10 Great Hikes Throughout San Francisco

I just wrote an article about ten places to hike in the City, covering one hike in each of the ten main districts. The compilation was a challenge, as there are so many places I like to explore, and there wasn't enough room to include even half of them. (Perhaps there should be a part two?) For ideas about where to wander with little ones in San Francisco, from Land's End to Telegraph Hill, from Alamo Square to the Visitacion Valley Greenway, please check out the link below to OnlyInBayArea.com.

Cheers,
Jess

http://www.onlyinbayarea.com/Article/Details/Best-places-to-hike-in-san-francisco-with-kids 

Grandview Park, aka Turtle Hill, of SF

Ten AWESOME hikes in the southeastern part of San Francisco

McLaren Park's southside

The following hikes are within city limits, so you could combine several in one day, or fan them out through the long weekend. This is a partial list, and as a local who lives in Visitacion Valley, I lean towards introducing hikes within the southeastern quadrant of this city. Here there's sunshine more often than nought, less people and dogs on the trails, stunning views, and perhaps most exciting, native species that have not been eradicated, like in the more groomed parts of the city.

On Bayview Hill

1. Bayview Hill -- It's springtime now and the hill is covered with long green grass and patches of wildflowers, and hawks soar overhead. Enter on Key Avenue, walk uphill on the fire road to a one-mile loop at the top. You won't be disappointed. Look for lupine flowers (don't pick them!) and the Islais cherry, a food source for the Ohlone people, and one of the last stands of this endemic plant remaining in San Francisco. You could combine this hike with Candlestick Point, the Visitacion Valley Greenway (stopping on Leland Avenue for refreshments), and/or McLaren Park.

Trail off Ervine; McLaren Park

2. McLaren Park's southern slope -- There are two humble entrances that I recommend; the first is at the intersection of Wilde and Ervine where a concrete path meanders up to an old, defunct observation tower at the first peak; the second is a narrow dirt trail at the end of Ervine where coyotes wander and the hill slopes precariously, and excitingly, to either side of the path. The views are amazing, and perhaps one of the best times to visit is at sunset, or even when the moon is rising over Bayview Hill to the east. You and your friends will be amazed at the tranquility of the scene, and fall in love with San Francisco all over again. You could combine this hike with finding McLaren Park's labyrinth and/or the Visitacion Valley Greenway. 

Visitacion Valley Greenway

3. Visitacion Valley Greenway -- Most city locals still haven't heard about these parks, but they are perhaps the most beautiful in the city. Start at Hans Schiller Plaza on Leland Avenue, and walk uphill, passing through the Greenway's many connected parks that were once barely used, overgrown DPW land. Now there is a community garden, an herb garden, a children's garden, a native plant garden, and more. You could easily combine this hike with McLaren Park's southern slope and/or Bayview Hill. 

Candlestick Point

4. Candlestick Point -- Come here and imagine what it was like a hundred years ago when oysters were still good to eat from these waters. You'll find birds, and sometimes seals, and the quiet beaches are good for relaxation and introspection. You could combine this hike with India Basin, Bayview Hill, Heron's Head, and/or McLaren Park. 

Marshland along Heron's Head

5. Heron's Head Park -- This long stretch of land licks out onto the bay where seals bark and seabirds soar, and you are so close to the big ships you can see people on their decks. Heron's Head is an amazing place that shows what humans can do to recover blighted land and restore the orginal marshland, or a near equivalent. Check out the off-the-grid headquarters near the bathrooms at the start. Also, across the street from the parking lot is a native plant nursery that should be on every plant-lover's map. You should and could combine this hike with a walk to India Basin, which is visible across a short bay, and accesible by a dirt trail along the perimeter.

Pickleweed at India Basin

6. India Basin -- One of the last remaining vestiges of San Francisco marshland, and hallelujah, it is coming back. The powers that be are creating the Blue Greenway, which is essentially going to be a walking and bicycling area on the southeastern edge of San Francisco. Ultimately this will mean more people, but also more awareness for the natural beauty of the marshland, the birds that use it, and the ability to clean (t a limited extent) polluted waters that are our Bay. India Basin is a great place to wander around and identify pickleweed, for example, which is an edible plant normally (but don't eat it growing along the SF Bay, please). You can easily walk from here to Heron's Head. 

"Secret" trail up Bernal Hill

7. Bernal Hill -- The doggie folks have adopted this as their hill, but there is still room for wildlife. My 70-year-old mother hiked there the other day and saw a five foot snake with its head down a gopher hole. And on last year's winter solstice I sat at the peak where a klezmer band played to an audience of three as thick tongues of fog rolled across the city on either side of us.

