Although San Francisco and the Bay Zone may towards tech-focused from the outside, residents know there is no shortage of ways to get outdoors. With increasingly than 250 days of sunshine and year-round stereotype temperatures between 60-70 degrees, there are uncounted opportunities for outdoor activities in San Francisco.
From superstitious nearby waterfront camping, hiking, mountain biking, and more, there are tons of wondrous outdoor activities in San Francisco, both within the municipality limits and a short momentum away. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to get outdoors in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Zone for your next weekend adventure.
Make the most of your trip to the Bay Zone with our guide to fun outdoor activities in San Francisco.
Camping
The only campground within the San Francisco municipality limits is Rob Hill Campground, conveniently located in the Presidio. There are only 2 campsites available, but each site can hold up to 30 people which makes it a unconfined spot for large group camping.
For a view of the municipality and the Golden Gate Bridge, there are a few campgrounds that have wondrous skyline views that are tropical to San Francisco. Pitch your tent at Kirby Cove or Bicentennial Campground in the Marin Headlands to get a stunning view of the city, with the quiet of a campsite. You will finger like you are in two worlds at once!
Want a quick escape that feels totally out of the city? Hawk Campground offers stunning views of the Gerbode Valley, perched upper on a hill in Golden Gate National Park. These campsites are only wieldy by a 2 or 3 mile hike, which ways you’ll finger far yonder from civilization, plane though you’re unquestionably just a short momentum yonder from San Francisco.
One of our favorite California waterfront campgrounds is Angel Island State Park, wieldy by ferries valedictory all over the Bay area. 9 coastal campsites are spread out all over the island, with views of the SF Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, the famous cityscape, and the rolling Marin Headlands.
camping in the Bicentennial Campground
Hiking
Thousands of miles of trails connect throughout the San Francisco Bay Zone and Silicon Valley. Stay tropical to the municipality by hiking the Batteries to Bluffs Trail or Lands End Trail, both of which offer views of the Golden Gate Bridge on a well-spoken day. Mount Sutro Loop will make you quickly forget you’re in an urban setting with tons of superstitious trees in a blanketed forest.
Twin Peaks is a famous spot in San Francisco and a unconfined spot for a quick hike with superstitious views. The trail up and lanugo the summits at Twin Peaks is just over half a mile, but you can park in the neighborhood unelevated to add elevation and mileage to get your heart pumping.
Head north of San Francisco to visit Muir Woods and explore one of the last remaining stands of coastal redwoods. Popular trails include Fern Creek, Lost, and Canopy Trail, Dipsea Trail (requires a shuttle ride back), and Fern Creek Loop.
If you want to escape the municipality by heading south, Big Sur is home to hundreds of hiking trails with trappy coastal views and tons of wildflowers in the spring. We’ve rounded up our favorite hikes, withal with other things to do, in our Big Sur travel guide.
Backpacking
Backpacking is one of our favorite San Francisco outdoor activities considering trails are full of gorgeous upper ridgelines, stunning redwood trees, grassy woodlands, unobtrusive fog, and ocean views. And luckily, there are tons of backpacking options within a 2-hour momentum of the Bay!
For multi-day backpacking trips, throne south of San Jose to find Henry W. Coe State Park, the largest State Park in Northern California. This park is filled with rolling hills and few people, making it perfect for a multi-day trip. All backpacking permits are on a first-come, first-serve understructure at the park archway or headquarters, but with space for over 60 backpacking parties, you’ll be sure to find an superstitious route when you go.
If you’re heading north from San Francisco, trammels out Point Reyes National Seashore for superstitious backpacking options. Our favorite trail is the 22-mile Bear Valley Coastal Loop Trail – perfect for beginner backpackers. The famous Alamere Falls can moreover be trekked to, camping at nearby Wildcat Camp.
In the East Bay, be sure to trammels out the Skyline National Recreation Trail. This 31 mile one-way trail runs between Anthony Chabot Regional Park and Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, with woodland campsites misogynist at the Sibley Volcanic Regional Reserve. Please note you will need to shuttle cars since this is a point-to-point trail.
Rock Climbing
Yes, you could just momentum a couple hours to Yosemite National Park, but there are some incredible spots for climbers closer to home. The San Francisco Bay Zone is filled with unconfined waddle climbing spots. One popular spot is south of Silicon Valley at Castle Waddle State Park. You will find tons of bouldering and top rope routes with a view of the Santa Cruz mountains and the ocean. All skill levels are welcome, and if you don’t know how to climb, it’s a unconfined place to learn. If you are a total newbie with no climbing partner, trammels out one of the local tour companies – such as Castle Rock Climbing School – that offer climbing lessons.
In the East Bay, throne to Mount Diablo State Park to find trad, top rope, and sport climbing routes. Mount Tamalpais, in the North Bay, is a unconfined option for beginners, with plenty of easy climbs with a view of the Bay Area. A little remoter away, the newly designated Pinnacles National Park is a quiet National Park with plenty of volcanic waddle to scurry up.
Kayaking
Angel Island is a popular destination for kayakers in the San Francisco Bay Zone considering it’s easy to get to from San Francisco or Sausalito. Be enlightened that the currents in the Bay Zone can be strong, expressly if it’s windy, so beginners might consider a guided tour. For a little widow adventure, hit the bay at sunset and take in that trappy skycap at dusk.
Head to Sausalito to kayak in the bay with epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. Horseshoe Cove in Fort Baker is flipside superstitious spot north of SF.
Point Reyes National Seashore is flipside unconfined spot for kayaking near San Francisco, with Tomales Bay stuff the fan favorite. Note: kayaking is only unliable from July 1 through February 28 in Point Reyes in order to protect the seal pups in the area.
Just under 3 hours from San Francisco, you can kayak with sea otters in Monterey Bay, a totally unique wits as a sanctuary for tons of sea animals.
Biking
If you are visiting San Francisco, it’s pretty much a given that you have to see the Golden Gate Bridge. Why not get some exercise at the same time? Rent a velocipede from one of the many stands near Fisherman’s Wharf and throne over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin. Velocipede all the way to Sausalito or Tiburon, grab a bit to eat, and take the ferry when to Pier 41.
If you’ve got a mountain velocipede and are itching to get out on the trails, there are plenty of trails unshut to cyclists in the Open Space Preserves on the Peninsula. Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve is one of our favorite options where you can velocipede through coastal redwood groves with plenty of options to create short or long loops.
Henry Coe State Park is flipside Bay Zone favorite for mountain wanderlust with over 290 miles of mountain wanderlust trails misogynist (the most of any State Park in California!)
Did we miss any of your favorite San Francisco outdoor activities? Or if you’re planning a trip to the Bay Area, what are you looking forward to most? Leave us a scuttlebutt below!
