Posted on: Sunday, October 17, 2004
TRAVEL
San Francisco backroad getaways
By Carrie Ching
Special to The Advertiser
Something happens in San Francisco the day the sun finally breaks through the cold summer fog.
Photos by Carrie Ching • Special to The Advertiser Fall is hands-down the best time to visit San Francisco. Spend a few days shopping, stroll through Fisherman's Wharf, dine on crab legs or couscous at the city's ever-changing array of restaurants. But when you're done doing the city thing, San Francisco also has a wide range of green spaces where in-the-know locals take a break from the fast-paced urban lifestyle.
Anyone with kids knows what three days of consecutive shopping can do to a normally well-behaved 4-year-old. Golden Gate Park is a good place for a refresher, but on a sunny day in the fall, it's often packed. Instead, take a moment to stretch your legs on one of San Francisco's less well-known backroad getaways.
Crissy Field
While strolling along the waterside promenade at Crissy Field, you'll see windsurfers and waterfowl in equal numbers. The 100-acre park — once an Army airfield — was restored to its original marshy condition in 2000. Starting at the East Beach parking lot, follow the promenade beside the small beach and along the restored wetland habitat and grassy field to the Warming Hut, where a cup of steaming tea awaits. This is a great walk for kids, who can roam on acres of grass. Kites, Frisbees, and picnic supplies will come in handy here. Fishermen and rock sculptors hang out at the pier beside the Warming Hut, which is near the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Fort Funston
Hang-gliders and model airplanes sail alongside the cliff at Fort Funston, an old Army gun battery that is now a national park. The paved Sunset Trail follows the cliffside to the north, dog-walkers love it and it's stroller-accessible. A steep stairway on the south end beside the lookout will take you to a web of sandy trails across dunes edged by rainbow-colored ice plants, and eventually out to the beach. Horses from the nearby stable are often led along these sandy paths for exercise. If the rugged beauty of the stepped cliffs doesn't capture your attention, the hang-gliders, horses and surfers offshore surely will.
Land's End
Follow the cliffside hiking trail around the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and it really does feel like you've reached the land's end. Across the bay, the rugged Marin Headlands emerge out of the mist like a dinosaur's back. The Golden Gate Bridge spans the blue-gray water, where sailboats and ships appear like toy boats in the distance.
The trail is mostly flat, although some winding paths and stairs make it inaccessible for strollers. Little kids can do the first quarter-mile of the trail, which is fairly flat.
To return to your starting point, follow the trail back the way you came. If you arrived on public transportation, you can jump on the 38 or 38L Muni bus to get downtown.
Angel Island
Hiking through the wilderness on an uninhabited island surrounded on both sides by urban skylines is a surreal experience. A 45-minute ferry ride from Pier 41 in San Francisco will take you past Alcatraz Island into Ayala Cove, an idyllic little bay on the backside of Angel Island.
A grassy field with picnic and barbecue areas greets you as you step off the ferry. Here, at the Ayala Cove dock, restrooms, a snack bar, bike-rental shop and tram tour loading zone are the only whispers of civilization on the island. A few abandoned government buildings are still standing, but for the most part, Angel Island is rolling hills and forests. The paved Perimeter Road is a 2›-hour hike around the edge of the island though cool eucalyptus forests and desert landscapes. The Perimeter Road is great for kids who can handle long walks, and fun for the whole family on bikes. A 5-mile, 3-hour hike up to the summit of Mount Livermore in the middle of the island is much more grueling, no bikes allowed. But the 360-degree view of the San Francisco skyline and the bay is well worth the sweat.
Make sure you have enough time to catch the ferry back to San Francisco. The last one leaves at 3:20 p.m. on weekdays, 4:40 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Camping reservations must be made through Reserve America at (800) 444-7275.
Frisbees, dogs and their owners suddenly take over the parks. Women on the street shed their layers all the way down to spaghetti straps. Come fall, when most of the country is donning Argyle socks and tweeds for autumn, San Francisco's summer fun has just begun.
Fort Funston: Sandy trails criss-cross the dunes, a favorite spot among local hikers and dog owners.
Angel Island: The ferry ride to this historic, uninhabited island is a great way to begin this adventure.
Land's end: It's easy to forget you're in a bustling city on the wild and winding Land's End trail.
Crissy Field: Bikers, strollers and kite fliers have reclaimed the path at Crissy Field, a former military airfield recently restored to its original wetlands state.
