GOLDEN GATE CHALLENGE RECAP
In celebration of National Trails Day on June 4, we posed a simple challenge to you—the Golden Gate Challenge. Many of you hit the trails and told us about your experiences to help reach healthy goal of over 300 collective miles of park trails explored.
Many thanks to all of you who explored and shared, and congratulations to all of our raffle winners! We hope these testimonials will inspire you to continue exploring and enjoying the trails throughout your Golden Gate National Parks.
YOUR EXPERIENCES SHARED
Dias Ridge, Miwok and Redwood Creek Trails:
7 miles traveled on June 9
“It was a foggy day on the trails with low clouds caught on the tops of the hills. Lots of birdsong and a little bird skipped ahead of me on the trail until it was sure I was clear of its nest.
Dias Ridge trail is in excellent shape, however both Miwok and Redwood Creek are overgrown in many spots with high grasses, poison oak and large stinging nettles—hike with care.”
—Connie Little, Park Hiker
Lands End Trails: 2 miles traveled on June 11
“Admired all the native plantings and the weed and invasive plant clean-up. As we just had natives planted in our backyard I could recognize and enjoy a number of the plantings sighted.”
—Linda Lee, Park Hiker
Bay Trail: 10 miles traveled on June 2
“I ran along the bay out near the Golden Gate Bridge. I got an early start on a clear morning and watched as the sun rose into the sky. It was a brisk morning and a very enjoyable run.”
—Thaddeus Truitt, Park Runner
Rhubarb Trail: 3 miles traveled in June 4
“My son and I met at the trail head at Tennessee Valley with a bunch of other adventurous trail workers for National trails Day—in the rain! We all donned our rain gear and hiked about 1.5 miles along the Rhubarb Trail to the work area. Rain and all it was a short but nice walk. We worked hard to build about 40' of trail. Got dirty, helped each other out, made new friends and had an overall great time out on the trail with all the volunteers.”
—National Trails Day Volunteer
Dipsea and Ben Johnson Trails: 10 miles traveled on May 29
“Three of us hiked on the Dipsea from the steps to Cardiac Hill. There were runners training for the race in June. It was good weather for hiking, sunny but cool.
We returned via the Ben Johnson trail most of which was under the canopy of tall redwoods in Muir Woods.”
—Larry Hoki, Park Hiker
Oakwood Valley and Rhubarb Trails:
3 miles traveled on June 1
“I hiked out to meet up with the volunteers from American Hiking Society. They were prepping the trail for National Trails Day. It had rained pretty hard in the morning, but by the time I was on the trail the sun was out with big puffy clouds. The landscape really sparkled and it felt more like Spring than June 1st.”
—Galena Seeger, Park Hiker
Rodeo Valley to Tennessee Valley Loop:
12 miles traveled on June 2
“A Long day, but good! Started out at noon under mostly cloudy skies.
Was surprised by the great trail work coming into Tennessee Valley off of Hill 88. I guess it had been a while since I had hiked the trail!
I saw a Red-tail hawk flying through the clouds, struggling to catch a decent up-draft and a fierce red and black caterpillar.
And after passing a few members of the trail crew, was reprimanded by a steller’s jay, so I quickly moved through his territory.
I also happened upon three large piles of cape ivy, covered in black tarps that I had helped place back in February.
My journey ended much slower than it had begun but quick enough that I passed a group from the Headlands Institute.
The weather kept me on my toes as I went from foggy, overcast and cool to sunny, dry and warm. Thank goodness for layers!
One of my favorite parts from today was the TREASURE I found!! In this instance treasure was a long, sharpened pencil with a decent eraser.
Trails hiked: coastal from Rodeo Parking Lot, Coastal Fire Road, Fox Trail, along Tenn Valley Trial to Rhubbarb, hikers' Oakwood Valley, Alta Avenue, Rodeo Valley, Bobcat for a split second, Miwok and then home again! Total time: 4 hrs 15 min.”
—Karin Baty, Park Hiker
Coastal Trail and Miwok Trail: 5 miles traveled on May 30
“My two dogs and I walked the Coastal trail to Miwok trail loop from the Fort Cronkhite parking lot. It was a gorgeous day. My dogs love coming out here. I saw a gopher snake sunning himself on the trail but thank goodness my dogs were too busy sniffing the fragrant air to notice, especially since my little dog is gopher sized.”
