San Francisco Bay Area Hikes

This is a list of memorable Bay Area hikes in locales where one can assemble routes ranging from leisurely to challenging with enough mileage and vertical gain to stay moderately conditioned for Sierra adventures. My outings typically involve trail running as much as possible and slowing to a hike on steep inclines or whenever I tire.

I provide trip statistics for each of the hikes and when mileage and elevation gain/loss differ across devices and app algorithms, multiple results are listed. I also provide my combined run/hike time for a hike-to-hike reference. A 4-hr hike is roughly 2x more challenging than a 2-hr hike but your time could be different. My time does not include summit breaks.

In addition to common sense practices for staying safe, please be courteous to other trail users and wildlife. Here are some etiquette reminders that are especially appropriate for populated local parks.

Avoid blocking the trail. Whether in a group or alone on a singletrack, always allow faster moving trail users to pass safely. When passing, announce your presence politely.
Keep your noise to a minimum. Be respectful of nature and other trail users. Music from an external speaker and loud conversations distract you and others from enjoying nature.
Wear a mask near others when appropriate.
Do not feed or disturb wildlife.
Do not pick vegetation. Leave rocks alone. Don’t build cairns.
Do not litter. This also applies to biodegradable trash such as apple cores and orange peels.
Stay on designated trails to avoid damage to the ecosystem.
Downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers.
Mountain bikers yield to hikers, hikers and mountain bikers yield to equestrians. However, be courteous. Hikers can move aside for a mountain biker climbing uphill so he doesn’t need to stop.