SF Crosstown Trail

Connecting San Francisco from the southeast to the northwest, the Crosstown Trail runs through hidden trails, public parks, shopping corridors, tiled stairways, and community gardens along the way.

The trail is the work of a small group of local volunteers who believe in building community and healthy adventuring outdoors.

You can walk it, run it, or bike it (in either direction!). You can do the whole thing in one day or just try a section. Get some fresh air, explore this beautiful city, and be sure to tell us about your adventure at #sfcrosstowntrail.

Additional Information

Allowed Access

Bicycles

Dogs

Pedestrians

Activities

Biking

Dog Walking

Fat Biking

Hiking

Mountain Biking

Trail Running

Walking

Rules & Regulations

Dogs On Leash

Accessibility Description

The Crosstown Trail follows a mix of city sidwalks, stairways, paved paths, and dirt trails, with considerable elevation gain/loss, by design. True ADA-accessible spots along the trail are few and far between.

A short list of good, accessible trails includes most of the Visitacion Valley Greenway (there's one stairway in the middle section you'd have to go around on streets); the east entrance to Glen Canyon Park (section 2, from Elk and Chenery to the Rec Center; only a block or two before the canyon gets steepr); and the Coastal Trail east from Lands End Lookout to the first two overlooks (on a former railroad grade).

Other fairly easy trail sections include Lobos Creek Dunes boardwalk in Section 5. (The boardwalk's plastic lumber tread is bowed and slightly slippery and sometimes the grade is uneven. There's turnaround at the east end but you could turn a wheelchair at the Y that leads to the overlook bench). The Rose Garden portion of Section 4 in Golden Gate Park is a short, level asphalt route but it connects to the 2-mile portion of JFK Blvd. that's closed to cars.

NEAR the Crosstown Trail you can sample nearby semi-accessible paths, including Mansell Drive bike path at top of McLaren Park (MUNI 29 stops nearby); the 2-mile long closed section of JFK Blvd. in Golden Gate Park, and Lake Street's "slow street" (the bike route of Section 5). Much of the Richmond District's grid street network is fairly flat. Farther afield, the Presidio has several well-developed path networks well north of the Crosstown Trail, including the Main Post, Tunnel Tops Park and Crissy Field. Portions of the SF Bay Trail offer other opportunities. So circling back, the general Crosstown corridor has possiblities, but we haven't stitched together an accessible or barrier-free alternate route, nor done a full inventory of facilities, grades, etc..

Candlestick Point State Park in Section 1 has a network of gently rolling 1980s-era asphalt paths, which make for easy walking but are imperfectly maintained, and shoreline erosion has caused some dropoffs, so these are not reliable wheelchair-accessible paths, but might work for some people. Plus in 2022-23 the main park entrance has been blocked by construction and flooded streets; the path from Last Port parking lot is not wheelchair-accessible but decent on foot. (The northern third of the state park has a later network of rough, graceless, and neglected paths). From Last Port you can go south along the Bay Trail along the "Enchanged Garden" (an art piece built as part of the city of Brisbane's stormwater system underfoot) and you get some of the same grand South Bay views.

- Ben Pease, 2023

Section 1: Candlestick Point, Visitacion Valley, McLaren Park (5.2 miles)

The trail starts (or ends) at the shore of Candlestick Park State Recreation Area, not far from the former home of the Giants and 49ers. The trail then leads you through the Visitacion Valley Greenway, a string of community parks and gardens that is part outdoor classroom, part neighborhood hub. Finally, you’ll take a walk through McLaren Park, the third largest park in the city.

Section 2: Glen Park Greenway, Glen Canyon Park, Laguna Honda Trail (3 miles)

Section 2 hosts open green spaces and trails, all hiding in the middle of the city. Cut through 60 acres of restored natural habitat at Glen Canyon Park and wind through the Laguna Honda Community Trail System, resurrected in 2019. The only sign that you’re still in San Francisco is the view of Sutro Tower peeking through the tall eucalyptus trees.

Section 3: Golden Gate Heights Park, Grandview Park, Tiled Stairways (2.1 miles)

The stair section. But stairs lead to elevation and elevation leads to views! While walking down the steps from the sweeping views of Golden Gate Heights’ Grandview Park, don’t forget to look back. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project started in 2003 as a way to connect the community through a project to beautify the neighborhood.

Section 4: Stow Lake, Rose Garden, Park Presidio Boulevard (2.2 miles)

Section 4 takes you through the east end of Golden Gate Park. After wrapping around Stow Lake, you’ll be taken to the park’s Rose Garden, boasting 60 rosebeds maintained by volunteers. After exiting the park, you’ll be led to Park Presidio Greenway, a tree-lined trail heading north to the Presidio.

Section 5: Presidio, Sea Cliff, Lands End (3.8 miles)

Veer west and head to the coast. In Section 5, you’ll take a tour of the Presidio’s sand dunes along a boardwalk trail, stroll a stretch of Baker Beach, and catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge before the final stretch of pathway along the rocky cliffs above the mouth of the Bay. Finish your adventure looking out over the Pacific, at the northernmost point of the San Francisco Crosstown Trail.