Lands End 2016-01-03

Our first hike in 2016 was at Lands End, a breathtaking location at the northwestern corner of San Francisco that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). There are multiple parking lots near Lands End Lookout located at 680 Point Lobos Ave where free parking is available. I had parked in the lot closest to USS San Francisco memorial.

While no printed maps of the location is available, the trail system is fairly simple and there are maps of the park in multiple locations with good directions. We started our hike walking north by the Coastal trail. Right of the bat, we were treated to great views of the ocean and the iconic Golden Gate bridge. 

It was a cloudy day with the sun breaking out occasionally. However, the day was clear with no fog allowing clear views of the bridge. Every turn by the coastal trail offered yet another perspective to the majestic Pacific and north coast.  About 1/2 mile into the walk, we came to a flight of stairs that led us down to the Mile Rock beach. 

Half way down the stairs, there was a landing in the bluff, again with impressive views all around. As I was standing there looking at the Mile Rock beach, I saw the crude oil tanker, Pegasus Voyager belonging to Chevron making its way into the bay pass under the Golden Gate bridge. 

Climbing back up to the trail, we continued heading north to Eagles Point. This section involves another climb by a flight of stairs before it reaches Eagles point. The best view of Golden Gate bridge today was from this spot. Towards the end, coastal trail is bordered by Lincoln Park golf course on one side. The coastal trail continues up north to China beach and beyond. 

We turned around here, walking by El Camino Del Mar with the golf course on our right. A short walk got us to the Art Museum, Legion of Honor. On the way to the Legion of Honor was another memorial, this one dedicated in 1984 for world peace. Right opposite the museum is another place of interest, a memorial to the six million victims of the holocaust. 

From here, we continued south walking by El Camino Del Mar trail which runs parallel to the coastal trail, but at a higher elevation. Stopping over at the USS San Francisco memorial, we again took the flight of steps down to the coastal trail but headed south this time.

On the south the trail takes you to Sutro bath ruins and Point Lobos, two impressive attractions in the park. Sutro bath ruins are the remains of a public bath house from 1896 that burned down in 1967. 

Reaching this spot, I would strongly recommend not missing the tunnel in Point Lobos that takes you to a spot with another awesome view of the bay and waves against the rocks.

We walked up ahead of until Cliff House, another iconic location in San Francisco before heading back to the parking lot and wrapping up our walk. The trails in Lands End are generally easy, but it does involve climbing several stairs, especially to enjoy the unique spots this location has to offer. Our 4.6 mile walk today involved climbing about 700 feet.








Update 2016-02-01

Jaya and I decided to spend our anniversary with a hike at this enchanting place. The weather was picture perfect, the views of the Pacific and Golden Gate bridge really amazing.

In addition to the hike, we also covered all the places of interest - Sutro Baths ruins, Point Lobos, the Holocaust Memorial, USS San Francisco Memorial and the Lincoln Park Golf Course.



More pictures from our walk.
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