At the end of the trail, you'll come out at the Merrie Way parking lot, near the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. Follow the stairs down to check out the wetland ecosystem that has grown out of what was a saltwater swimming pool in the early 20th century. The Seal Rock Inn and Louie's restaurants, nearby, are good places to have lunch.
Joggers escape the city streets in the cypress forest at Land's End, voted "the most beautiful hike" by San Francisco-area hikers.
Angel Island is most famous for having been a processing and detention center for new immigrants — particularly the Chinese — during the first half of the 20th century. A free docent-led tour of the immigration station is a spooky step back in time.
After strolling along the bluffs at Fort Funston, hikers charge down the steep Sand Ladder Trail to reach a web of sand-dune trails and the beach. The former Army artillery battery is now a national park.
Follow the easy Perimeter Trail around Angel Island to reach tiny pocket beaches. The island's trails, and its protected cove, often are sunnier than other hikes near the coast.
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| Crissy Field
A stroller-friendly walk to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. • Length: about 2 1/2 miles roundtrip. • Degree of difficulty: Beginner. Great for children, bikes, strollers and dogs. • Restrooms? Yes. Restrooms are at the East Beach parking lot, Crissy Field Center (603 Mason St. at Halleck Street), and Warming Hut (on the west end nearest the Golden Gate Bridge). • Getting there by car: Drive north on Van Ness Avenue, go left onto Bay Street, and right on Laguna to Marina Boulevard. Follow Marina past the Marina Green, bear right into the presidio. You'll be on Mason Street. Park in the East Beach parking lot. • Getting there by public transportation: Muni buses 28, 29 and 43 stop at Mason Street or the main-post presidio parking lot, from which you can walk to Crissy Field. • Hours and Fees: Free. The Warming Hut is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Crissy Field Center is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • More information: Crissy Field Center: (415) 561-7690, www.crissyfield.org.
Hike along sand dunes to the ocean. • Length: Variable. About 2 miles. • Degree of difficulty: Beginner to intermediate. Paved paths on north end are stroller-accessible. Stairway and sandy paths on south end are a little more rugged. • Restrooms? Yes. • Getting there by car: Driving south on Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) in San Francisco, take the first right after John Muir Drive. A sign on the highway (reading "Fort Funston") marks the turnoff into the parking lot. From northbound Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard, just north of Daly City), make a U-turn at John Muir Drive. Go southbound and turn right into the parking lot after the Fort Funston sign. • Getting there by public transportation: Muni bus 18 stops at the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and John Muir Drive; enter Fort Funston at the lower gate and hike uphill, then head to the left to reach the parking lot, lookout and restrooms. • Hours and fees: Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free.
A cliff-side nature walk at the city's edge. • Length: 4 miles roundtrip. • Degree of difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate. The trail is mostly flat, some stairs. There is a railing, but be careful of some steep drop-offs if you're with small children. • Restrooms? None. • Getting there by car: Start at the trailhead on El Camino del Mar near the Palace of the Legion of Honor in the presidio (look for the "Land's End" sign). There's on-street parking near El Camino del Mar and 32nd Street. • Getting there by public transportation: Take the 18 Muni bus to the Palace of the Legion of Honor and walk downhill to the trailhead. The end of the trail (near Sutro Baths) is accessible by Muni bus 38 or 38L, which stops at the intersection of 48th and Point Lobos avenues and takes passengers to and from downtown. If you arrive on the 38 or 38L bus, walk downhill on Point Lobos Avenue, enter the Merrie Way parking lot on the right and hike the trail in the opposite direction. • Hours and Fees: All hours. Free.
Great hiking and biking on a deserted island in the bay. • Length and degree of difficulty: Beginner for the Perimeter Trail, which is mostly flat and paved or gravel — perfect for bikes, kids and strollers. Trails up Mount Livermore are for experienced hikers. 5.2 miles. • Restrooms? Yes. At Ayala Cove. • Getting there: From Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf, take the Blue and Gold ferry to Angel Island (Roundtrip fares are $13 for adults; $7.50 for kids 6-12, free for kids 5 and under). Bikes and strollers are welcome, but no dogs, skateboards or rollerblades allowed. • Hours and Fees: Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Free, but there are fees for the ferry ride ($7.50-$13 roundtrip), bike rentals ($10 per hour, $30 per day), and island tram tours ($12.50 for adults, $7.50 for kids 6-12, free for kids 5 and younger). • More information: Angel Island State Park: (415) 435-3522, www.angelisland.org. Blue and Gold Fleet: (415) 773-1188, www.blueandgoldfleet.com. |