8. Crocker Amazon -- Technically this is a separate park from McLaren, but you could fool me. If you go to the end of Dublin Street, or off of Moscow in the Excelsior, you can bypass the athletic fields and find the gem of a community garden, but further in is the absolutely beautiful park. There are trails lacing the hillsides, and walking right into McLaren Park is probably inevitable and highly recommended. It would be silly to not combine this hike with adventuring throughout McLaren Park, and if you are ambitious you could wind your way through the Visitacion Valley Greenway and end up on Leland Avenue for refreshments.

Labyrinth of McLaren

9. The labyrinth of McLaren Park --  The labyrinth is made of stone and love, and sits upon perhaps the highest part of the park. If you want to find it, you will. No more directions needed. Blessed be. 

Trail off of Arkansas Street

10. Potero Hill -- It is with hesitation that Potrero Hill is included as a hike, as it's not so wild, but I did grow up in this neighborhood and my heart remains on these streets that the 48 Quintara drives across, on the nearly hidden staircases, and on the two parks that have always been a refuge in my teenage years: Snake Park (officially McKinley Square), which runs along the curviest part of Vermont Street; and the unpaved parts of the Potrero Hill Recreation Center, off of Arkansas Street (which has just had a gentrified facelift that will thrill all lovers of playgrounds). But the best little area to hike on this hill is the wildish open space along Carolina and 23rd Street. Right now the grass is green with spring, but come Indian summer there still might be kids with pieces of cardboard who slide down the steepest part of the hill.  

On top of Corona Heights

 11. Corona Heights -- This is technically not in the southeastern quadrant, so we will consider this the odd man out, but not to be ignored in a list of great hiking spots with San Francisco. Like giant teeth poking out of the top of the hill, Corona Heights is a great destination with its 360-degree view that makes you feel like you are in the center of the city. This would be a great place to bring a date at night (a date who likes to walk, drink out of bag, and breath fresh air instead of perfume), where you could canoodle and notice how much the lights of city look like stars. Or come here in the day with a kid and throw down a blanket to have a picnic and cloud gaze. You could shake a stick at the Randall Museum, on its lower flanks, one of the best museums in this city, replete with native animals, and free to boot.

Lupine flowers in McLaren Park, found on the trail off of Ervine on the southern slope.

The Alemany Farmers' Market

The Alemany Farmers Market, known as “the people’s market,” is not to be missed with its organic produce, vegetable and herb seedlings for sale, hot, prepared foods to eat, buskers playing steel drums, and good people. It happens every Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Apparently it was the first farmers’ market in California, founded in 1943, but that’s hard to believe since farmers have sold goods at markets for a long time. Regardless, it’s established and well loved, and definitely worth patronizing.

It’s accessible by bus and car, located at 100 Alemany Boulevard, at the confluence of the 280 and 101 freeways in southeastern San Francisco, and directly south of Bernal Hill. Parking is free.

It’s a nice idea to avoid plastic—bring cash and your own bags.

One of the best aspects to the Alemany Farmers’ Market is its proximity to a great urban hike—it’s literally on the southern edge of Bernal Hill, one of the prettiest places in San Francisco.

View Larger Map

Bernal Hill and Cortland Avenue

Bernal Hill

            There is something about Bernal Hill that has always made me happy since childhood, whether in the summer and fall when the hill is golden as any northern California hill, or in winter and spring when grass turns the hill a luxurious green in contrast to the valley of concrete, mortar, and glass that the city appears to be.  Bernal’s thirty-something acres are almost in the nucleus of the city, more or less hemmed by Mission Street to the east, Cesar Chavez Street to the north, I-280 to the south, and US 101 to the east; these coordinates place it in the banana belt where you will mostly encounter sunny weather instead of fog. 

           

The Baby Factor

            Bernal Hill is a hike for any age: babies sport strollers can cruise Bernal Heights Boulevard, a pedestrian-only one-mile road that winds up the hill; babies in slings and older children can traverse the Boulevard with their parents, as well as explore the very top of the hill and walk along the crest on a dirt path that runs east-west.

            There are a plethora of shops and restaurants on Cortland Avenue but most do not have baby-changing tables in the restrooms; if you need to change your baby, patronize Progressive Grounds Café or Maggie Mud Ice Cream Parlor. While on Cortland, check out Chloe’s Closet, a fantastic second-hand baby gear and clothing store.

           

History

In the early nineteenth century this land belonged to the Spanish cattleman, Don Jose Cornelio Bernal, and then passed hands to a Frenchman who sliced it into lots that Irish immigrants bought. Its bedrock was virtually unaffected by the 1906 earthquake, and its stability lured folk to build cottages for survivors and construction workers. World War II brought black home-owners who worked in the naval shipyards, the 1960s brought political activists and hippies, and currently there is some amount of gentrification as evidenced in some expensive restaurants; Bernal’s blue-collar tradition remains at its foundation.

Your Day Begins

            Start your day on Cortland Avenue where you can stock up on picnic foods or enjoy a drink and a meal on the sunny patio at Progressive Grounds Café, one of the few businesses on Cortland with a baby-changing table in the restroom.

