Mountain biking in
San Francisco!!
and Pacifica
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Golden Gate Park
- Buena Vista
- Lincoln Park -
- Mount Davidson
- The Four Peak Loop
- Emporer Norton
- The Tourist Trap -
- Crissy Field
- Presidio
- City Tour
- Montara
- Photos
- Links
- Home -
Riding here from Marin, across the Golden Gate Bridge, Elev. 61 is the figure stated on the sign.
I have no idea how they calculated that, but San Francisco is famous for being
one of the hilliest cities ever with contours that range from sea level to 927 feet.
Despite being well-developed and crowded, with a handful of greenways and plenty of uphill climbing it still captures some
of the essence of the sport.
Its unique greatness for mountain bikers comes mainly from being
situated between Marin and San Mateo county, and Alameda and Contra Costa county to the east,
where it is easy to find thousands of acres of
steep and rugged terrain where the Pacific plate meets the continental shelf. Here large continguous areas have been
converted into recreational parks which offer generally good fire road access for bicycles,
and sometimes singletrack as well.
But fine riding can still be found within the city itself,
and where else can you carbo load on a bowl of Vietnamese noodles before crossing the most famous bridge in
the world to palisades overlooking the northern Pacific coast?
Listed below are a few ideas of where to take your mountain bike,
mostly starting in Golden Gate Park, which are easily convertable
to road bike loops as well.
Golden Gate Bridge
"A dense fog was being drawn from the sea into San Francisco Bay. Though San
Francisco was sunny for the Bay to Breakers run, the bridge was invisible, and I had
little idea what to expect in the Headlands. As I climbed into the Presidio
whisps of fog raced across the treetops, turning into a howling crosswind by
the time I was on the bridge. Ahead of me I could see maybe 100 feet, the towers
completely invisible until I was upon them. On my right side, torrents of steel
machines waited to crush my bones into putty. To my left, an endless fall into
a watery abyss, where mad wave giants frightened the cowardly with their deafening
roars. With a quick death flanking me on either side, my only hope was a thin
sliver of concrete leading me across the Red Gate to the fabled lands of Marin,
where my bike was smelt, if you recall, precision crafted by magical dwarves..."
(b. May 23, 2001)
"Sitting on a bench at the Visitor Center this foggy night, nobody was around
and the bike shuttle seemed to be taking longer
than the 15 minutes promised by the sign. But as the dense cloudbank poured eastward,
the horns from the bridge had a calming effect and a family of raccoons
took my mind off the wait. So did the skunk that wandered under my legs,
but not in quite the same way. 'You are probably my last customer for the night'
the shuttle driver told me, since the graveyard shift was about to begin.
With sidewalks on both sides closed in the wake of the World
Trade Center disaster, a white van with a bike rack trailer
was offered as an alternative and service was generally excellent. Both ends of the bridge were heavily
gaurded by police, and the scenic batteries along Conzelman
had been fenced off as well." (b. September 21, 2001)
Directions:
With a span of about two miles, rides across the Golden Gate Bridge will generally be
part of a bigger loops, and basically I use to to get to rides described in the Marin Headlands,
Tiburon Peninsula, and Mount Tam pages.
But if you are going to start there, say for the City Loop decribed below, then
by car, from the south, it is easiest to take 280 north to 19th Street, through the Golden Gate
Park to Park Presidio and the bridge, turning off into one of the lots before actually crossing it.
Not that there is anything wrong with driving across it, but you'll have to pay $5 when you turn around and come
Back.
From 101 north and the Bay Bridge, keep your eye out for signs, but basically get on Van Ness heading north,
and eventually turn left on Lombard which ends up at the bridge. Right before the toll entrance
there is a turnoff to the parking lot, which I understand is almost always full on weekends,
but there should be adequate parking in the Presidio not far away. On bike, riding there from the city,
Arguello has a bike lane to the Presidio from Golden Gate Park, with only one small hill to climb.
I follow Lincoln Boulevard though, at the end of 25th Avenue, along the western side of the Presidio, which is a much
nicer route.
Profile: The bridge itself is nearly flat, but can be unnerving if there is a strong
cross wind. Sometime in 2003 they put in a railing, absent from the picture above,
which is the only modification made to the bridge since its contruction.
It fits into the design well.
The ride up the Presidio along Lincoln Avenue involves around a 300 foot elevation
gain over a mile or so (a nice little warmup for a Headlands ride). Otherwise the path across the bridge
ranges from 200 feet at each end to 250 feet in the middle.
Comment [8]: Most of the world sees the Golden Gate Bridge as an abstract landmark
on the northern California coast. But to me, it is the gateway to pleasure!!
A pleasant ride in itself, I usually use it as an interesting way to get to the Headlands and beyond.
Back to top.
Web Page -
mtbREVIEW.com
work (wurk), n. 1. A five day period of respite between weekends and vacations. 2. Force multiplied
by time, measured in calories or joules. 3. A pattern of behavior to acquire that
commodity called money for the purchase of new bike parts.
Golden Gate Park
"I was an animal, not any better.
