There are over 50 parks within the city limits of San Francisco. They come in all shapes and sizes and offer a wide range of activities, from picnicking to hiking. My all-time favorite park in San Francisco is Lands Ends, which falls more on the hiking side, though you could just as easily have a picnic at the trailhead or one of the lookout points along the way.

Lands Ends is sure to show up in guidebooks about San Francisco, but there is much more to it than just a gift shop and the Sutro Baths. With over 8 miles of hiking trails, this route provides breathtaking views of the bay and Bonita Cove.

There are two main trail heads: Lands End and the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of starting at Land’s End and hiking the Coastal Trail to the Golden Gate Bridge, I like to do it in reverse and end at the ocean. The trail can be crowded at either end but there seems to be less people on the Golden Gate Bridge side. Even if you do run into a few tourist buses, people usually don’t hike the whole 8.9 miles, so by mile 2 it is possible to have the whole trail to yourself. The other benefit to ending at Lands End is you can pop by Louis’ for some bacon and eggs!