—Trails Challenge Park Hiker
Wolfe Ridge and Miwok Trail: 5 miles traveled on June 1
“I work out here in the Marin Headlands so I go for runs often. It was pouring earlier in the morning but cleared up. A little muddy but otherwise very nice. No amazing animals this morning, though.”
—Trails Challenge Park Runner
Fort Mason: 1 mile traveled on May 22
“My husband and I biked across the city to Fort Mason, but probably less than a mile was on actual trails.”
—Trails Challenge Park Biker
Abbotts Lagoon: 3 miles traveled on May 30
“I walked the trail from the road to the beach with my husband. We saw so many gorgeous flowers: yellow lupine, tons of poppies, scarlet pimpernel. All the blooms were so big and bright. Lots of birds, too: Pelicans, blackbirds, gulls, egrets. We ate lunch on a bench with a view of the lagoon. When we got to the beach, we sat on the sand for a long time, listening to the waves and enjoying the sun that had finally come out (it was a foggy day) and talking about baby names (I’m 10 weeks pregnant). It was a wonderful day, one of many memorable ones we’ve spent in the parks.”
—Trails Challenge Park Hiker
Crissy Field Bay Trail: 5 miles traveled on May 30
“Parked at Crissy Field and walked to Marshals Beach and back, with an old friend. Weather was windy, but partly fine. Saw the Farallons from the Headlands, and a big cargo ship going under the bridge.”
—Trails Challenge Park Hiker
Sweeney Ridge: 6 miles traveled on May 28
“Parked at the end of Sneath Rd. Walked up the hill to the ridge—enjoyed seeing the remains of the yellow fog line up the middle of the road for the soliders to stay on track in thick fog. Lovely views over towards the bay with the normally hidden San Andreas Lake in the foreground. Great wildflowers everywhere—yellows, pinks, purples. Loved standing on the spot where Portola first saw the Bay. Trying to imagine what it looked like then, and the excitement they would have felt. Great trail.”
—Trails Challenge Park Hiker
Miwok/Bobcate Trail Loop: 6 miles traveled on May 28
“Rick and I ran our regular weekly route in the Marin Headlands. This day we saw giant rabbits at the top. Always a treat.”
—Trails Challenge Park Hiker
Miwok, Coastal, and Tennessee Valley Trails:
7 miles traveled on May 30
“We had the best time hiking in Marin yesterday. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed stunning views in all directions! There were nine of us (including a six-month-old on his first GGNRA hike). We brought a picnic to enjoy overlooking the ocean and saw tons of wildflowers and hawks. A perfect day!”
—Wendy Marinaccio, Park Hiker
Lands End Coastal Trail: 8 miles traveled on May 24
“Ran along the coastal trail towards Baker Beach, from there I continued my run to Lands End. I continued along the Lands End trail towards the Sutro Dunes. Excellent view of the ocean and of Hawk Hill.”
—Trail Challenge Park Hiker
Lands End Coastal Trail: 8 miles traveled on May 21
“Ran along Lands End trail, from there I continued along the coastal trail along Baker Beach and finished my run on the Bay Area Ridge Trail.”
—Trail Challenge Park Hiker
Dipsea Trail: 11 miles traveled on May 29
“I took the Muir Woods Shuttle to Muir Woods. Then I took the Dipsea to the Steep Ravine and back to Muir Woods via Alpine and Bootjack. I heard a coyote howling on the Dipsea near the top.”
—Jennifer Haynes, Park Hiker
TCC Trail: 15 miles traveled on May 27
“I took the StageCoach (from San Francisco) to PanToll and descended on the TCC and Bootjack to Muir Woods. Then I took the Redwood Creek to Muir Beach. From Muir Beach I took the Coastal trail to the Tennessee Valley trailhead and then Marincello to Bobcat to the Morning Sun trail and back to SF on the 70/80 Golden Gate transit. A very Green day!”
—Jennifer Haynes, Park Hiker
Ocean Beach: 5 miles traveled on May 27
“I woke up at seven to greet the ocean because I have never slept only two blocks from the ocean and it seemed appropriate to be on the beach as soon as I could. This is the perfect way to start any day. I walked alone for 5 or 6 miles then came upon one of my favorite childhood places, the Java Beach Café and picked up a large cup of coffee. Just a little bit of milk and it was the most peaceful moment I have enjoyed in months. There were large packs of runners already moving on trails near the beach in their fancy San Francisco running outfits. I was so jealous I didn’t have any running shoes at the time. There is more delicious than a morning group run, mmm except perhaps that first cup of coffee on a beautiful beach.”