I acted on instinct; without discipline,
without principle... without conscience. My selfish needs were the sole determinant of
action; those of friends, family... of society... all abandoned by my spiral into
greed. I relinquished any
claim of moral superiority over the common beast as I pedalled past the 'no bicycles
allowed'
sign into the tranquil Redwood Memorial Grove north of JFK between the rose garden and the
10th Avenue.
It was early, in a foggy mist, and riding through the shady moss-covered trunks over
the mulchy trail I was, for maybe a minute, deep in
the coastal rain forests of the north. Here,
within the city,
after long searching, was a real trail. Heaven forgive me... forgive us all!!" (b. February 25, 2001)
"A dense fog was rolling in, so it was getting dark early.
I needed to head for the
grocery store, so I rode along a route I hadn't taken before. There, in a large
meadow to the side of the road, surrounded by coastal cypress trees, was a small
herd of buffalo grazing. I did a double take. Yep, those were buffalo alright,
maybe fifteen. Because of the fog and the twilight
hardly anyone was around, and the street was fairly quiet. I sat on a park bench
and watched them for maybe half an hour. They weren't doing anything exciting.
They just grazed and grazed and grazed. More grazing. As far as I could tell they
were in buffalo heaven. I wished all the fences within the park would disappear
and the roads be replaced with trails." (b. October 6, 2000)
Directions:
If you're unfamiliar with the area, know that Golden Gate Park is several miles south of Golden Gate Bridge,
which I often find myself having to clarify for passing motorists.
It follows an east-west swath from the Pacific Coast to
maybe a third of the way into the city, and if you include the panhandle it goes neary halfway to the bay side.
There's a variety of places to visit throughout the park, with several fireroads passing through, and if you
look carefully some decent singletrack that even gets halfway technical in some areas.
By car, from the north, take 101 south to Park
Presidio, which will take you straight there. From the south, 280 North to 19th street is the most direct route,
and from the Bay Bridge carefully follow the signs to Fell, which is something of a mess since they took down the last offramp,
but basically go with the flow. Fell will take you right to JFK drive.
Parking is where you can find it, and JFK drive is as good as anyplace, except that it is closed on Sundays.
On bike, the general attractions of the park are found mainly along the length of JFK drive.
Beyond that, just start exploring any offroad trails you see.
Technically any off-road riding here is outside of regulations, although I've ridden by plenty of cops
and park maintenance people and waved hi and nobody seemed to have a problem with it.
I've heard of a couple people getting warnings, but I've never heard of anyone ever fined.
The SFMTB page has two fairly contiguous singletrack
loops that run the length of the park.
Profile: Golden Gate Park has some ups and downs, and ranges between sea level and 200 feet,
but overall it is mostly flat.
Comment [8]: This is the first place I rode my first bike when it was
brand new, and it's where I still take it to test any repairs or upgrades, and heck if it still isn't a lot of fun.
It has buffalo after all!! And add
one point to the score if it's Sunday, and it would probably have gotten a 10 if it
had a better system of dirt trails.
If not a regular ride for you, check out
Stow Lake, the museum concourse, the buffalo enclosure (all are along JFK Drive),
and then explore the
rest at your leisure. You cannot ride bikes in the botantical gardens, but they are also worth seeing.
I once saw someone walking their bike
inside, which seems to me like a good compromise.
Back to top.
Extended Loop #1: Buena Vista Park
"In the clearing at the summit, I rested on the grassy lawn
and watched the clouds pass by. In each deep inhalation came the musty smell of
forest ozone, that came after a series of rains. I wiped the stinging sweat
from my eyes and sat up.
While dense cypress trees crowded the slopes, clearings in the branches
framed inspired views of the city.
A bystander pointed to the east, where a
rainbow arched across the bay." (b. January 14, 2001)
Directions: Buena Vista Park can make a short and steep finish to a relaxing
ride through Golden Gate Park.
From the East End of Golden Gate Park, at JFK drive, ride to the end of the panhandle to Baker
Street (that's THE "Baker Street" that has the song about it) up a quick grade to Haight,
and then up East Buena Vista Ave to the utility road which
leads to the peak, and return down the asphalt trails within the park that lead back down to Haight Street.
You can turn left on Haight Street, through the Haight-Ashbury district, and ride back to Golden Gate Park.
Profile: Climbing from the end of the panhandle (elev 200),
it's a quick ride to the summit (elev. 570).
Comment [6]: The views at the summit are
worth checking out, spanning the northern half of San Francisco.
Back to top.
