is 430ft tall, and is the highest point in the entire park. For a 2+ mile hike, first circle the island, then start climbing up. From the summit, you can get views of Downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Marin. Philosopher’s Way in McLaren Park, Visitacion Valley: The city’s second largest park may be out of the way, but it’s still worth a trip. McLaren Park’s Philosopher’s Way is a 2.7-mile loop with impossible-to-get-lost trail markers and a number of “musing stations†with quotations, history factlets and other park information. An 80ft blue water tower marks the top of the park, where you’ll get views that span Downtown SF all the way to San Bruno. |