Lands End & the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Today I spent much of the day visiting and hiking through part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This is Lands End, at the North-West corner of San Francisco. The Coastal Path follows the curves of the cliff top, 200 feet above the sea below. In the late 1880s to 1925, there was a steam train that followed this same path, linking the city to the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths area of Lands End. This was eventually replaced by a street car, but frequent landslides eventually caused it to be shut down. The views are stunning as the path twists and turns, taking you through a cypress forest, eucalyptus trees, tall grasses and wildflowers.

The weather was beautiful, quite warm, and although it was a little cloudy, it was a fog-free day, so the views were not obscured. I enjoyed a small picnic lunch halfway through my walk. (There is a cafe at the newly opened Lands End Lookout Visitor's Center, above Cliff House. I highly recommend the Veggie Wrap!).

After walking along the Coastal Path, I also visited the beautiful exterior of the Legion Of Honor Museum, but I will save a visit to the inside for a cold and foggy day.