Bicycle Northbound

Crosstown Trail Bike Cue Sheet, Northbound

Note: This route is a combination of roads, paved pathways, and dirt trails. Several sections have stairways or other barriers, a detour is provided for each of them. No detour is provided for singletrack trails but connections are available on roads.

Section 1 - Bike North

Sunrise Point/Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to Glen Park BART
5.3 miles / 820' elevation gain

  • Section 1 North begins at Sunrise Point, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, at paved roundabout with nearby restrooms.
  • Note: If you park in Candlestick SRA parking areas, note closure time on signs (e.g. 5PM). Cars left after hours are subject to being fined and locked in.
  • Take left fork and continue west on paved path, with views of water on both sides.
  • Continue left at next fork.
  • Past Pelican Group Picnic Area and restrooms, turn left to go through parking lot.
  • NOTE: Trail drops to rocky beach at this point; to detour around, turn right at Parking Lot, ride to exit of park, turn left on Hunters Pt Expressway, turn left at stop sign onto Harney Way, and turn left at crosswalk into Candlestick Park and turn right onto dirt path.
  • Cross wooden footbridge beyond west end of parking lot.
  • Trail becomes rocky shoreline for short stretch, then resumes.
  • Continue past closed fishing pier.
  • Trail continues as path alongside road. (Note: Resume route from detour above)
  • Continue along path immediately adjacent to Harney Way. You will go past concrete traffic barriers and then a small parking lot.
  • Do not miss this turn: Stay on path next to road until you arrive at a zebra crossing on your right across from the west end of a large, orange condo complex.
  • Note: If the trail turns to concrete, you have gone too far. Go back to the zebra crossing.
  • Cross Harney Way at crosswalk. Proceed one block up Executive Park Blvd.
  • Proceed one block up Executive Park.
  • Turn left to remain on Executive Park.
  • Continue through tunnel; you are now on Blanken in Little Hollywood neighborhood.
  • Turn left at end of Blanken on Bayshore Blvd., opposite MUNI Metro T-Third stop at Arleta.
  • Turn right at Leland Ave. (Second stoplight).
  • On Leland, opposite Peabody, turn right into Hans Schiller Plaza, marked by three tiled columns. You are now entering Visitacion Valley Greenway.
  • NOTE: Trail through Visitacion Valley Greenway is narrow and has a stairway at one point. Walk your bike. To go around, continue on Leland to Rutland and ride Rutland uphill to Tioga. Turn left on Tioga.
  • Cross Raymond, ascend Greenway three blocks.
  • Turn left at Teddy and turn right mid-block to continue up Greenway.
  • Turn left at Campbell.
  • Turn right at Rutland, and proceed uphill one block to Tucker.
  • Cross Tucker and turn left.
  • Turn right into Greenway.
  • Exit Greenway at Tioga and turn left. (Note: Resume route from detour.)
  • Turn right at Delta.
  • Turn left at Wilde, enter McLaren Park. Take paved trail uphill.
  • Note: Trail through McLaren may be narrow and has several stairways. You may need to walk your bike. To detour around, go back to Delta, ride uphill one block to Hamilton, ride uphill one block to Mansell, turn left on Mansell. Continue onto bike way. Turn right on Shelley Drive, then right on Cambridge to Bacon.
  • At top of stairway, you have reached an intersection with Philosopher's Way, marked with arrows on stone columns. Turn left and left again to reach intersection of Visitacion and Mansell .
  • Cross Visitacion and Mansell.
  • Continue along Philosopher’s Way by heading directly north on the paved path through the Cypress Allee. (Restrooms past tennis courts on your left.)
  • Proceed downhill and northwest, following Philosopher’s Way arrows across a road.
  • Cross Shelley Dr. and follow Philosopher’s Way arrows as trail curves right, past caretaker’s cottage. (Restrooms at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater to your left).
  • Continue straight along the paved path, leaving Philosopher’s Way, to the intersection of Shelley Dr. and Cambridge Dr..
  • Cross intersection and pick up paved path on left (approximately 30 feet down Cambridge).
  • Proceed west on trail. At next fork, bear right and right again. Pass restrooms on right and Yosemite Marsh on the left.
  • Exit McLaren Park at Bacon and Oxford.
  • Turn right on Bacon St.
  • Turn left on Cambridge and ride seven blocks to Hwy. 280. (Note: Resume route from detour.)
  • Cross Hwy. 280 on St. Mary’s Park Footbridge and go uphill, passing trail to Alemany Farm.
  • At path’s end, exit St. Mary’s Recreation Center (restrooms) onto Murray.
  • Cross Mission and continue west on Bosworth.
  • Section ends at Glen Park BART Station at Bosworth and Diamond.

Section 2 - Bike North

Glen Park BART Station to Forest Hill MUNI Metro Station
3.1 miles / 720' of elevation gain