—Gabriela Rios-Sotelo, Park Visitor
Rodeo Trail and Bobcat Trail: 5 miles traveled on May 24
“I hiked with all partners of the park: Antenna Theatre folks (including one new lady who was ecstatic to explore the Marin Headlands), as well as a co-worker of mine from Alcatraz. We enjoyed hiking up the Rodeo Valley trail to see the Golden Gate Bridge peaking over the foothills. The morning sun trail on the Sausalito side was amazing, full of ferns and luscious eucalyptus. We did however see two young folks using dirt bikes. It was disturbing, but karma got them because on the other side of the trail one of their chains fell off. Oh well! I did tell them dirt bikes were illegal in the park. On a good note, I saw California poppy, Indian and Franciscan paintbrush, pearly everlasting (my fav), lupine, hemlock, radish, cow parsnip, strawberry, blackberry, poison oak, twin berry (and they have berries on them now!), coffee berry, a few clarkia, mustard, and much much more! There were flowers I didnt know so I took photos and hope to ID them later. Right on.”
—Elana Garfinkle, Park Hiker
Coastal Trail, SCA Trail, Rodeo Valley:
4 miles traveled on May 16
“I went hiking by myself around noon. It was cool and overcast with a strong wind.
What was amazing for me was seeing a wrentit. I knew its song (like a ping-pong ball bouncing) and heard from a GGRO intern that they can be allusive. But as I walked past I saw a bird sitting on a branch singing the wrentit song. It was great!!
Not only did I see a new bird for me, but I also practiced my sign language skills as well as my harmonica skills... there was no one around.”
—Karin Baty, Park Hiker
Tennessee Valley Loop: 6 miles traveled on May 7
“Finally! Finally saw Tennessee Valley and the surrounding area. It was a fairly challenging loop: Marincello-Miwok-Wolf Ridge-Coastal Trail-Tennessee Cove. But oh, so beautiful. The views from the FAA site and then from Hill 88 were amazing! The trail section running next to the lagoon right before reaching the beach was calming and pretty. The reward of the warm sand at the end of the hike was well-deserved :) Dozing off to the sound of the waves... wish I was there now.”
—Trail Challenge Park Hiker
Presidio Coastal Trail: 8 miles traveled on May 17
“I ran along the Coastal Trail heading towards Baker Beach, the weather was great! A lot of flora still in full bloom and the view of the ocean was excellent. The restoration projects by the Presidio Park Stewards are looking great as well as the trails.”
—Trail Challenge Park Runner
Bay Area Ridge Trail to the Coastal Trail:
8 miles traveled on May 12
“I started out at the Bay Area Ridge Trail located in the Presidio, from there I proceeded to the Coastal Trail. The weather was ok, it was windy and a little chilly. The flora was looking great, most of the plants are blooming, it was great! All in all it was a good run! The view of the ocean was awesome and all the trails were in great shape which made my run very enjoyable. I look forward to continue running on all the great trails!”
—Trail Challenge Park Runner
Bay Trail: 6 miles traveled on May 10
“I started out at the Crissy Field Center, from there I proceeded to the Golden Gate Bridge along the the Bay Trail and from there I ran along the Coastal Trail for a few miles. The weather was great as always, it was sunny and I would say it was in the mid 60’s. The run was excellent! I got to see all kinds of native plants starting to flower along Crissy Field. I especially like all the lupin that is in full bloom. Overall it was a great run! All the trails were looking great and very well maintained which made my run very enjoyable.”
—Trail Challenge Park Runner
Bay Trail: 6 miles traveled on May 9
“My run consisted of running along Crissy Field. I started out across the Crissy Field Center ran along the trail next to the water all the way to Fort Point, from there I ran to Fort Mason and back to my starting point. The run was great, it was a little windy but the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I also really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful native plants that are now flourishing all over Crissy Field.”
—Trail Challenge Park Runner
Presidio Coastal Trail: 7 miles traveled on April 1
“I started out at the Bay Area Ridge Trail located in the Presidio, from there I proceeded to the Coastal Trail. The weather was splendid, it was sunny and I would say it was in the mid 60’s. The run was excellent! I got to see all kinds of native plants starting to flower. I especially like all the lupin that were starting to flower, I saw Indian paintbrush, and a lot of poison oak by Battery Crosby. On my way back to the Presidio I got to see a couple of crows attacking a Red-tail hawk! I presume the hawk was trying to snatch their eggs for dinner. All in all it was a great run! All the trails were in excellent shape and very well maintained which made my run very enjoyable. I look forward to continue running on all the great trails.”
