Evolving Pathways
            I started creating HikingAutism.com in March of 2018, and some of the trails I visited early on have had upgrades. One of these is Hawk Hill, a high spot above the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands, offering 360-degree views. I’ve kept the original Hawk Hill Hike Notes in place so readers can see the original photo gallery, as I offer updated views of the site in Hawk Hill Revisited.
            Trails change on an ongoing basis in some way. Trees and plants grow and change, soil builds up or erodes, and wild creatures create burrows or paths alongside the trail.
            Seasonally, we may enjoy a brown dirt trail still muddy from spring rains in April, and then walk on the same trail covered with a waxy layer of yellow and orange maple or oak leaves in fall. A leaf skittering across one’s path with the wind changes the shadows, as does the time of day we walk.
            The pathways we walk, even our favorite ones, do not stay stagnant. Life is an art of learning how to navigate ever-evolving passageways.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Hawk Hill Revisited, brings readers back for a visit to the updated trails on Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands (see original Hawk Hill post for photo gallery before the trail upgrade), a place where hawks and other raptors rise high. This 360-degree view peak high above the Golden Gate Bridge not only offers stunning views, but is rich with World War II history, including a once-active Nike defense system.
            Enjoy your favorite paths in life as they shift and transform over time, and keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
New this week:
Hike Notes 229: Hawk Hill Revisited
 

Big and Bold
            Small, delicate blossoms such as of baby’s breath or forget-me-nots are lovely. Charming and understated, they may appear as background support in a bouquet.
            And then there are magnolias. It is hard to ignore the big, bold petals of a magnolia in full bloom, whether in dark pink, pale pink, purple, white, or a blend of these.
            You’d think my family and I would get tired of trudging off to the San Francisco Botanical Garden year after year when we see a notice that the magnolias are blooming, but we answer the siren call annually in late winter.
            The Botanical Garden provides a magnolia map so visitors can find the numerous examples of the dozens of species of magnolias they are home to, but we’ve been so many times that we really don’t need the map.
            Some years we wait too long and show up when many petals have fallen, though it is still visually dramatic to see the ground covered in huge colorful petals.
            This year, however, we hit the magnolias early in prime blooming season, so readers who live within visiting distance have plenty of time to see these stunning trees in full bloom.
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is the Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden, home to more than 200 magnolias (representing 63 species), including rare and historic varieties, along with a vast collection of other fascinating plants from around the world.
            Do you have favorite flowers that you watch for year after year? Enjoy them while they’re in season! Keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 46: Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden

Back On the Trail
            Ahead on the trail, I watch my husband walk alongside my two sons, my autistic son holding the arm of his big brother.
            This was a standard hike view every weekend when my older son lived in San Francisco, but he has been living in London for four years now.
            When he is home at the holidays, it feels like he’s never been gone. Autistic son Sean takes his big brother’s hand when he has a choice of walking partners.
            We enjoy walking on familiar old trails we’ve known since the boys were little. The trails evolve over time, some trees growing taller and others disappearing, pathways widening, or becoming more overgrown with brush. The essence of each trail stays the same though, reflecting its surrounding context of forest, beach, or mountain.
            People also change over the years, but as I watch my sons and husband walk ahead of me, I know that their essence is the same as well. We like revisiting our beloved old trails as much as we do trying new ones.
            Do you have favorite trails that you never get tired of? Enjoy those comfort zone walks, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Lands End Lookout to Mile Rock Beach, introduces readers to one of our old favorites, taking visitors from the historic Sutro Baths along the Coastal Trail to views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Mile Rock Beach.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 3: Lands End Lookout to Mile Rock Beach

Magical Trees
            Have you ever been walking along and suddenly noticed a tree that is so fascinating, it stops you in your tracks? Perhaps you’ve seen a gnarled old oak tree that makes you feel like you are in a Tolkien book, or stood on a hill high above the ocean with a smooth line of land paralleling the horizon except for one grand tree standing iconically in silhouette against the sky.
            Sometimes it’s the close-up view of a tree that draws me in. Patterns of bark on eucalyptus trees, the bright white bark of birch trees, and the reddish-bronze, sinewy surface of madrone bark—all of these make me stop to soak up the visual treasures for a moment.
            How wondrous that something as simple as a tree can stir up strong feelings, and perhaps even buried memories, just by happening upon them as we walk.
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, El Polin Spring-Presidio Walk, takes readers to a historic area of San Francisco’s Presidio that has one of my favorite trees, hidden from easy sight.
            Do you have any special trees that you remember from childhood, or like to visit now? Enjoy that magical feeling, and keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 115: El Polin Spring-Presidio Walk

