Free Things to do in San Francisco – Lands End Trail

One of the many things I love about living in San Francisco is the many excellent hiking and walking trails throughout the city. Since getting rid of my car many years ago, I have been doing my urban walks and exploring different areas of San Francisco. As a native San Franciscan, one of my favorite hiking trails is the Lands End Trail. 

At the northwestern corner of San Francisco, the Lands End Trail explores the historic Sutro Baths and offers a brilliant view of the Pacific Ocean. This is the wildest, rockiest corner of San Francisco. Shipwrecks and a history of landslides litter this corner. At the tip of Land’s End is Point Lobos, named by the Spanish for its many lobos marinos (sea wolves), as the barks of those sea lions, as they are called today, drifted up from the rocks below. The trails wind their way around rocky cliffs above the ocean, moving through shady stands of cypress and eucalyptus, offering 30-mile views up and down the California coast and emerging onto fantastic views of the shore, headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite the terrain, this section of the Coastal Trail was once a railroad bed, and the adjacent street, El Camino del Mar, extended through Lands End. The two roads led to the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Ocean Beach.

The hike itself is moderate, and it is an excellent walk for people of all ages. I have seen older adults, children, families, dog walkers, runners, and joggers using this trail. If you are looking for a more challenging hike, this hike may not be right for you. Although the hike is pretty easy, there are many stairs on the trail, so if you have bad knees or hips, this trail may not be the best for you. 

I have been on this trail for years, and it can sometimes get crowded. I visited the Lands End Trail a couple of weeks ago, and while I noticed people present, it didn’t feel crowded. Most everyone wore a mask and respected other people’s spaces.

Details

• 4 miles
• 300–500 feet of elevation if you take the offshoots
• Location: 680 Point Lobos Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121

Getting There

The trail is accessible from the parking lot at the end of Geary Avenue. There are two main parking lots here, one near the Sutro Baths and another by the memorial. Choose the former if you want to see the baths and do the whole trail; choose the latter if you want a wonderful view of the bridge and have limited time. Note that these parking lots can get busy on the weekends.

Tips & Highlights

• Contact for more information: Lands End Lookout (415) 426-5240
• When hiking in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, stay on trails and keep your distance from cliffs.
• Walk north along the city’s edge—and the continent—on the Coastal Trail.
• Scan San Francisco from the Legion of Honor overlook and return via the El Camino Del Mar Trail.
• Check out the memorial to the USS San Francisco—a WWII cruiser that sustained 45 hits and 25 fires during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942—and the newly improved adjacent overlook.
• The West Fort Miley batteries offer a grassy picnic area among three turn-of-the-century gun emplacements.

Author & Photo Credit: Jojo