As a multi-year resident of San Francisco and a many time visitor to Lands End, I never knew the trail I walk on to get there is called the “California Coastal Trail”.  I just thought it was a really pretty trail designed to be enjoyed on the way to the platform.

Not so, as I recently discovered.  It’s a calm, easy, and beautiful hike where if you go far enough, you’ll hit quite a few Bay Area landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge being one.

As I found out, the trail itself, when finished, will be 1200 miles long, spanning from Oregon to Mexico.  Not all parts will be for walking though. Some will only be for cyclists and/or equestrians. The trails on the hike won’t necessarily be connected, but signs will tell you where to go. The best thing is that ALL of the trails will be within “sight, sound, or smell” of the ocean. Love that.

One of my favorite parts is walking through all the huge coastal cypress trees that bend and shape according to the direction of the wind. They are truly nature at its inspiring best. Even better is that you can stand in the middle of them and not only feel the cool ocean breeze on your face and the wind in your hair, but you can see the ocean for miles. It’s truly a sight to behold.

Who knows? Maybe one day this trail will become the next El Camino de Santiago!