Winding Through the Trees
            Do I take the short, steep trail that will have me huffing and puffing, but get me to the grand views I’m seeking faster? Or do I take the meandering path that winds through shady trees ornamented by hanging moss, rising up slowly through a eucalyptus grove and then to chapparal terrain?
            Comparing short-and-steep versus long-moderate-incline trail options with the same worthwhile goal at the end is always interesting. The pros and cons of each trail can make it hard to decide which I prefer as the ascending route and descending route when doing a loop hike. 
            Taking the long, slow route for the ascending leg seems like the easy choice, but that didn’t prove to be the case when climbing back up to the high Mt. Tam ridge parking spot I’d started at for a hike down into Muir Woods. The steep short descent felt easy, but a mile and-a-half into the two-mile winding, shallow-incline return trail (every turn inducing an “aren’t we there yet?” grumble), I decided I’d rather have just gone up in one powerful burst.
            In the case of Pedro Point, which has the South Ridge Trail as a quick, heart-chugging option to ascend to stunning ocean views, I concluded that climbing via the shallower, winding forest route of the Arroyo Trail, enjoying the views at the top, and taking the steep South Ridge Trail back down makes for a satisfying loop.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Pedro Point Arroyo Trail, takes readers along the shaded, tree-covered trail leading up to the grand open views that can be seen from Pedro Point South Ridge Trail and Pedro Point Bluff Trail.
            Sometimes a slower, quieter path is as satisfying for reaching a goal as a flashy, bright one. Keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
New this week:
Hike Notes 228: Pedro Point Arroyo Trail

All’s Well
            I treasure the time my older son, who lives and works in London, spends with us at the holidays. He looks forward to longer, sunnier days in California as a contrast to the short dark winter days of England.
            This visit, three quarters of the way through his vacation, most days had been rainy or overcast. Some special hikes and day trips I had planned required better weather, and our time was waning. The four or five big outings I’d hoped for were impossible in the time we had left.
            A photo shoot on Mt. Tam had been burning in my head, my one do-or-die hope for this holiday visit. I’ve hiked the Dipsea-Steep Ravine trail loop several times, and posted about the Dipsea Trail in the past, but was long overdue to write up the Steep Ravine section of the hike. Those trailheads are packed on weekends. The darkness of the deep forest trail meant that my prior hike photos were blurry or dark.
            One week remaining, and the sun finally came out. My husband covered for my usual weekday afternoon caregiving duties for our younger son, giving me a few extra hours of freedom to take my older son on a mountain hike.
            We hit the trail on a weekday morning, free from the weekend warrior crowds. We soaked up Mt. Tam’s magic, with its mixture of ferns and moss, redwoods and oak trees, light and shadow. We made our way down and up stone stairs, wood stairs, and trails made more interesting by jutting roots and the occasional fallen tree. We stopped to look at countless unnamed falls as the water rushed down the ravine. It was the hike I’d hoped for.
            I’ll post the Steep Ravine Hike Notes soon, but this week’s Hike Notes from the archives is the Dipsea Trail from Pantoll, a trail famous for the footrace of the same name, featuring wide open views of the ocean, lovely mysterious forest paths, and what seem like endless wooden stairs down to the bottom of the ravine.
            Darker days all feel brighter in retrospect when the sun shines at the end. Keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 122: Dipsea Trail from Pantoll
 

We Can’t Control the Weather
            “We’re for sure going to do the Steep Ravine-Dipsea loop and a day trip to Point Reyes!,” I told myself repeatedly before my older son came home from London for the holidays. I spend the whole year saving special outings for the time he’s here with us during holiday break.
            London weather had been especially cold, dark and wet in recent weeks, and he was looking forward to brighter skies and a bit of sunny outdoor time.
            Nature had other plans. Not only did the cold, dark, wet weather seem to follow him, but we’ve been hit with multiple power outages since before Christmas. The darkness was darker, and the coldness was colder. At least we stayed dry indoors.
            On a rare rain-free day, we jumped in the car and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge, with Marin County and its scenic hiking trails typically just a few minutes away.
            Everyone else on holiday break had the same idea. The traffic toward Marin was so jammed that we exited before the bridge and hiked in San Francisco instead, which fortunately offers countless great options.
            Another day the plan was for just my older son and I to do a deep forest hike and photo shoot on Mt. Tam, but overcast skies and the threat of more rain squelched that plan as well.
            Instead, we did one of my son’s favorites, a hilly walk in Buena Vista Park, followed by a fun amble along Haight Street checking out shops, bookstores, and eateries. It wasn’t my intended grand mountain hike, but it was still a special walk together, umbrellas in hand.
            Nature has a way of overriding plans. Being flexible allows us to make the most of our time, even when things don’t go according to our wishes. Go with the flow, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Buena Vista Park Stroll, leads readers on a hilly hike with dramatic views from the top and pathways lined in part by pieces of granite headstones.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 103: Buena Vista Park Stroll

