Lands End Trail & Park in San Francisco
There is a new and much more detailed post about this hike from 2018 that you can read about here.
San Francisco is a city with many magically beautiful sights, and Lands End does not disappoint in this department. I plan on making this one of the San Francisco State Parks I regularly visit. If you want to experience everything Lands End has to offer, it can quickly turn into a day trip. I was here for about 3 hours and was not able to visit all the sights.
Land End Trail
The Lands End Visitor Center offers tours that detail the historical and native habitat. I prefer the idea of venturing out on my own and not being tied to the confines of the tour group. If you are the type of person who likes to plan out everything in advance, I recommend starting at the visitor center where you can sign up for an upcoming tour, find out where the most attractive views are, and what are the top-rated restaurants nearby. This is an excellent option if you want to get the full experience. The Visitor Center is open 9:00 am–5:00 pm and has staff that is very knowledgeable about the Golden Gate State Parks.
The first day of my hike, I went out with a friend, and we explored some of the hidden gems on the Lands End Trail. I was able to get some pretty good shots that captured the bay in all of its beauty. Even with the fog rolling across the Golden Gate, you still get an idea of why people come from all over the world to get a glimpse of it.
The Lands End Hike is 11 miles (non-contiguous); however, the main stretch is only about three miles of mostly flat terrain. If you are feeling up for it, you can even hike down to the south part of the bay and get an up-close view of the waves crashing against the rocks with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, like the first picture in this blog shows.
The amount of foot traffic depends on the day of the week you decide to go. I went hiking on a weekday, and there were not many people on the trail, which makes it much more enjoyable in my opinion. On the weekend, the trail can become very busy with runners and hikers. The people on the trail that I ran across were all friendly and more than happy to help with any questions you may have, which only makes the hike that much more enjoyable. Plus, this trail gives you the opportunity for fun pictures like this.
Eagles Point
I decided to ride my bike to Lands End (Eagles Point) on a separate occasion than the hike to shoot a time-lapse. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I ran into moderate overcast. It should be noted that just because the weather is clear in one part of the city, it does not mean it will be clear in other parts. I rode my bike from Nob Hill (where the sky was clear), and by the time I arrived at Lands End I was in moderate fog.
Overall I recommend spending at least a few hours on the trail. The experience will be priceless, and you will not be disappointed. I will be writing more on my trips here in San Francisco, so make sure to offer recommendations if you know great places I should check out.