Extended Loop #2: Lincoln Park and Sutro Heights
"I had spent hours gazing out my window toward a blue,
sunny sky. But it wasn't until
the distant whispering of foghorns had stopped that I knew it was time to
ride. Following El Camino del Mar, I shot a few pictures at China Beach before
continuing
up Land's End toward the Legion of Honor, and down past Ft. Miley to the trail
rounding Lincoln Park high up the coast. The view at the USS San Francisco memorial
was my reason for coming, for there the Marin Headlands stretched before me in a single
field of view. To the far right was the Golden Gate
Bridge, and Conzelman drive leading up to the isolated grove
of trees around Battery 129. Panning
right was Mount Tamalpais in the distance. I could see the boundaries of Gerbode
Valley, leading up to Hill 88. Dropping down suddenly was Point Bonita, and behind that
was Bird rock at Rodeo beach. Further up the coastline I could see Bolinas Bay,
and further still was the outline of Point Reyes obscurred by the mists. Gathered into
a single thought was the memories of all the rides there, and the anticipation of rides to
come. After relaxing
in the shady groves of Sutro Heights and riding down past the Cliff House to
the Great Highway, I couldn't help notice that there were far fewer
people than there should have been on a pleasant weekend such as this.
So hypnotic was this
bucolic misty sunny day that in a brief moment of delusional panic I wondered if this
was Monday and I'd forgotten to go to work." (b. June 9, 2001)
Directions: From the Great Highway at the western end of Golden Gate Park,
ride up the walkway past the Cliff House toward El Camino del Mar. Around here you
have a couple options. You will be passing the Sutro Bath ruins on your left,
then continue up to the first intersection, where you can cross the street and see
Sutro Heights. Ultimately, continue left along El Camino del Mar until it becomes
a parking lot, at the USS San Francisco Memorial, then continue along the
El Camino del Mar trail, until you are in
another parking lot between a golf course and the Ft. Miley VA Medical Center.
Continue along this road (still El Camino del Mar) down the hill to China Beach
(there will be signs directing you
to "Public Beach"). To return to Golden Gate Park, bike lanes can be found on Lake Street
(running parallel to Geary, between California Street and El Camino del Mar), then where Lake ends turn right on
Arguello.
Profile: It's around a 250 foot climb from Ocean Beach to the USS San
Francisco in Lincoln Park in just under a mile, and another 50 feet of elevation to get to the Legion of Honor.
Heading from China Beach back to the Legion of Honor is another 300 foot
climb over a mile or two, and the climb out of China Beach is fairly steep.
Comment [6½]: With this view of the Headlands to me it never grows old. The Sutro Baths and Sutro Heights are
worthwhile too.
Back to top.
Web Page -
Map Link (1.05 Mb PDF)
While hiking, I've seen a
number of people riding the trail from Land's End around toward the Cliff House, which is off limits to bikes.
I've never heard of any biking ordinance being enforced within
San Francisco city limits, but keep in mind this park is managed by the same people who oversee the
Marin Headlands were they give stiff fines (on the order of $300) and I hear are confiscating bikes for similar activity.
If you need some extreme downhill I can understand taking chances in the Headlands or Mount Tam,
but this is mainly flat fireroad.
Mount Davidson: Perimeter Singletrack
"For any city located near the San Andreas Fault, a cross placed
on the highest
peak may not be a bad idea. But with more rigorous interpretations of separation
of church and state, it became necessary to sell the area to an Armenian organization
in 1998, which proclaimed the monument a memorial of the Armenian genocide. While a plaque at the
base urged me to never to forget past atrocities, the summit of Mount Davidson
felt lonely and abandoned. It's lower rival, Twin Peaks, is a hive of activity on any
but the most inhospitable weekends, but here I only saw two others pass quickly by.
From the eastern clearing, I plunged onto small opening through dense undergrowth,
finding myself on rigorous single track riding around the perimeter of
the summit. It was after a brief rain, and the growth to the west was green,
wet and dense-- suffocating the shady trail with thorny brambles. Rounding to the
east, the perilously narrow trail sliced across the steep grassy hillside
over slippery boulders with rocky cliffs waiting below. Single track this wild
was quite a surprise. Not a single no biking sign anywhere was an even bigger
one." (b. June 23, 2001; July 13, 2001, Friday the 13th)
"There's no place to test new bike lights like singletrack on a foggy night.
Condensing moisture dripped like rain from
the forest canopy onto the slippery trail.
The lights, while bright, mostly illuminated the thick vapors obscuring
the trail ahead. Behind me total
blackness followed, and all the fearful thoughts that lurk within.
Alone, except for the moths fluttering about the beam, I slowly skidded and
struggled up the overgrown trail."
(b. September 17, 2001)
"Around the steep turn I came upon a young opossum that zipped back
and forth across the singletrack. I couldn't really ride around it and was going too fast to stop, so
I coasted on through.
Walking back to see what I had done, I was relieved to see it standing on all fours facing away from me.
But it wasn't moving.
I tapped it with my foot and it fell over to the side. Overcome with regret, wondering if mountain bikers
really are the bane of the trails, I scooted it's lifeless little body beneath the undergrowth.
Heading back home I started thinking: it didn't look at all like it had been run over, I hadn't felt an impact,
and it would have been quite a coincidence for it to land in an upright position facing the direction of retreat.
I wondered if it was just playing possum with me, so returned the next day to look for it.
Who knows what might of happened, but it wasn't there anymore."
(b. May 30 & 31, 2002)
Directions:
Mount Davidson is a small park surrounding the peak that rises above the residential tracks. It is the highest
point in San Francisco, with several trails and one fireroad scattered throughout. Trails to the west pass through
wet and thorny thickets, and those to the east pass along the open and rocky slopes.
