Lobos Creek to Baker Beach
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: El Camino del Mar, a few yards east of 25th Ave., San Francisco, 94121, the Presidio
Directions: Use street parking anywhere near El Camino del Mar and 25th Ave. There is also a Baker Beach parking lot, but that often gets crowded on weekends and in good weather.
Starting Point: On the north side of El Camino del Mar, walking east from 25th Ave., just past the last house, look to your left and spot the well-worn dirt path below the traffic barrier fence. This is the path start for this walk, and is not marked on most maps.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links are sometimes changed at the source unexpectedly. We do our best to update.)
General info link describing Lobos Creek Valley in the Presidio (though this walk is a separate trail from that official trail):
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/lobos-creek-valley.htm
Baker Beach info link:
http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/baker-beach.html
Map links:
Under Google Maps, input Lobos Creek, and zoom in on Lobos Creek to the north and west of El Camino Del Mar. The path is not marked but follows the line shown for Lobos Creek.
National Park Service map link (zoom in using + mark):
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Distance:
My maps aren’t showing exact distances, but the creek side path from the El Camino del Mar near 25th Ave. trail start to Baker Beach is probably 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile. We usually make a loop by walking north on Baker Beach (toward Golden Gate Bridge), taking the main path up to the parking lot, and then taking the woodsy path that leads back toward El Camino del Mar. That is probably a mile long loop total.
Considerations:
• This is not a marked trail on most maps. The trail exists, but it follows along Lobos Creek as noted on maps between El Camino del Mar and Baker Beach.
• Toilet facilities are available in the Baker Beach parking lot.
• There is an official Lobos Creek path on a wooden boardwalk that starts from near intersection of El Camino del Mar and Howard Road on the east side of El Camino. This short unmarked walk is separate from that walk. The official Lobos Creek walk will be covered in a future post.
The trail:
Find the path start to your left as you walk on the north side of El Camino del Mar, just east of 25th Ave. The traffic barrier fence has a wide enough opening for most people to dip under the fence and drop down to the path. It is just past the last house as open space begins.
The brown earth path drops down and then veers toward Lobos Creek to the left. This is the last naturally flowing stream remaining in San Francisco. There are some scenic stairways, houses, and a gazebo in view as you walk with the creek to your left.
The scenery becomes something like a cross between a “My Neighbor Totoro” tree tunnel and sci-fi vibe ivy-covered trees a la “Stranger Things” as you follow the path hugging the creek.
The hollows under the trees are both intriguing and a little bit scary.
Vines and trees narrow the path as you come up on a metal fence bordering the right as you pass the water processing facility.
This suddenly opens out onto Baker Beach, a very popular spot in warm weather, with amazing views of Sea Cliff houses behind, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands across the way.
We often hang out on Baker Beach enjoying the scenery for a bit, and then walk north on the beach to the main parking lot. There are portable toilet facilities there.
From this point, we often walk through the parking lot to where a path opens toward the right, and make our way through the more open woods scenery back to El Camino del Mar. Once bordering the road, you’ll see your path back up to climb onto the sidewalk.
Another option is to simply walk from the Baker Beach parking lot along the road to El Camino del Mar and follow the sidewalk back to your starting point.
(Lobos Creek to Baker Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Passing Through Fences” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! 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: El Camino del Mar, a few yards east of 25th Ave., San Francisco, 94121, the Presidio
Directions: Use street parking anywhere near El Camino del Mar and 25th Ave. There is also a Baker Beach parking lot, but that often gets crowded on weekends and in good weather.
Starting Point: On the north side of El Camino del Mar, walking east from 25th Ave., just past the last house, look to your left and spot the well-worn dirt path below the traffic barrier fence. This is the path start for this walk, and is not marked on most maps.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links are sometimes changed at the source unexpectedly. We do our best to update.)
General info link describing Lobos Creek Valley in the Presidio (though this walk is a separate trail from that official trail):
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/lobos-creek-valley.htm
Baker Beach info link:
http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/baker-beach.html
Map links:
Under Google Maps, input Lobos Creek, and zoom in on Lobos Creek to the north and west of El Camino Del Mar. The path is not marked but follows the line shown for Lobos Creek.
National Park Service map link (zoom in using + mark):
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Distance:
My maps aren’t showing exact distances, but the creek side path from the El Camino del Mar near 25th Ave. trail start to Baker Beach is probably 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile. We usually make a loop by walking north on Baker Beach (toward Golden Gate Bridge), taking the main path up to the parking lot, and then taking the woodsy path that leads back toward El Camino del Mar. That is probably a mile long loop total.
Considerations:
• This is not a marked trail on most maps. The trail exists, but it follows along Lobos Creek as noted on maps between El Camino del Mar and Baker Beach.
• Toilet facilities are available in the Baker Beach parking lot.
• There is an official Lobos Creek path on a wooden boardwalk that starts from near intersection of El Camino del Mar and Howard Road on the east side of El Camino. This short unmarked walk is separate from that walk. The official Lobos Creek walk will be covered in a future post.
The trail:
Find the path start to your left as you walk on the north side of El Camino del Mar, just east of 25th Ave. The traffic barrier fence has a wide enough opening for most people to dip under the fence and drop down to the path. It is just past the last house as open space begins.
The brown earth path drops down and then veers toward Lobos Creek to the left. This is the last naturally flowing stream remaining in San Francisco. There are some scenic stairways, houses, and a gazebo in view as you walk with the creek to your left.
The scenery becomes something like a cross between a “My Neighbor Totoro” tree tunnel and sci-fi vibe ivy-covered trees a la “Stranger Things” as you follow the path hugging the creek.
The hollows under the trees are both intriguing and a little bit scary.
Vines and trees narrow the path as you come up on a metal fence bordering the right as you pass the water processing facility.
This suddenly opens out onto Baker Beach, a very popular spot in warm weather, with amazing views of Sea Cliff houses behind, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands across the way.
We often hang out on Baker Beach enjoying the scenery for a bit, and then walk north on the beach to the main parking lot. There are portable toilet facilities there.
From this point, we often walk through the parking lot to where a path opens toward the right, and make our way through the more open woods scenery back to El Camino del Mar. Once bordering the road, you’ll see your path back up to climb onto the sidewalk.
Another option is to simply walk from the Baker Beach parking lot along the road to El Camino del Mar and follow the sidewalk back to your starting point.
(Lobos Creek to Baker Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Passing Through Fences” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
