A short drive south of San Francisco, Sweeney Ridge Trail offers great views of the coast. The trail is a combination of paved and dirt fire roads, with about 600 feet of elevation gain for a high point of 1,213 feet.

This four-mile hike includes a 900-foot elevation gain and will take you a good afternoon to hike. Much of the trail through coastal scrub habitat is exposed and open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.

Fort Funston features 200-foot-high sandy bluffs on San Francisco’s southwest coast where the winds blow reliably wildly. No surprise it is one of the premier hang-gliding spots in the country. A network of trails make it ideal for hiking and horseback riding.

Mountain Lake Trail takes you along the southern edge of the Presidio from Baker Beach to the Broadway Gate. The recently restored habitat of Mountain Lake is home to many native species of flora and fauna, including the Western pond turtle, Pacific chorus frog, and 65 migratory bird species.

A great hike for nature lovers that connects Arguello Gate to the Presidio's Main Post. The Ecology Trail is multi-use for pedestrians and cyclists, and connects to the Bay Area Ridge, Mountain Lake, and El Polín Trails.

Located on Mount Tamalpais' wild northern slope, this hike starts on Cataract Trail, passes the Laurel Dell picnic area, then veers on to the High Marsh Trail and on to peaceful Potrero Meadows via the Kent Trail.

The Coastal Trail is the true connoisseur's way to drink deeply from the quintessence of the California experience.

This segment of the Bay Trail, skirting the northern edge of Fort Mason, features lovely Golden Gate Bridge vistas and an overhead view of the piers and buildings of lower Fort Mason, the port of embarkation from which 1.6 million military personnel shipped out to the Pacific Theater.

During the Cold War, anti-aircraft missile stations were constructed on the northern and southern sides of Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands. Radar sites were placed atop Hawk Hill and Hill 88.

Start at the charming 17th-century style Pelican Inn at Muir Beach in Marin and head up the chaparral-covered Dias Ridge. The five-mile trail loops across former dairy ranches and rises 700 feet. At every turn there is another dazzling panorama of the Pacific and the Marin Headlands.