  • Section 2 North starts at the intersection of Bosworth and Diamond, at Glen Park BART.
  • Ride uphill (west) on Bosworth Street.
  • Where bike lane ends at sign for Glen Park Rec Center, continue on sidewalk path to climb O'Shaughnessy Blvd. (Note: restrooms at Rec Center.)
  • At top of O'Shaugnessy turn right onto Portola then immediately left onto Twin Peaks Blvd.
  • Ride up Twin Peaks one block, turn left on Panorama.
  • At the crest of the hill, just past Mountview, switch to dirt trail on the left side of the street.
  • Bear left on dirt trail to enter the Laguna Honda Community Trail System.
  • Follow Troop 88 Trail to the hospital parking lot.
  • Follow the curb on north end of parking lot (side closest to Sutro Tower). Pass a stop sign and then turn right at the Steep Ravine Trail sign.
  • Follow a number of switchbacks downhill and stay on dirt trail into wooded area.
  • Continue down the dirt trail approximately 1/3 mile to a junction. Bear left onto Clarendon Knob Trail and go up hill.
  • At the next junction (near the edge of the parking lot), bear left onto Sherwood Road Trail.
  • Continue about 1/3 mile to a trail kiosk. Turn left “to Forest Hill Muni”, then immediately right down a semi-paved path and stairway.
  • Note: to detour around stairway, from kiosk continue on Victory Trail 1/4 mile to street, then turn left on Laguna Honda Blvd and ride uphill to Muni station.
  • Cross Laguna Honda Boulevard at crosswalk.
  • Section 2 ends at Forest Hill MUNI Station.

Section 3 - Bike North

Forest Hill MUNI Metro Station to Intersection of Judah and 16th Avenue
2.3 miles / 450' of elevation gain

  • Section 3 starts at Forest Hill MUNI Station.
  • Note: This neighborhood is a maze of twisty streets.
  • Ride uphill on Laguna Honda Boulevard. Stay in right lane.
  • Continue straight at traffic light onto Dewey.
  • At first stop sign (marked Pacheco), bear right onto Dorantes. Note that this is the street to the left side of the triangular lawn and fountain.
  • Continue 2 blocks to San Marcos.
  • Turn right on San Marcos.
  • Continue up San Marcos, past the 'Not a Through Street' sign.
  • At the next intersection, also marked 'Not a Through Street', make a 180 degree right turn to continue on San Marcos. (Note: this is a sort of 4 way intersection where all legs are San Marcos.)
  • Turn left on Mesa.
  • Turn left on 9th Ave
  • Continue right on 12th Ave.
  • Turn left on Quintara.
  • Turn right on 14th Avenue.
  • Continue on 14th along the Green Hairstreak Corridor and passing Rocky Outcrop to Noriega.
  • Bear left on Noriega. Pass stairway to Grandview Park.
  • Turn left on Aloha.
  • Turn left on Lomita
  • Continue straight on 16th Ave to Moraga (bottom of 16th Ave Tiled Steps)
  • Turn right on Moraga.
  • Turn right on 17th.
  • Turn right on Kirkham and go one block to 16th (bottom of Hidden Garden Steps).
  • Turn left on 16th and go one block to Irving.
  • Section 3 North ends at 16th and Judah. (Note: Bicycles are not allowed on N Judah; bus routes 28, 7, 43, 44, and 6 are nearby).

Section 4 - Bike North

Judah and 16th Avenue Across Golden Gate Park to Geary and Presidio Parkway
2.2 miles / 100' elevation gain

  • Section 4 North starts at 16th and Judah. (Note: Bicycles are not allowed on N Judah; bus routes 28, 7, 43, 44, and 6 are nearby)
  • Ride down (North) 16th Avenue to Irving and turn left.
  • Turn right at 20th Avenue.
  • Continue straight into Golden Gate Park on path. (Note: restrooms available on MLK just east of Crossover Drive).
  • Use crosswalk on right side of intersection to cross MLK Drive, a small asphalt island, and Transverse Drive.
  • Turn left on narrow dirt trail. Note: You are now following the route defined by the Golden Gate Park Multi Use Trails Pilot; there will be occasional directional signs.
  • Follow trail to intersection of JFK and Transverse Drive.
  • Cross Transverse and JFK to NW corner. (Note: Water fountain.)
  • Continue north on wide dirt trail along Transverse to next crosswalk.
  • Cross Transverse, then cross Crossover Drive (watch for traffic going to/from Hwy 1).
  • Turn right on narrow dirt trail.
  • Bear left at next fork, follow trail to intersection of Fulton and Park Presidio.
  • Cross Fulton and Park Presidio to NE Corner. You are now leaving Golden Gate Park.
  • Head north on wide dirt path in Presidio Park Greenway on right.
  • Follow Presidio Park Greenway to Geary Blvd. by crossing Cabrillo, Balboa, and Anza at traffic lights .
  • Section 4 of Crosstown Trail ends at Geary Blvd. and Presidio Park Greenway.

Section 5 - Bike North

Geary and Park Presidio to Lands End
3.2 miles / 350' elevation gain

  • Section 5 starts at the intersection of Geary and Park Presidio.
  • Head to the NE corner and head North on wide dirt trail in Park Presidio Greenway.
  • Cross Clement and California Streets using traffic lights on Park Presidio Blvd.
  • At Lake Street, turn left.
  • Follow Lake Street Bike Lane; jog left then right at 28th to stay on Lake.
  • At end of road, turn Left onto El Camino del Mar.
  • At top of hill (intersection with Legion of Honor), turn right onto paved golf course trail. (Note: restrooms and water nearby: continue straight on El Camino del Mar, then bear left on driveway behind museum and follow to end.)
  • Note: While the Coastal Trail ahead was once a railroad grade, parts of it slipped long ago. One section has a steep descent and stairway ascent. To detour, turn left at Legion of Honor, right on Clement, which turns to Seal Rock; left at end of Seal Rock on El Camino del Mar, and right onto Point Lobos to end route at Visitor Center on right.
  • Go down and left through golf course to reach Coastal Trail.
  • Turn left on Coastal Trail, towards USS SF Memorial.
  • Follow route past several lookouts and bear right to reach Visitors Center.
  • Crosstown Trail ends at Lands End Lookout Visitor Center. (restrooms, water, cafe, visitor info.)