It's almost a third extended loop that you can ride from Golden Gate Park, and I follow
7th Avenue up to Laguna Honda to Portola, then turn right down to Marne,
Cross the pedestrian overpass, then follow Marne to the bottom trailhead, (or turn right
on Lansdale, left on Dalewood, and start at one of the upper trailheads).
There are five trailheads I know of (which can be grown over and hard to find): (1) On Marne, past Lansdale,
where the houses end, (2) On Dalewood, about 100 feet up the steep part, (3) at the top of
Dalewood, where the fireroad starts, and (4) near the top of La Bica Way.
I recommend maps.yahoo.com to help with locating the streets.
There's one more, I think at the end of Chaves, which I rarely use.
Each will eventually connect with the perimeter route,
which over a brief distance takes you through highly varied flora and across sometimes technical
terrain. There is a fireroad that winds it's way to the peak which the perimeter
trail crosses at the stone stairway.
Profile:
The lowest trailhead, on Marne, starts at 450
feet and climbs to the top (elev. 927) in just under a mile.
The hardest route to the top, Dalewood, is VERY steep for a brief stretch (about
150 feet in an eighth of a mile = 23%), then the final fireroad to the
cross is gentle by comparison.
The single track ranges from easy to highly technical, and generally doesn't get horrendously steep.
Watch for people walking their dogs by day, and beware of skunks at night.
Long sleeves help against the thorny growth, which is cut regularly by a very nice lady but quickly grows back.
Comment [7½]: Originally a 4½, it's score rapidly increased with each new
trail I found, to the point I'm thinking of deleting the review
just to keep it secret. While too short to be worth a drive from outside, if you
live in the city it's the kind of fun ride you can do after work.
Back to top.
Map Link (1.05 Mb PDF) -
Photo Exhibit
The Four Peak Loop: Sutro, Davidson, Twin Peaks, and Buena Vista
"Taking a quick break at Twin Peaks view point, which typically offered panoramic vistas
of the mountain biking destinations all around, today a persistant stormy gale blew off the coast, and
brought with it a heavy fog formed miles out at sea.
While usually wind carries the moisture quickly inland, there seemed to end to the source of fog today.
Summer is here in San Francisco, and the suns heat drew
cool vapors from the ocean and pulled them over the land. It was a little lonely
to be the
only one at the lookout, and, as always, the whiteness that had fallen over the
city served
as a blank canvas where my subconscious thoughts etched forms into reality.
A Japanese tour bus pulled up, maybe a third got out, stretched, looked at me
strangely, then got back inside and drove off."
(May 23, 2001)
Directions: Rule the city!!
This ride that connects Mount Sutro (elev. 908), Mount Davidson (elev. 927), Twin Peaks (elev. 904/922),
and Buena Vista Park (elev. 570), which are part
of a range that bisects San Francisco into east and west.
Starting in Golden Gate park,
at the corner of 7th Avenue and Lincoln, head up 7th Avenue for 3 blocks, then
turn left of Judah, which becomes Parnassus. Pass through the UCSF campus, then turn right on
Medical Center Way and climb to the top. This is near the summit of Mount Sutro-- I usually just skip it,
but if you want to check it out, turn right on Johnstone, then another right where the street ends and climb the paved
trail to the summit. Otherwise, turn left on Johnstone, and cruise past the UCSF student apartments to Clarendon.
Turn right on Clarendon and ride back down to 7th Avenue.
You can get going pretty fast on Clarendon, and so do the cars, so be careful.
Generally it's considered safest, particularly when going downhill, to take up a whole lane for yourself to be more visible.
The next peak is Mount Davidson. Continue up 7th (now Laguna Honda) to Portola, then turn right and coast down to the
pedestrian overpass and cross it. Follow Marne as it curves left past Lansdale. Where the housing track to the right
ends, in a couple hundred feet, you'll find a stone staircase to the trailhead. Follow the trail as it twists
up the mountain to where it ends in a fork. This is the perimeter singletrack,
and turning right is the easier way. (From the high point of the trail, on the south side,
it's a brief detour to the peak so you may as well check it out.) Circumvent the peak, and back were you started head
down the trail you came up, but in 20 feet make the first right turn and follow it down to the La Bica entrance.
Make your way back to Portola (L. on La Bica, L. on Rockdale, R. on Chaves, L. on Evelyn), then turn right and
carefully make your way to Twin Peaks Drive, just past the intersection of Portola and O'Shaughnessy.
This is a busy and fast intersection and drivers aren't much into sharing the road here.
Having fun? The rest is pretty easy in comparison. Follow Twin Peaks Blvd up to the lookout, enjoy the view,
then continue on Twin Peak Blvd to the intersection of 17th and Clayton. Continue on Clayton then veer right
on Ashbury Street, and turn right up Clifford Terrace. At the top, turn left and coast down to Buena Vista
Park. Follow the service road (corner of Buena Vista Ave. and Upper Terrace) to the peak, then down the other side,
all the way down to Haight Street. Turn left on Haight, passing through the Haight-Ashbury district, and back to
Golden Gate Park.
