Ferry Building/Pier 7-San Francisco Stroll
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Ferry Building at Embarcadero and Market St., and Pier 7 at Embarcadero and Broadway, San Francisco
Starting Point: Public transportation is a good option for walking in this area, but we chose to drive and park, and found that starting from Pier 7 made it easier to find street parking.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Ferry Building info link (Ferry Building Marketplace):
https://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
On map applications, search for Pier 7 or the Ferry Building to see this area.
Distance:
From the vista point at the end of Pier 7 to the far end of the Ferry Building is 0.7 miles. With extra wandering along the waterfront paths, the upper deck viewing area, and through the Ferry Building shops and restaurants can make this a round trip walk of 1.5 to 2 miles if looping back to the starting point.
Considerations:
• Using public transportation is a good option for this crowded part of town with limited parking. We did find street parking, but read signs carefully for paid parking spots. There are paid lots which are pricey but offer close access to this area.
• The Ferry Building has public toilets, but inside the Pier 3 area there is also a nice, clean public toilet, but visitors have to search a bit to find it.
• Walking along the Embarcadero can be a warm, sunny experience, or chilly and foggy, all within a short time of each other. Wearing layers is always the wise choice in San Francisco.
• There are plenty of places to eat and shop in the Ferry Building, mostly high end specialty stores with prices to match, but walking and soaking up the scenery is free.
The trail:
This is a busy part of town with potential traffic and parking congestion, so we have to rev ourselves up to drive there. Once we arrive, though, we remember why people find San Francisco to be beautiful.
We found street parking near Broadway and one street over from the Embarcadero. We saw that there were spots available if needed at a convenient parking lot, though it was pricey.
We decided to make a loop walk from Pier 7 to the Ferry Building and back again. Starting from Broadway and the Embarcadero, I was reminded of how scenic San Francisco architecture can be, with the Ferry Building in view in one direction, financial district high rise buildings in another, and then Coit Tower with the silhouette of Marin’s Mt. Tam as its backdrop in another direction.
We saved the walk to the end of Pier 7 for the end of our outing. We started by walking south along the wide sidewalk of the Embarcadero. We made a stop at the indoor public toilets around Pier 3, which are not easy to find at a glance but very handy to know about as the Ferry Building restrooms can get crowded.
There are street vendors selling colorful wares along the front of the Ferry Building. Colorful, historic street cars were in view. We walked all the way to the southern end and then turned toward the bay where there are more outdoor market stalls. Some days there is a farmers market here.
The view of the Bay Bridge, ships and sailboats, Treasure Island, and the East Bay in the distance is stunning on a clear day, and mysterious on a foggy day. We discovered an Upper Deck Viewing Area with a sign inviting visitors to walk upstairs to a platform that extends out for great views of the bay, bridge and more boats.
From there we went inside the Ferry Building and enjoyed window shopping along the many artisanal food shops, the bookstore, restaurants and other shops. There are many temptations, though a full wallet is a big help for some of the shops.
Having walked indoors back to the north end of the Ferry Building, we ventured back outdoors and through the Pier 1, Port of San Francisco archway to walk along the promenade. Here we found bay views ornamented by flower displays, benches, and some restaurant seating. We watched boats skim across the waves with the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island in the background.
We walked back to our starting point of Pier 7, and walked all the way to the end of the pier. Many people were fishing with poles or crab traps. Seagulls watched guard over the wooden path, the vintage streetlamps and benches lining the pier. The end of the pier gave a perfect view back to the pyramid building.
I worried this walk might be too short, but it turned out to be a good couple of miles with all our extra meandering and going to the end of the pier and back. This was a great reminder of the scenery that keeps our hearts in San Francisco.
(Ferry Building/Pier 7-San Francisco Stroll Hike Notes were originally paired with the “California Dreamin’” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Ferry Building at Embarcadero and Market St., and Pier 7 at Embarcadero and Broadway, San Francisco
Starting Point: Public transportation is a good option for walking in this area, but we chose to drive and park, and found that starting from Pier 7 made it easier to find street parking.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Ferry Building info link (Ferry Building Marketplace):
https://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
On map applications, search for Pier 7 or the Ferry Building to see this area.
Distance:
From the vista point at the end of Pier 7 to the far end of the Ferry Building is 0.7 miles. With extra wandering along the waterfront paths, the upper deck viewing area, and through the Ferry Building shops and restaurants can make this a round trip walk of 1.5 to 2 miles if looping back to the starting point.
Considerations:
• Using public transportation is a good option for this crowded part of town with limited parking. We did find street parking, but read signs carefully for paid parking spots. There are paid lots which are pricey but offer close access to this area.
• The Ferry Building has public toilets, but inside the Pier 3 area there is also a nice, clean public toilet, but visitors have to search a bit to find it.
• Walking along the Embarcadero can be a warm, sunny experience, or chilly and foggy, all within a short time of each other. Wearing layers is always the wise choice in San Francisco.
• There are plenty of places to eat and shop in the Ferry Building, mostly high end specialty stores with prices to match, but walking and soaking up the scenery is free.
The trail:
This is a busy part of town with potential traffic and parking congestion, so we have to rev ourselves up to drive there. Once we arrive, though, we remember why people find San Francisco to be beautiful.
We found street parking near Broadway and one street over from the Embarcadero. We saw that there were spots available if needed at a convenient parking lot, though it was pricey.
We decided to make a loop walk from Pier 7 to the Ferry Building and back again. Starting from Broadway and the Embarcadero, I was reminded of how scenic San Francisco architecture can be, with the Ferry Building in view in one direction, financial district high rise buildings in another, and then Coit Tower with the silhouette of Marin’s Mt. Tam as its backdrop in another direction.
We saved the walk to the end of Pier 7 for the end of our outing. We started by walking south along the wide sidewalk of the Embarcadero. We made a stop at the indoor public toilets around Pier 3, which are not easy to find at a glance but very handy to know about as the Ferry Building restrooms can get crowded.
There are street vendors selling colorful wares along the front of the Ferry Building. Colorful, historic street cars were in view. We walked all the way to the southern end and then turned toward the bay where there are more outdoor market stalls. Some days there is a farmers market here.
The view of the Bay Bridge, ships and sailboats, Treasure Island, and the East Bay in the distance is stunning on a clear day, and mysterious on a foggy day. We discovered an Upper Deck Viewing Area with a sign inviting visitors to walk upstairs to a platform that extends out for great views of the bay, bridge and more boats.
From there we went inside the Ferry Building and enjoyed window shopping along the many artisanal food shops, the bookstore, restaurants and other shops. There are many temptations, though a full wallet is a big help for some of the shops.
Having walked indoors back to the north end of the Ferry Building, we ventured back outdoors and through the Pier 1, Port of San Francisco archway to walk along the promenade. Here we found bay views ornamented by flower displays, benches, and some restaurant seating. We watched boats skim across the waves with the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island in the background.
We walked back to our starting point of Pier 7, and walked all the way to the end of the pier. Many people were fishing with poles or crab traps. Seagulls watched guard over the wooden path, the vintage streetlamps and benches lining the pier. The end of the pier gave a perfect view back to the pyramid building.
I worried this walk might be too short, but it turned out to be a good couple of miles with all our extra meandering and going to the end of the pier and back. This was a great reminder of the scenery that keeps our hearts in San Francisco.
(Ferry Building/Pier 7-San Francisco Stroll Hike Notes were originally paired with the “California Dreamin’” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