            Walk north up Anderson Street for a quarter mile until you reach Bernal Heights Boulevard, a circular drive with small, free parking lots on the north and south sides. You have about a mile to walk on the circular boulevard, half of which is pedestrian only. People let their dogs off leash here; on the weekends the place boils with mutts as they scamper and pop and gallop everywhere.

            At the very top is radio tower among a clump of trees on a windy hump; perhaps you’ll find the owls that live there, or see kestrels and hawks gliding on the breeze. This is a perfect place to sit and identify landmarks from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge, Mount Diablo to Mount Tamalpais, and a score of San Franciscan neighborhoods. If you are goat-footed and sure of your step, and have either a walking child or a baby in a sling, traverse the hill’s rocky spine extending to the east onto round, grassy lumps that remind me of the cover illustration of a boy standing on a desolate planet from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book, The Little Prince. Take care with walking on the dirt trails—they can be slippery even on a sunny day.

I’ve never encountered mammals besides humans and dogs on the hill, but Bernal is home to raccoons, opossums, and skunks. For a while, folks sighted a coyote and perhaps he’s still there. At least one pair of Great Horned Owls nest in the clump of trees at the apex, and one frequently spies hawks and kestrels soaring above.

Sunset is one of the loveliest times on the hill as witnessed on the very top where the panoramic city is spread out at your feet. Notice the changing colors of sky and hill, the emergence of stars and moon, the temperature change, the arrival and departure of birds.

            At the end of your day, treat yourself to ice cream at Maggie Mud’s where the spectrum ranges from dairy free to full fat goodness. If you and your child still have energy to burn, cross the street, go behind the library, and check out the Bernal Heights Playground.            

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Ø Farmer’s Market and Flea Market

If you visit on the weekend, take a jaunt to the southern flank of the hill so that you can buy fresh produce at the Alemany Farmer’s Market on Saturday (6 am to 3 pm), or look for an odd bauble or collectable at the Alemany Flea Market on Sunday (7 am to 3 pm).

Ø Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema in October

In October you can watch a movie at the outdoor cinema; not all films are child-appropriate, but some are, like this year’s documentary on a pair of owls that live on Bernal Hill.

Ø Fiesta on the Hill

Also in October is the Fiesta on the Hill, a no-booze party lasting several days. Even if you hanker for a cold beer, your child will be drunk with happiness to ride ponies, dance to live music, get touchy-feely in the petting zoo, convince you to buy a pumpkin from the patch, and laugh to see you volunteer for the dunk tank.

Ø San Francisco Illegal Soapbox Society

Around Halloween weekend you might find the soapbox derby going on from 1 pm to about 5 pm. I’ve been once as a member of the holler-happy crowd, and marveled at the crazy speeds the soapboxes reach; I imagine an old-enough child would thrill at watching the wild race (and promptly beg the parents to build a soapbox derby car in the garage). This is a booze-friendly event—in fact one of the rules for car construction demand at least one beer holder per soapbox.

WHAT AND WHERE?

Maggie Mud (903 Cortland Ave., 415.641.5291)

Progressive Grounds Café (400 Cortland Ave., 415.282.6233)

Good Life Grocery (448 Cortland Ave., 415.648.3221)

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema (http://www.bhoutdoorcine.org/)

Fiesta on the Hill (http://www.bhnc.org/fiesta)

Farmer’s Market and Flea Market  (100 Alemany Boulevard at the junction of I-280 and 101 on the south side of Bernal Hill; 415.647.9423)

San Francisco Illegal Soapbox Society (no specific website, but here’s an article about it: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/304454)

Bernal Heights Playground (Cortland Ave at Moultrie Street, just behind the library)

Businesses WITHOUT a baby-changing table: Martha & Brothers Coffee, the Moonlight Café, Liberty Café (as of 10/2009, they have plans to add one, date yet to be determined), Little Nepal Restaurant, and Good Life Grocery.

DIRECTIONS

Public bus: 24 Divisadero; 67 Bernal Heights.

By car northbound: From US 101, exit Alemany Boulevard; left on Bayshore Boulevard; left on Cortland Avenue; continue to the top of the hill. Parking is metered on Cortland but free on side streets.

By car southbound: From US 101, exit Cesar Chavez Street; go on Bayshore Boulevard lane; travel south on Bayshore to Cortland; right on Cortland; continue to the top of the hill. Parking is metered on Cortland but free on side streets.

Free parking: If you park near Cortland, you’ll have a quarter-mile of an uphill walk before getting to the grassy hilltop.  There is a parking lot on the south side of the hill, at Anderson Street and Bernal Heights Boulevard. The parking lot on the north side, where I prefer to park and then walk in a large circle, is at Folsom Street and Bernal Heights Boulevard.