Hiking the San Francisco Bay Area; A Guide to the Bay Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures

by Linda Hamilton

• ISBN13: 9780762712069
• ISBN10: 0762712066
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: FalconGuides

Summary

This volume features more than 40 of the Bay Area's greatest hikes, with detailed descriptions and superb maps for each trail. Each chapter also includes an elevation profile, difficulty rating, trail contacts, and much more. This is the best hiking guide available to the San Francisco Bay area.

Author Biography

After nine years of teaching high school English, drama, and college composition, and with an MA in English under her belt, Linda Hamilton set out to achieve the daunting goal of writing for a living. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, American Heritage of Invention and Technology Magazine, MyFamily Travel newsletters, Americaslibrary.gov, and many online business sites. She resides with her husband Doug in their Oakland home.

Table of Contents

Preface	vi
Map Legend	viii
Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(3)
How to Use This Guide	4	(2)
Getting around San Francisco	6	(289)
Point Reyes
1. Mount Wittenberg and Bear Valley Loop	12	(6)
2. Point Reyes National Seashore: Toraales Point	18	(6)
3. Point Reyes National Seashore: Lighthouse and Chimney Rock Trails	24	(6)
4. Point Reyes National Seashore: Palomarin Trailhead to Alamere Falls	30	(6)
5. Toraales Bay State Park: Heart's Desire Beach to Shell Beach	36	(6)
6. Samuel P. Taylor State Park: To the Top of Barnabe Peak	42	(8)
Honorable Mentions
A. Point Reyes National Seashore: Inverness Ridge	47	(1)
B. Point Reyes on Rainy Days	47	(3)
Mount Tamalpais and Its Foothills
7. Muir Woods: Bootjack Trail to Dipsea Trail Loop	50	(7)
8. Phoenix Reservoir: Tucker and Bill Williams Trails	57	(5)
9. Steep Ravine Loop to Stinson Beach	62	(6)
10. East Peak Loop	68	(7)
11. Marin Headlands: Miwok Trail to Point Bonita	75	(8)
12. Marin Municipal Water District: Kent Trail along Alpine Lake	83	(5)
13. Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve	88	(6)
14. Ring Mountain	94	(8)
Honorable Mention
C. Cataract Trail	100	(2)
San Francisco and the Bay
15. Angel Island State Park	102	(6)
16. Cliff House Walk at Land's End	108	(7)
17. Sweeney Ridge: The Portolá Discovery Site	115	(5)
18. The Presidio: Lovers' Lane and the Ecology Trail	120	(7)
19. San Bruno State Park: Summit Loop Trail	127	(9)
Honorable Mention
D. Golden Gate Park	133	(3)
San Mateo County Coastline
20. Pescadero Marsh Trail	136	(7)
21. Butano State Park	143	(7)
22. Alio Nuevo State Park	150	(6)
23. McNee Ranch State Park and Montara State Beach	156	(6)
24. James V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve: The Tide Pool Loop	162	(8)
25. San Pedro Valley County Park	170	(8)
The Northern Santa Cruz Mountains
26. Big Basin State Park: Berry Creek Falls Trail Loop	178	(7)
27. Castle Rock State Park	185	(6)
28. Portola Redwoods State Park	191	(5)
29. Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve	196	(14)
Honorable Mentions
E. Huddart County Park and Phleger Estate	202	(1)
F. Wunderlich County Park	203	(1)
G. Windy Hill Open Space Preserve	203	(1)
H. Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve	204	(1)
I. Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve	204	(1)
J. Monte Bello Open Space Preserve	204	(1)
K. Upper Stevens Creek County Park	205	(1)
L. Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve and County Park	205	(1)
M. Long Ridge Open Space Preserve	206	(1)
N. Pescadero Creek County Park	206	(4)
Mount Diablo and Las Trampas Foothills
30. Las Trampas Regional Wilderness	210	(6)
31. Donner Canyon to the Falls Trail	216	(7)
32. Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve	223	(7)
33. Rock City to the Summit	230	(13)
Honorable Mention
O. Las Trampas Regional Wilderness: The Eugene O'Neill Loop	239	(4)
Three Ridges: San Pablo, the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, and Sunol Ridge
34. Briones Regional Park	243	(7)
35. Redwood Regional Park: East to West Ridge Trails	250	(6)
36. Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve	256	(5)
37. Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve	261	(9)
38. Sunol Regional Wilderness	270	(7)
39. Tilden Regional Park: From Jewel Lake to Wildcat Peak	277	(8)
40. Anthony Chabot Regional Park	285	(10)
Honorable Mentions
P. Tilden Regional Park-Greater Tilden	292	(1)
Q. Briones Reservoir	292	(1)
R. Mission Peak Regional Preserve	293	(1)
S. Coyote Hills Regional Park	294	(1)
The Art of Hiking	295	(19)
Appendix A: Hiking Clubs	314	(7)
Appendix B: Hike Finder	321	(4)
About the Author	325