Overview
Plan Your Trip
Section 1: Candlestick Point, Visitacion Valley, McLaren Park
The trail starts (or ends) at the shore of Candlestick Park State Recreation Area, not far from the former home of the Giants and 49ers. The trail then leads you through the Visitacion Valley Greenway, a string of community parks and gardens that is part outdoor classroom, part neighborhood hub. Finally, you’ll take a walk through McLaren Park, the third largest park in the city.
Section 2: Glen Park Greenway, Glen Canyon Park, Laguna Honda Trail
Section 2 hosts open green spaces and trails, all hiding in the middle of the city. Cut through 60 acres of restored natural habitat at Glen Canyon Park and wind through the Laguna Honda Community Trail System, resurrected in 2019. The only sign that you’re still in San Francisco is the view of Sutro Tower peeking through the tall eucalyptus trees.
Section 3: Golden Gate Heights Park, Grandview Park, Tiled Stairways
The stair section. But stairs lead to elevation and elevation leads to views! While walking down the steps from the sweeping views of Golden Gate Heights’ Grandview Park, don’t forget to look back. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project started in 2003 as a way to connect the community through a project to beautify the neighborhood.
Section 4: Blue Heron Lake, Rose Garden, Park Presidio Boulevard
Section 4 takes you through the east end of Golden Gate Park. After wrapping around Blue Heron Lake, you’ll be taken to the park’s Rose Garden, boasting 60 rosebeds maintained by volunteers. After exiting the park, you’ll be led to Park Presidio Greenway, a tree-lined trail heading north to the Presidio.
Section 5: Presidio, Sea Cliff, Lands End
Veer west and head to the coast. In Section 5, you’ll take a tour of the Presidio’s sand dunes along a boardwalk trail, stroll a stretch of Baker Beach, and catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge before the final stretch of pathway along the rocky cliffs above the mouth of the Bay. Finish your adventure looking out over the Pacific, at the northernmost point of the San Francisco Crosstown Trail.
Plan your trip
Navigation apps
With the AllTrails or OuterSpatial apps, you can preview the route, download maps for offline use, and track your location on the trail in real time.
Maps
These detailed maps (courtesy of Pease Press) show complete street and trail names of the Crosstown Trail:
Turn-by-turn directions
Turn-by-turn directions to follow on the trail, with bathroom information included. Available in both ‘web’ (best for computer or mobile phone use) and ‘PDF’ (best for printer) versions.
Length and terrain
The trail crosses a variety of terrain, from flat streets to steep stairways, sidewalks, paved trails, roads, and gravel.
The full length of the trail is just over 17 miles (with an additional half-mile to get to the trailhead at Candlestick’s Sunrise Point). The trail is a mix of about 45% roads and sidewalks, 15% paved off-road paths, and 40% trails (dirt, improved gravel paths, boardwalks, etc). It has about 2,600 feet of elevation gain heading in either direction. Each section has its own characteristics, as illustrated by the table and profiles below.
Connections to public transit
Section 1 (Southeast SF)
- Muni: T, 8, 9, 8, 14, 29, 44, 14, and 49 lines
- Caltrain: Bayshore Station
- BART: Glen Park Station
Sections 2 and 3 (central SF )
- Muni: 6, 23, 35, 36, 43, 44, 48, 52, and 66 lines
- Light Rail: K, L, & M lines at Forest Hill Station
Sections 4 and 5 (northwest SF )
- Muni: N, 1, 5, 7, 28, 29, 38, and 44 lines.
