
We’re highlighting awe-inspiring natural habitats along the Trail, with links to more information and the many organizations that take care of nature in SF – from CA State Parks in the south to the National Park Service in the north, with many city agencies and neighborhood organizations in between. You can Help the Trail by volunteering with these organizations!
Thanks to Zaina Habib and Yibin Zhu, students at a San Francisco public high school, who helped create Nature on the Trail during their Climate Career Corps internship. Led by Enterprise for Youth in partnership with Nature in the City, the Climate Career Corps gives San Francisco’s young people opportunities to learn about and gain experience in “green careers.”
We start with Sections 1 and 2, going south to north. Explore nature in Sections 3, 4 and 5 in More Nature on the Trail. See Plan Your Trip for full Trail directions.
Section 1: Sunrise Point at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to Glen Park BART Station
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

At the south, Section 1 starts at Candlestick Point SRA, one of over 280 CA State Park sites (Sunrise Point map link). Built on landfill that surrounds much of the SF Bay shoreline, Candlestick’s 252 acres include tidal wetlands, coastal scrub and grasslands, and oak and pine woodlands.

This constructed landscape supports migratory water and shore birds (we didn’t see many in June) and year-round woodland and scrub residents, as well as abundant and curious California ground squirrels. From the Sunrise Point pier you can see what Bay life locals catch with their fishing poles and nets. Candlestick Point is undergoing major clean-up and restoration. Read more in the Park Brochure and visit frequently to see how it’s changing.
Visitacion Valley Greenway

The Visitacion Valley Greenway spans multiple blocks going uphill from Leland to Tioga (map link). The Greenway is divided into six publicly-owned, block-long parcels, each with a unique design and purpose. The Greenway practices the prevention of soil erosion, water-wise irrigation, and drought-resistant planting. Habitats include a CA native plant garden, children’s play garden, fruit and street trees, agricultural crops, an herb garden, and lawn areas for play and picnics. We saw abundant wildflower blooms and the CA Buckeye trees were stunning.

Public art, created by community members, blends beautifully with the natural landscapes: a new native species mural at Leland, nature-themed metalwork gates, mosaics and other installations. Developed over multiple years by members of the Visitacion Valley Greenway Project in partnership with SF Rec & Park and the Trust for Public Land, the Greenway offers natural beauty any time of year.
John McLaren Park
The Trail enters McLaren Park at a hill of native and nonnative grasses and wildflowers, with sweeping views towards Bayview Park and the Bay and San Bruno Mountain to the south (at the end of Wilde). This grassland was golden brown when we hiked through and would be colorful with wildflowers and grasses in winter and spring.
In addition to grassland, the short stretch through McLaren Park includes:

Woodlands: California natives such as Monterey cypress and coast live oak and introduced species such as eucalyptus thrive here. We saw many bird species: red-shouldered hawk; American robin; California scrub jay; crow; and finches and sparrows.
CA Native Garden: features CA poppy (Eschscholzia californica), yarrow, CA lilac, tall evening primrose, and other native and introduced species. Someone is taking good care of this little patch! (at the corner of Shelley Drive and Cambridge).

Yosemite Marsh: this small freshwater wetland supports plants like juncus (Juncus spp, also called rushes), ferns and willows, as well as turtles, fish, and insects. Fed by a nearby spring, Yosemite Marsh is one of the few places where Yosemite Creek is “daylighted” (not buried underground) as it flows out to SF Bay at Yosemite Slough, just north of where Section 1 begins in Candlestick SRA. (near the corner of Bacon and Oxford, across from the restrooms and picnic tables). Read more about Yosemite Creek in the Spots Unknown blog.
McLaren Park is overseen by SF Rec & Park, with many groups that are members of the McLaren Park Collaborative. Learn more in this June 2023 SF Gate article and Wikipedia.
“I’ve learned about different plant and bird species and about the importance of maintaining and restoring nature across the City. Walking the SF Crosstown Trail, I found it interesting that the sections are so distinct and have different vibes and display different habitats.” – Zaina H.
Section 2: Glen Park BART Station to Forest Hill MUNI Metro Station
Glen Park Greenway

The south end of Section 2 enters the Glen Park Greenway just off Diamond (at Kern and Brompton). The Greenway runs several blocks along what was Islais Creek (more about the Creek below). The first section is a restored CA native meadow, planted with many grasses and flowering shrubs. When we visited, the golden grasses were displaying their beautiful seeds!

The next block is undergoing restoration as a CA native woodland, with several species of oak (Quercus spp) and other native trees. Great to see how these habitats are being cared for by the Friends of the Glen Park Greenway – read more about their restoration plans and consider joining them for a volunteer event!
As you leave the Greenway at Burnside, a beautiful mural highlights native species, many that you may see along the Crosstown Trail. At Elk, a pollinator garden at a day care center features both native and introduced flowering plants. A good place to stop and look for insects!

Glen Canyon

The Glen Park Recreation Center is surrounded by beautiful CA native and other mediterranean climate landscaping, including flannel bush, colorful yarrow, and many sages. Further along, the Trail enters Glen Canyon. Managed by SF Rec & Park, the Canyon encompasses nearly 70 acres of beautiful grassland, woodland, rocky outcrop, and riparian (along creeks or streams) habitats – a wild landscape in the middle of the city!
Rocky Outcrop: on the right, the exposed rocks support native bluff lettuce (Dudleya farinosa), stonecrop (Sedum spp) and other succulents and stone-loving plants. The hillside also supports grasses and coastal scrub plants like coyote brush and sages. Worth a short detour to climb up and explore more closely!

Islais Creek: along the left of the Trail is one of a handful of creeks in San Francisco, flowing from Twin Peaks through Glen Canyon on its way to the Bay. Islais Creek, which may be just a trickle in summer, provides habitat for water-loving plants like ferns and horsetails (Equisetunm spp) and insects and other critters. Supposedly, Islais Creek provided 85% or SF’s freshwater in the 1880s (read more about Glen Canyon Natural History). Now, Glen Canyon is the only place in SF where Islais Creek is “daylighted.”
Laguna Honda Trail System
After crossing Portola and beginning to climb up Twin Peaks, the Trail veers off the sidewalk into the Laguna Honda Trail System (see map). The woodland habitat consists mostly of various types of eucalyptus, native to Australia, and Monterey cypress, a CA native from the Monterey Peninsula. Both species were planted throughout San Francisco and dominate many woodland areas along the Trail.
Thickets of invasive Himalayan blackberry and English ivy, poison hemlock, as well as native poison oak, grow wildly here. As the Trail opens up behind Laguna Honda Hospital, a sunny hillside hosts CA native wildflowers and grasses, and a nice view of the Hospital gardens (not open to the public). We were happy to see such bright flowers on the foggy “June Gloom” day we hiked here!



This is a steep, gnarly landscape to restore and maintain. If you’d like to help out, SF Urban Riders organizes volunteer events to construct and maintain over three miles of multi-use trails. Read more about the Laguna Honda Community Trail Project in SF Gate.
Explore nature in Sections 3, 4 and 5 in More Nature on the Trail.
Written by Helen Doyle (LinkedIn) with research and photos from Yibin Zhu and Zaina Habib.