It's probably best to work the directions out with a city map and a highlighter.
I don't think a map exists of the trails within Mount Davidson,
but there aren't many so it's hard to get too lost.
Profile:
It's at least a 750 foot climb from Golden Gate park (elev. ranges from sea level to 200) to the top of Mount
Sutro; about 650 feet from the bottom of Clarendon to Mount Davidson; 300 from Portola to Twin Peaks;
and Buena Vista Park might add another couple hundred feet to the profile.
All told, it's around 2000 feet of climbing on mostly smooth pavement, with some fairly technical singletract
at Mount Davidson (even some very technical sections that can easily be walked).
This loop can be taken in either direction but is slightly easier going counterclockwise as described.
The total distance starting at the museum concourse in Golden Gate Park is about 11 miles.
Comment [7]:
This is a fine ride to show why San Francisco is the prettiest city around.
Ride this loop a couple times a week, clockwise one day, counterclockwise the other,
and you won't need a multi-million dollar house to enjoy the views.
This is my favorite exercise route.
Back to top.
Map Link (1.05 Mb PDF)
Prior to becoming San Francisco's only monarch, successful gold-rush entrepreneur Joshua Norton (1819-1880)
lost a little more than his fortune from a failed attempt to corner the city's rice market in 1855.
After three years of court hearings, then disappearing for nine months, he returned to public light in 1859
proclaiming himself Norton I, Emporer of the United States
and Defender of Mexico.
Subsequent edicts included dissolving the Union, cleaning the streets of Sacramento,
and ordering the construction of the Bay Bridge.
His own printed currency, $5 and $10 notes, were widely honored throughout the city,
and public outcry followed his 1867 arrest for involuntary treatment of a mental disorder.
By 1870, the census confirmed his occupation as "emporer."
His moment of heroism came when he stopped an angry mob headed for China Town by standing in their path
and bowing his head in prayer.
Departing from royal convention, he attended important functions by foot or bicycle, rather
than horse-drawn carriages common in his day.
The Tourist Trap: Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and the Embarcadero
"You're in first gear, right?' a sympathetic pedestrian
asked, as I was nearing the top of Russian Hill having returned to Lombard along
Hyde. On this brief route, I've noticed, people offer all kinds of
advice. This time I was here on a mission: to compare Hyde Street with the Dalewood
grade on Mount Davidson. Hyde street was shorter, no doubt, but how would the steepness
compare? Having gone up Dalewood a couple times, I was in better condition, and in
fact, no, I wasn't on the bottom gear. I was in the second to lowest gear and doing
fine, which was a big step up from the first time around. Given I was pretty winded,
I simply nodded my head and passed by without explaining the whole deal.
It was a busy weekend and the street was packed with autos and cable cars.
Even though it's a tourist thing, it was
still fun passing the cars down the winding brick road. Continuing on Lombard to
Coit Tower, the effect was similar to Lincoln Park, where all sorts of rides along
the North Bay, past and future, from the East Bay to Marin to San Francisco,
were condensed into a single field of view."
(b. July 21, 2001).
Directions: If you want to see all of the places they have on the postcards,
well, here ya go. This short, but at times very steep loop, circumvents the northern tip of the city.
By Car, however you enter town, get to Van Ness heading north, then when Van Ness is about to end turn
right on Bay for two blocks, then left on Hyde for a block to the Hyde Street pier. More specifically,
from 280, continue up 19th Avenue through Golden Gate Park to Park Presidio, through the Presidio, ALMOST to the Golden
Gate Bridge, but turn right just before and follow directions to the Marina and Lombard Street.
Continue on Lombard to Van Ness, turn left, then right on Bay, then left on Hyde.
Similarly, from Marin, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and once
past the toll booth basically follow these same directions.
From 101 heading north, or the Bay Bridge, follow signs to the Golden Gate Bridge or Fisherman's Wharf,
which should (I hope)
place you on Van Ness heading North (then, when Van Ness is about to end, right on Bay and left on Hyde).
Begin the ride whereever you happen to find parking. For that you're on you own, I say good luck, and you have my best wishes.
(Although, if you want to combine this ride with a loop through Crissy Field, parking there instead might not be so bad.)
On bike,
from the Hyde Street Pier, follow Hyde Street up and up and up to Lombard and turn left down the famous part.
Continue forth on Lombard to the Coit tower. From Coit Tower backtrack
on Lombard to Columbus street, then turn left (southward) then do the bike messenger thing
past Chinatown and the Transamerica building down to Clay Street. Turn left on Clay to the Embarcatero, then turn left
again following it past Fisherman's Wharf to the Aquatic Park and Hyde Street Pier.
Profile: Whenever you see a picture of
a cable car heading down a steep grade with Alcatraz in the background, well, that's Hyde-- which you'll be riding up.
