Easiest

This mellow hike was a joy in spring: wildflowers everywhere, great views, no fog. We chose the hiker-only trails where we could, but bike routes cover similar ground.

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.

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.

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

The army built Battery Chamberlin on Baker Beach in 1904 to protect the harbor’s minefields.

One of the signature trail improvement projects of the Parks Conservancy, the multi-use Battery East Trail features eye-popping views of the soaring towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as an overlook/seating area to admire the span and San Francisco Bay.

Tucked almost directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, this former army post is on the threshold of the dramatic coastline of the Marin Headlands.

As its name suggests, this trail offers more of a leisurely promenade than a strenuous hike. But its 2.1-mile-long distance covers a vast swath of Presidio history; connecting the Lombard Gate and the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, this trail offers a fantastic overview of the Presidio's past, present, and future.

Rodeo Lagoon offers habitat for birds, butterflies, and bobcats—as well as miles of backcountry and coastal trails.

While on the Fox Trail, breathing heavily as you reach the summit and its gorgeous views, you may notice a doe and her two fawns grazing in the grasslands.