Activities in the Parks
Can’t Choose Your Own Adventure? Start Here and Go!
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With hundreds of miles of trails threading through 37 distinct sites across 80,000 acres of the Golden Gate National Parks, it can be hard to decide where to go and what to do. Let the Parks Conservancy’s experts be your guide! We’ve carefully curated our favorite hikes, walks, and excursions to share with you and your loved ones. There’s something (and some place) for everyone! We reveal some of the natural wonders and historical highlights you’ll experience along the way, but there are plenty more surprises for you to discover. So browse below, then grab your boots and backpack. Your national parks are waiting.
Trail
The Coastal Trail is the true connoisseur's way to drink deeply from the quintessence of the California experience. Get your sip along any segment, and enjoy some of the best landscapes and seascapes in the Golden State.
Trail
Length
1.20 miles round-trip
The most gorgeous view possible of this location occurs during sunset. The rocky shore is even more dramatic when the surf is rough against it and the sun a warm orange-pink.
Hiking
- Hikes
A morning outing to Lands End provides about as much wilderness as can be found in San Francisco; the beauty is so stunning, it's easy to miss the ghosts. But walk a few minutes under the thick mantle of Monterey cypress and they'll appear. Prop yourself against the crumbling walls...
Trail
Length
3.10 miles round-trip
A morning outing to Lands End provides about as much wilderness as can be found in San Francisco; the beauty is so stunning, it's easy to miss the ghosts. But walk a few minutes under the thick mantle of Monterey cypress and they'll appear.
Trail
Length
0.24 miles round-trip
This short connector trail links the main Coastal Trail thoroughfare across Lands End to El Camino del Mar, near the Legion of Honor art museum. A part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Legion of Honor houses a vast collection of ancient and European art in a...
Trail
Length
0.33 miles round-trip
From the parking area by the Lands End Lookout visitor center, this short trail segment winds through wildlife habitat restored with thousands of native plants, planted by Parks Conservancy staff and volunteers. In the spring, this area erupts with dazzling rainbows of colorful wildflower blooms. Merrie Way was once home...
Trail
Length
0.30 miles round-trip
You'll pass by this short trail while hiking the Coastal Trail at Lands End . In just a short distance, you'll have a spectacular overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge , Marin Headlands , and even Point Reyes on a clear day. At the end, you'll see plenty of people...
Trail
Length
0.93 miles round-trip
In 1885, self-made millionaire Adolph Sutro created the Sutro Heights Park , an elegant and formal public garden that covered over 20 acres in the area now known as Lands End . Inspired by the rugged beauty and incredible scenery, Sutro intentionally designed the grounds to capture the views of...
Trail
Length
1.50 miles round-trip
The most gorgeous view possible of this location occurs during sunset. The rocky shore is even more dramatic when the surf is rough against it and the sun a warm orange-pink. The short path, beginning in the parking lot of Lands Ends Lookout off Point Lobos Street, will lead you...
Hiking
- Biking
The most gorgeous view possible of this location occurs during sunset. The rocky shore is even more dramatic when the surf is rough against it and the sun a warm orange-pink. The short path, beginning in the parking lot of Lands Ends Lookout off Point Lobos Street, will lead you...
Trail
This trail links visitors to East Fort Miley, the Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Legion of Honor. The current social trail that connects these three locations has many users—dog walkers, runners, golfers from the nearby course, and hikers who wander over from Lands End . Bridging the gap between these...
Trail
Length
0.38 miles round-trip
Fort Miley is hidden in plain sight. If you’ve visited Lands End or Sutro Baths, you’ve already passed right by this former military site. On your next visit, look east as you find parking near the USS San Francisco Memorial, you’ll see a paved road and one entrance to this...
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