From the Aquatic Park to the top of Lombard it is nearly 300 feet in .4 miles (14%), but it's clearly steepest between
Bay and Lombard, probably around 20%. The Coit Tower demands a bit
of a climb as well (250 feet at the summit), but if you made it to Lombard,
then it shouldn't be much of a problem. There a little bit more climbing on Columbus,
but the Embarcadero is a nice warmdown, and is completely flat.
Comment [5]: This is ALL paved, and follows busy congested streets,
so it gets a rather lame score from a mountain biking perspective,
but if you really want to ride the touristy parts of the city then it's not so bad. Bring a cheap bike and a good lock
and afterwards you can stop at some of the many attractions.
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Map Link (1.05 Mb PDF) -
Photo Exhibit
Detour: Crissy Field
"On this breezy spring day, lying in the sun, the grass tickled my neck and
back as I slowly drifted
into a dreamy meditation. I had seen the old biplanes circling the Presidio as I rode down from Pacific Heights
toward Cow Hollow. Heading westward on Mason along the shore,
colorful kites crowded the sky amid the misty backdrop of the
Golden Gate Bridge. In the early decades of
aviation Crissy Field was once a grassy airstrip, but today was it's grand opening as a city park
and wetlands preserve. A vintage parade of WWI-era barnstormers, dogfighters, and bombers
came one after the other, while onlookers crowded the gravel trails beside
the dunes and salt marshes whose restored growth served as homes
for birds and insects. Thousands came to the large field for the celebration,
yet still there was plenty of room for families to picnic and children to play.
I stretched out on the lawn. Monday seemed so far away."
(b. May 6, 2001)
Directions: Crissy Field won't be like that when you go there
since May 6, 2001 was the date of it's grand opening, with organized kite flying contests
and an airshow of old planes to celebrate the occasion. By car, you can take
Van Ness north, turn left on Lombard, right on Divisidero, left on Marina and stay in the right lane following
it strait to Mason (don't go on the freeway).
From the west take Park Presidio north to the Marina turnoff just before the bridge. Follow
it to Lombard, turn left on Divisidero (I'm not sure if you legally can-- you might have
to make a right turn one block after and circle around), then left on Marina and straight
on Mason. On bike, basically just check out the trails, and if you're feeling peppy then ride up
Crissy Field Drive to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Profile: As it's former use as an airstrip would suggest, Crissy Field is
very flat. It's bike trails are broad and will take
you west to Fort Point. It combines well with a ride
on the Bridge, which will require a steep but brief climb. Most of
the riding area is blacktop, but close to the shore there are well-groomed trails.
Expect a strong headwind when riding westward.
Comment [6]: More of a destination than an actual ride, Crissy
Field effectively mixes
historical landmarks with wilderness preservation. It's hard to justify a trip just
for this, but combines very nicely with the Tourist Loop or Golden Gate Bridge.
Throw in Sausalito and you'll have a pleasant outing.
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Web Page -
Map Link (874K PDF) -
Opening Day
The Presidio
It is the policy of this web site not to review or rate illegal trails.
Not that we don't ride them, or discourage it necessarily-- but for bootleg trails you are on your own.
So the Presidio, despite being major park very close to where I live,
has long gone without mention on this page because essentially all the off-road trails prohibit bikes.
It's not enforced, but still, the 'no biking' signs are there.
Briefly, riding here is reminiscent of Golden Gate Park,
but much more hilly with residential areas, excellent views of the coastline,
scenic vistas of the city and the bay, and many historic
military structures and complexes that now have a quaint charm.
Mainly we just pass through it on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge for rides to the north,
but there are some fine trails among the more natural areas of the park which currently are prohibited.
That all has the potential to change with the
Presidio Trails & Bikeways Master Plan.
In a nutshell, if all goes well, there's going to be a lot more bike lanes on roads within the Presidio, which is
already a big improvement over the current situation.
Also, a system of "multi-use" and hiker-only trails will be implemented throughout the park.
Because of input from mountain bikers throughout the process, multi-use trails will no longer be paved, and
will resemble fireroads with packed gravel--
but no concessions were made to allow us on any hiking trails.
The Presidio Trust falls under the National Park Service, so equitable access will no doubt be an uphill battle (see our
Politics page).
The public comment period ended February 12, 2003,
but there are still ways to contribute.
Web Page -
Map Link (423K PDF) -
Text of the Master Plan (2.87Mb PDF)
The law states that newly constructed public bathrooms must provide equal access for both
men and women. To provide equal access, women's bathrooms must have twice as many "fixtures" as mens. It came up during
the Presidio Bikeways meeting (1/28/03) on an unrelated topic of planning a new bathroom at Stinson Beach.
There wasn't much argument.
City Tour
This route offers a good overall tour of San Francisco, covering the touristy parts, less-touristy but scenic parts,
a little local color, and some decent singletrack.
It contains much of the Four Peak Loop above, and then covers the northern circumference of the city
linking most of the areas described on this page (refer to each of those sections for better directions).
Starting at the southern entrace to the Golden Gate Bridge, Lincoln Boulevard
and Camina del Mar leads to Lincoln Park.
Coast down the Great Highway to Golden Gate Park.