—Trail Challenge Park Runner
Dias Ridge Trail: 2 miles traveled on May 24
“Hiked up Dias Ridge today straight in to a cloud. It made spotting the invasive plants I was hunting for much more difficult to find!”
—Jessica Hendrix, Park Intern
Rhubarb, Oakwood, Alta, Bobcat, and Marincello Trails:
5 miles traveled on May 23
“It was a beautiful sunny day and my first time on Rhubarb, a lovely little trail that parallels Tennessee Valley road, but through the foliage. A quail couple scurried across the trail in front of me. Forget-me-nots lined the pathway.
Across a bridge and then Tennessee Valley road, Oakwood Valley begins in the open, climbs slowly though a lovely covered area, then emerges again into the sunshine for a steep climb to Alta trail where you hear traffic from 101.
I crossed over an unsigned trail from to Bobcat and returned to the Tennessee Valley parking lot via Marincello.
Wildflowers were out in force, birdsong accompanied me in all of the wooded areas and I encountered no more than a half a dozen other people on the trails.
Be advised that the steep section of Oakwood Valley trail is heavily rutted in some areas and footing may be precarious going downhill.”
—Connie Little, Park Hiker
Marincello and Tennessee Valley Trails:
6 miles traveled on May 22
“After leaving Hawk Camp, headed back into Tennessee Valley and made my first hike to Tennessee Cove. Took the upper trail out and the lower trail back in. Loved watching the birds at the lagoon, and the happy families on the beach. Despite gusty winds, enjoyed a picnic on the warm pebbles and dozed to the sound of waves.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Marincello, Bobcat, and Hawk Trails:
3 miles traveled on May 21
“Backpacked up to Hawk Camp. Startled by the unrelenting steepness of the hike, then startled a garter snake that zipped into the brush. Enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the junction of Marincello and Miwok Trails, watching turkey vultures circle.
Would have appreciated a clearer sign at that junction pointing toward Hawk Camp, because we headed toward the FAA signal tower by accident and had to double back to find the Hawk Trail.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Coastal Trail at Muir Beach: 3 miles traveled on February 12
“After participating in the Muir Beach Clean-Up Volunteer Work, I decided to take a walk along the Coastal Trail to enjoy the gorgeous weather!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Cataract Trail on Mt. Tam: 3 miles traveled on March 30
“One of my favorite trails. It’s a pretty harsh climb, but well worth it...very remote with spectacular waterfalls!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Rocky Springs Trail on Mt. Tam: 4 miles traveled on May 17
“On the top of Mt. Tam, it was so foggy I couldn’t see where the parking lot was. Although the weather was drippy, I got to see some rare flowers like the calypso orchid and the spotted coral root. Rainy day hiking can be fun!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Tennessee Valley: 4 miles traveled on May 1
“Nice trail to Tennesee Cove, a great spot to watch the sunset!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Marin Headlands: 3 miles traveled on May 11
“Nice trail in the Marin Headlands, with magnificent views of the Sausalito Yacht Harbor, Tiburon/Belvedere, Angel Island, Richardson Bay, the Bay Bridge and Mt. Tam! Also has beautiful spring flowers along the way.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Park Trail: 2 miles traveled on May 11
“My friend and I participated in a Presidio Habitats guided walk. The event focused on artwork depicting artists interpretations of native animal habitats. Unusual for the Presidio in the late afternoon, the weather was beautiful—sunny and almost no wind. The artwork celebrates the park’s work restoring native plants and maybe animals. We didn’t see any wildlife but the eucalyptus, cypress, redwoods and other trees were worth the trip.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Crissy Field: 5 miles traveled on May 13
“I ran from north beach out past the palace of fine arts. The weather was great with the sun shining and a nice breeze. I was by myself so I was able to fully enjoy all the great flora and fauna around me.”
