The Batteries to Bluffs Trail is a trail that goes up and down the hillside (bluffs). Therefore, you will have to be fit to do this trail or you will have to keep resting especially on the way up. On a clear day, you will have a great view of the Golden Gate, Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. Most of the year, it will be windier and colder in this area so dress accordingly. Click this link for more information about the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.
This self-guided instructions for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail can be done in conjunction with the instructions for the Lands End Trail and then hike all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. If you do the Lands End Trail first (see the Mar. 5, 2018 post, updated July 19, 2021), you will have to do the Batteries to Bluffs Trail instructions backwards because the Batteries to Bluffs Trail directions starts from the Golden Gate Bridge area. If you do the Batteries to Bluffs Trail directions first then you will have to do the Land End Trail directions backwards.
Note: If I were to do both the Lands End and Batteries to Bluffs trails, I would start with the Lands End Trail and then after Baker Beach hike the Batteries to Bluffs trail and then walk to the Golden Gate Bridge. If you follow this suggestion, I also recommend that you get to the Golden Gate Bridge no later than 2:00 pm so you can take nicer pictures because of where the sun is positioned. Depending on how fast you hike and how long you want to linger at certain spots, I think you will have to start from the Lands End Lookout by 12:00 pm because according to Google Maps, it will take most people 1 hour and 13 minutes to walk approximately 3.4 miles from the Lands End Lookout to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Also, for other things to do in the Presidio, click on the label = Urban Trek USA Tips Presidio. And for specifically just the hiking trails in the Presidio, click on the label = Presidio Trails.
#ThingsToDoSanFrancisco #SanFrancisco #WalkingTour #SelfGuidedWalkingTour
Note: Pdf version of directions available upon request.
From the Golden Gate Bridge walk south along the Coastal Trail. After you pass Battery Godfrey, you will see this marker:
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Continue walking south along the Coastal Trail until you see this garbage can and the sign for the start of the Batteries to Bluffs Trail on your right side:
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Go back to the trail and keep walking down until you see the sign for Marshall's Beach:
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Turn right when you see the sign and walk down to Marshall's Beach (Note: Marshall's Beach is a clothing optional beach so if you are with children and you do not want them to see naked people then do not go unless there are no naked people there.)
After you enjoy the view from Marshall's Beach, walk back to Batteries and Bluffs Trail and turn right. There will be several spots with nice views so make sure you look back towards the Golden Gate Bridge every now and then.
As you are headed up the hill, watch out for this interesting Field Note:
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Note: There are several Field Notes around the Presidio. For more information about them, click here.
Continue on up until you get to Battery Crosby. If these chairs are still there, check them out:
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After Battery Crosby, keep going until you get to the Coastal Trail where Lincoln Blvd. is and turn right.
Keep walking along the Coastal Trail (Lincoln Blvd) until you pass this sign:
(Note: Do not take Sand Ladder to Baker Beach unless you want to see the naked people.)
After you pass the sign above, you will see another trail on your right that will lead you to Baker Beach. When you get to this point follow the trail to the left to the G rated part of Baker Beach:
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Go own this path to the beach:
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PLEASE READ: If you do not want to proceed to the Lands End Trail and want to go back downtown, the Muni #29 bus has a bus stop at the upper entrance to Baker Beach. You will have to walk to the gate at Gibson Rd and Bowley St and there will be a bus stop as shown below:
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Take the Muni #29 bus to 25th Ave. and California St. (Note: This is the fourth stop from where you will start so it will be a short ride.)
After you disembark, cross to the other side of California St. so you will be where the gasoline station is located. There will be a bus stop for the inbound Muni #1 bus (Stop ID 13840). Take the Muni #1 bus headed to Drumm & Clay. The Muni #1 bus will pass the Inner Richmond, Laurel Heights, Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, Chinatown and Financial District neighborhoods so you can disembark wherever you want to go.
Another way to get to downtown is via the PresidiGo Presidio Hills & Downtown shuttles. Due to the pandemic, it seems service have been (temporarily?) discontinued on weekends. Click here to the web page showing the service cut announcement. Hopefully, weekend services will resume when things go back to pre-pandemic days.
These are the two PresidiGo Presidio Hills shuttle stops near Baker Beach as shown in the photo below:
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Take the Presidio Hills Shuttle to the terminal in the Presidio and then take the Downtown shuttle to go downtown. Outside the Presidio, the Downtown shuttle stops at Van Ness & Union, Davis & California Streets (near the Hyatt Embarcadero) and SF Transit Center (Howard & Beale Streets).
Click here for PresidiGo shuttle Rider Guide and other important information like when visitors are allowed to ride for free and when visitors are not allowed to ride. (Note: The Muni #43 bus does NOT go to the Presidio at this time (as of August 16, 2021) but that might change when things get back to pre-pandemic days.)
Update: After the #TuesdayTips post for Crissy Field, if you combine all #TuesdayTips for upper Fort Mason, lower Fort Mason, Marina Green, Crissy Field, Baker Beach, Lands End Trail and Batteries to Bluffs Trail, you will be able to walk from Fort Mason all the way to the Lands End Lookout or vice versa.
(Note: I personally would do the Lands End Trail to Baker Beach to Batteries to Bluffs Trail to Golden Gate Bridge to Crissy Field to Marina Green to lower Fort Mason to upper Fort Mason. Or if you want to split into two, then Lands End to the Golden Gate Bridge and then upper Fort Mason to Crissy Field. The directions were done the way they are because most people are coming from the Fisherman's Wharf area and not the Lands End Lookout area.)
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