Following JFK Drive through to the Museum Concourse, possibly
detouring around Stow Lake, you'll see most of the cool stuff (best to go on a Sunday where they close the eastern
half of JFK drive to cars).
From the museums, 7th Avenue to Laguna Honda to Portola is the most direct route to
Mount Davidson.
At the top of Portola, Twin Peaks Drive leads to the
Twin Peaks parking area and down the other side.
At Twin Peaks Blvd and 17th Street, turn right on 17th, then veer left on Market Street at the Castro intersection.
Do the bike messenger thing down Market through the financial district to the Embarcadero,
then ride along the coast northward to Crissy Field and back to the Golden Gate Bridge.
There will be heavy traffic with no bike lanes along some of the above routes.
Bring a street map of the city, highlight the route, and take your time--
Mount Davidson and Twin Peaks can be skipped if you are
not an intermediate to advanced rider, by instead riding up Buena Vista Park then down 14th to Market.
Skip Mount Davidson if you are riding a road bike, but you can still get to Twin Peaks quickly via Laguna Honda.
I would recommend detouring into the Mission District for lunch (Valencia, branching right off Market,
is probably the best way there and back with bike lanes; Mission runs one block east).
The taquerias around 16th and Mission are first rate. Even though this is a major area of
drug dealing, I've always felt safe in daylight hours, but make sure you have a good bike lock.
Eat at Fisherman's Wharf if you have to, but it has the most bland and uninspired food you can find in San Francisco.
Going straight through, without missing a single turn, I clocked it at just over 24 miles of pure biking thrill.
Back to top.
Pacifica
Taking Highway 1 south from the city, one quickly finds the remoteness along rocky Pacific palisades
entirely at odds with the stifling metropolis crowding the bay.
Here, well-known surf breaks lie beside trailheads that climb the misty western face of the Santa Cruz range.
From the south,
Nisene Marks,
Wilder Ranch, the
Sea-to-Sky trail,
Butano, and
Purisima Creek have
already been described.
But at the far northwestern edge of the San Francisco Peninsula lies Pacifica, almost a southern extension of the city--
a quaint and foggy laid-back coastal town whose surrounding ridges offer cool summer rides only a few minutes away.
Being a "San Francisco" mountain bike page, perhaps we should have mentioned Pacifica sooner,
but we didn't, and you can read on to find out why...
Montara Mountain
"'How was it out there?' the fisherman asked, casually walking toward the beach.
'I wasn't out there...' I smiled, adding 'I was up there!' with a flourish, swinging my arm behind
us, and pointing upward to the peak.
He then nodded and walked on by, as I pulled sweaty spandex from underneath my towel, and perhaps
my forlorn gaze far out toward the sea would have no doubt made it an easy mistake to make.
The surfers drying off nearby indeed brought nostalgic thoughts of days of yore,
and although the ocean will always remain that mystical place from whence life first crawled,
never while paddling through the white water or bobbing out beyond the breakers did I ever feel quite the
same trepidation or unease as facing the side of a mountain.
Here I would climb the stair steps of giants, over granite trails cut into the rocky ridgeline, straight
into the oppressive cloud layer high above that now lingered like a haunting gloom over the coastal cities
for weeks.
Up by the radio towers, as steamy sweat rolled down acid-heavy muscles, in quiet euphoric cellebration now that the rest was downhill,
the wetness cast an enchanting mist upon stone and wiry scrub that faded serenely into pastel hues.
No, never while fighting for the occasional and crowded point break did I ever so delight in the surprise twists of
existence, eager to transcend the common and strange adversities that forever, in waves, periodically come our way."
(b. August 15, 2004)
Directions: Montara Mountain, the part that overlooks Pacifica, is perhaps more notorious for
three highly technical, but I suspect illegal, trails leading down the northern face.
The route here overlooks the city of Montara to the south, which offers a straightforward out-and-back
climbing workout to the peak.
Okay, here's the story: we first rode here in February of 2001,
when I was recovering from a bad cold, and specifically asked for something easy.
The web page Kenny printed out called it a "beginner" ride.
Well back then I was just starting out, and I didn't think it was a beginner ride one bit-- so about halfway up
refused to go any further.
Kenny went on ahead, and I gave in and struggled to the summit.
I was so furious that driving back we got into a big fight, and even quit speaking
to one another!
Well, at least until later that evening when Kenny called to set me up on a blind date with an airline
stewardess, who later was all over the news as Gary Condit's other mistress, while he was seeing
Sandra Levy. If you think this story is completely ridiculous, I can't say that I blame you, but don't forget we're
the ones who also got attacked by the turkey.
By car: from SF, take highway 1 south past Pacifica, past Devil's slide, until you see the outskirts of
Montara city, and park at or near the state beach.
The trailhead starts up the highway about a block north of the beach parking.
On bike: stay on the main route up to the radio towers, keeping right at the fork just past
the steep part.
Profile: Since I've heard different estimates of the distance, I reset my computer atop the north peak
(elev. 1900), and coasted straight down to the trailhead at sea level.
