Shipwrecks. Crashing surf. Gnarly cypress. Wildflowers. If you live in San Francisco, you already know about the spectacular Land’s End Trail that hugs the city’s rugged northwest edge. If you’re visiting with a four-legged friend, put it high on your list of priorities. In springtime, wildflowers add a punch of color to what in any season is a stroll through one million-dollar view after another, all set to the sound of a crashing sea.
There are many points of entry and exit to the Land’s End Trail, but because public transportation is not an option with Buffy, a good starting and ending point is the parking lot at Point Lobos Avenue and El Camino Del Mar. Walk north from there to the Land’s End Overlook for a postcard-framed view of the Golden Gate Bridge, then follow the broad, well-groomed path along a bluff overlooking treacherous waters that have swallowed many a ship over the years. From here you have several options, all of which are rewarding and none of which will get you lost.
Take a steep staircase down to a pocket beach or climb another staircase up to a eucalyptus grove that opens onto Lincoln Park Golf Course, one of the most unexpected sights in San Francisco. Eagle’s Point makes a natural turnaround point; you can loop back from there along the Coastal Trail or follow El Camino del Mar past the Palace of the Legion of Honor and back to the parking lot.