—Thaddeus Truitt, Trail Runner
Sweeney Ridge: 8 miles traveled on May 12
“No cars at the Sneath Lane trailhead, but some knucklehead decided to dump a TV, mattress and other junk next to the parking area. Geez! Once through the gate, it was all uphill—in a good way—to Sweeney Ridge. Iris, poppies, paintbrush, sticky monkey, lupine and dozens of other plants are in bloom. Visibility out to sea was not great, but Stanford’s Hoover Tower and the Airship Hangars in Mountain View were clear as a bell. Saw the new Airbus A380 take off from SFO.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Batteries to Bluffs Trail: 3 miles traveled on May 11
“San Francisco’s longest public stairway is the Batteries to Bluffs Trail in Presidio National Park: 462 stairs was my previous count for this popular Stairmaster. Today I got 478.
Started off at the bridge viewing area on the Coastal Trail. Now’s an especially good time for walking this and other trails with all the various wildflowers in abundance: wild mustard, wild radish, thistle, etc. to be seen.
The east trailhead is just off Lincoln Blvd. a short distance from Langdon. The west trailhead is at the top of Battery Crosby, about 0.7 mile away. A short trail leads up to Lincoln from here. You can now see more of this trail looking down from Lincoln as several trees have been trimmed and removed up here.
There’s also an alternative trail down from Lincoln that also will take you directly to the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead. Took this today; there are tree roots to walk over and one steep spot. Go slowly here. A rather flimsy fence zigs along one side of the trail down.
The Batteries to Bluffs consists mostly of wood stairs (no railings except for one side of the short footbridge) with a few short trails in between. Presently the last step down from the footbridge is rather steep; I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple more steps were added here in the future.
The view has to be seen to be believed, especially on a sunny, fogless day. Bring your camera, but the signs say no dogs allowed on this particular trail.
There’s a viewspot with a bench along the trail called Vista Point, above Marshall’s Beach; counted 339 steps up to this from the west trailhead.
From the Batteries to Bluffs there’s a separate trail (about 48 steps included) that will take you down to Marshall’s Beach.
The main trail ends above Baker Beach, close to the top of the Sand Ladder (approximately 253 steps from Lincoln to Baker Beach).
From here you can access another long wood stairway called the Connector Trail that curves up to Immigrant Point Overlook and Rob Hill Campground (about 209 steps recounting soon). You can easily see the foot of the Connector Trail stairway as it ascends from the crosswalk on the south side of Lincoln, and there are excellent info signs and trail markers throughout the park.”
—Tony Holiday, Park Hiker
Coastal Trail to Miwok Trail: 5 miles traveled on May 10
“Led College of Marin hiking class. Lots of flowers in bloom including Columbine, Larkspur, Checkerbloom, Indian Paintbrush, Coastal Rock Cress (a species of special concern), Narrow-Leaf Mule’s Ears, and Seep-Spring Monkeyflower. Saw a deer, a garter snake, and several species of butterflies.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Wolfe Ridge: 5 miles traveled on May 10
“The wildflowers were spectacular. I saw some flowers that were rare (for me), rue, wooly daisies, fringe cups, yellow paintbrushes. The fog crept in, and blew a steady wind, making it both a sunny and cloudy hike.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
SF Bay Trail: 8 miles traveled on May 8
“I ran the SF Bay Trail, up the Battery Trail, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and back. The weather was really windy but clear, and the gorgeous view kept me distracted enough to complete my run. These trails are one of my favorite places to run in the city. I had to share the trails with hundreds of girl scouts who were completing a walk across the bridge, but there was plenty of space for all of us to share.”
—Dyanna Quizon, Trail Runner
Green Gulch: 5 miles traveled on May 3
“I was with a class, Meandering in Marin. We go out once a week, four hours on Tuesday. We have a naturalist leading us, who points out flora and fauna for us. I got to see a killdeer up close for the first time!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Fort Funston
“My mom, dad, brother, and two dogs walked all along the top area of
Fort Funston. Then we went down the sand stairs, all the way to the
beach and back. Beautiful views of the ocean and hang gliders, it’s my
favorite place to go with my dogs and family.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Marin Headlands
“I was with a small group of friends. We try to get together once a
month and get outdoors and explore the Bay Area. The weather was great, a
cool breeze off the ocean and there was no fog that day. It was a
perfect day out on the trials. I love our national parks and buy a parks
pass every year.”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
Crissy Field
“Whenever I have out of town visitors in I bring them to Crissy
Field, down to the Warming Hut, and on to Fort Point and back
again. Also take them to the opposite side of the bridge for gorgeous
views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the City!”
—Trail Challenge Park Visitor
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