It was 4.6 miles, for a not-too-treatening 8% average grade.
Indeed, it starts out quite manageably on old, overgrown, washed-out pavement switchbacking casually up the
slopes for the first 2¼ miles. But next comes a horrendous ¾-mile section, which goes practically straight up
the mountain on grades that I'm sure reach into the high teens.
My Hayes hydraulics were hollerin' to high heaven on the way back down this part.
The last mile-and-a-half to the peak has a few steep spurts, but overall it's okay.
Unlike the first time we went, when the fire road was heavily eroded, this time it was in good condition.
Comment [7]: Fog or shine, this is a scenic climbing workout
which overlooks a lovely section of the Pacific coast.
Could I ever go back to surfing? I don't know.
If surfing is a burger and a milk shake, then mountain biking is prime rib.
Back to top.
Web Page -
mtbREVIEW.com
Photos
Click to expand
I avoid the pedestrian side of the bridge as much as I can help it, since it's too crowded with
lots of people slowing me down. So this would be a rare shot from the pedestrian side,
which during working hours you have take, looking back at San Francisco from Marin on a cloudy day.
Well, this is a San Francisco Mountain Biking page. Last two Golden Gate Bridge shots I promise!
The fall bloom? Here was an impressive array of flowers growing outside the Conservatory in Golden Gate park.
This photo was shot in the middle of August, 2003, late in the summer when grassy savanas have long turned
yellow and only rare native flowers bloom in the hills.
Surveying my mountain biking kingdom to the north from Twin Peaks. From the left is Mount Tam
in the distance, the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge in front of that. Panning right is a hazy Ring Mountain
beyond Richardson Bay, and further right is the Tiburon Peninsula leading to the left half of Angel Island. This side
of the Golden Gate Bridge is the Presidio, the Richmond District and Golden Gate Park right below, which extends rightward into the
Panhandle.
Of course, this is what Twin Peaks looks like the other half the time you are there.
Mount Davidson is so pretty on foggy evenings, and this is riding the trail from lower Dalewood up to the peak.
Being the highest point in San Francisco (elev. 927),
thick fogs commonly come through here on otherwise sunny days, leaving the trails soggy and dense foliage dripping
from above.
Looking over the slopes of Mount Davidson in the fog. This is with the old Minolta,
and amazing shot with that camera, and I think the trees
that framed it have since been chopped down.
Links
Here is Aaron's San Francisco Mountain Biking webpage,
with routes, maps, and Topo profile information on dirt trails throughout the city, as well as generally
useful information.
He also keeps up-to-date information on trail access issues in the city and beyond,
and has been a true and devoted advocate to our underdog cause.
If it's singletrack within city limits, you can bet Aaron has found it.
There is a related San Francisco mountain biking discussion group
you can join on Topica.com, which is usually pretty inactive so please post your thoughts freely.
The Presidio of San Francisco,
appropriately situated right between the headquarters of the Sierra Club
and Marin County, is now a flashpoint for the mountain bike trail access controversy.
As a subdivision of the National Park Service, the Presidio Trust
determines mountain bike access to the park. They are currently revising their trails and bikeways,
so speak up if you like biking here!
While not into mountain biking, per se, if you ride around the city you'll want to be
familiar with the
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Their primary agenda is promoting bike safety
around the city (bike lanes, cyclists rights, memorial services when one of us gets
killed by a car, that sort of thing). Here's a
street map from the SFBC of San Fransisco with approximate grades and
elevations, and where you can find bike lanes. It's a large file in PDF format
so you'll need at least Adobe Acrobat reader. Use the magnifying glass to zoom in.
Back to top.
Back home.
I avoid the pedestrian side of the bridge as much as I can help it, since it's too crowded with
lots of people slowing me down. So this would be a rare shot from the pedestrian side,
which during working hours you have take, looking back at San Francisco from Marin on a cloudy day.
Well, this is a San Francisco Mountain Biking page. Last two Golden Gate Bridge shots I promise!
The fall bloom? Here was an impressive array of flowers growing outside the Conservatory in Golden Gate park.
This photo was shot in the middle of August, 2003, late in the summer when grassy savanas have long turned
yellow and only rare native flowers bloom in the hills.
Surveying my mountain biking kingdom to the north from Twin Peaks. From the left is Mount Tam
in the distance, the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge in front of that. Panning right is a hazy Ring Mountain
beyond Richardson Bay, and further right is the Tiburon Peninsula leading to the left half of Angel Island. This side
of the Golden Gate Bridge is the Presidio, the Richmond District and Golden Gate Park right below, which extends rightward into the
Panhandle.
Of course, this is what Twin Peaks looks like the other half the time you are there.
Mount Davidson is so pretty on foggy evenings, and this is riding the trail from lower Dalewood up to the peak.
Being the highest point in San Francisco (elev. 927),
thick fogs commonly come through here on otherwise sunny days, leaving the trails soggy and dense foliage dripping
from above.
Looking over the slopes of Mount Davidson in the fog. This is with the old Minolta,
and amazing shot with that camera, and I think the trees
that framed it have since been chopped down.