Holiday Blues
             On our day-after-Christmas walk at Fort Mason in San Francisco, we saw this forlorn pelican sitting alone next to a building. He reminded me of a person feeling lonely and out of sorts.
            Holiday advertisements feature smiling faces, families celebrating happily together. We see the perfect image of warmth, love and comfort.
            Despite—or perhaps because of—such high expectations, many people feel sadness, disappointment or loneliness during holiday season. Even for those of us who consistently find joy in the holidays, they may also be marked by memories of loved ones who are no longer with us. 
            The holidays can also bring feelings of pressure to spend money, to socialize more than usual, and to keep up with busy schedules that disrupt our routines. This in turn leads to stress. Pacing ourselves is not a sign of weakness, it is the wise choice.
            Being patient with ourselves, especially if we are experiencing heart-tugging memories, is important. Being kind and understanding to others who do not find joy in the holidays might be the most important gift we give.
           This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Fort Mason Stairs to Hyde Street Pier, leads readers on a hike that features a stop at Black Point Battery with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge looking out from a historic cannon site.
            Do you experience mixed feelings during the holidays? Be kind to yourself and keep an open heart for others who may find holidays challenging. Simple kindness can make a world of difference. Keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 58: Fort Mason Stairs to Hyde Street Pier

Tiny Treasures
            When we think of famous cities, we think of iconic locations—the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome, Tower Bridge in London—but countless wonderful locations may not be so easily found by visitors.
            San Francisco has many famous sites where tourists flock, but it also features numerous hidden treasures. Some of San Francisco’s magical spots, including charming stairways, pedestrian paths, and tiny parks with grand views, are interwoven within residential areas.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Ina Coolbrith Park-San Francisco, introduces readers to one such hidden jewel, a tiny park at the top of San Francisco’s Russian Hill with glorious views of the bay, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Bay Bridge.
            Keep your eyes open for hidden treasures where you live, and keep putting one foot forward!
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
 
New this week:
Hike Notes 227: Ina Coolbrith Park-San Francisco
 

The Dream in the Distance
            Dirt trail underfoot, I stop for a moment to shade the sun from my eyes and look off into the distance. The late afternoon December haze softens the edges of the rolling hills to my left. Beyond the hills rise glimmering buildings of varying heights, a shining city beckoning from afar.
            There are trails in the Marin Headlands which offer views of the San Francisco skyline that remind me of the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz, a movie I watched every year as a kid in pre-streaming, pre-DVD, pre-VHS days when it showed up only as an annual special feature on one of the major broadcasting channels.
            The Emerald City image gave the illusion of being just out of reach. If you just walked a little bit further, you’d reach the goal. And you’d walk further, and it would still be far away.
            That’s how publishing feels. I have many friends who write and like me, have repeatedly banged their heads against the same multi-faceted brick wall which makes finding a traditional publishing deal increasingly difficult in recent years.
            The advice I heard over and over was to keep trying. Nothing will happen if you give up.
            Getting our severely autistic son out on hiking trails improved his and our lives immeasurably. Driven by a desire to share helpful aspects of my family’s experience, I never stopped trying to find an agent or publisher who might be interested in helping me get a book on that theme out.
            I finally found a great agent who guided me in the right direction, and am happy to say that Autism Outdoors: A Guide to Spending Time in Nature will be published by Globe Pequot/Falcon Guides, probably in early 2027. I’ll share more details as the book comes closer to being available, but in the meantime, thanks to the countless readers who have shared their thoughts in response to HikingAutism Insights, and to wonderful people along my publishing path, too many to name here, who have helped me along the way.
            Do you have a dream that looks like an impossible magical place you’ll never get to? Don’t stop trying. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Tennessee Valley Fox Trail, a lesser traveled extension above the popular Tennessee Valley trail that offers some ethereal views.
            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, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 42: Tennessee Valley Fox Trail