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Nature & History Coastal Walk

Experience wild open spaces, historic gun batteries, and Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge views.

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Experience nature, visit historic sites, and enjoy bridge and ocean views from beautiful scenic vistas.

If you’re looking for hiking in San Francisco that feels like it’s a world away from the city, don’t miss this experience.

This loop traces parts of two Golden Gate hiking trails: the California Coastal Trail and the Batteries to Bluffs Trail. Along the way, you’ll see historic gun batteries, enjoy views of the bridge from the Golden Gate Overlook, and soak in the grandeur of the ocean from the Pacific Overlook.

The journey includes a final stop at Round House Café to refuel after your adventure.

This itinerary includes 2.4 miles of walking and takes about two hours. Dogs are not permitted on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Interests
  • History
  • Nature and Sustainability
  • Recreation
Estimated Time 
  • 2 hours
Age Level
  • 6+
What to bring
  • Hat and Sunscreen
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Water and snacks
  • Extra layers

Mapping Your Day 

Map indicating the stops on the Nature and History Coastal Walk itinerary.

Mapping Your Day

Stop 1: Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
Stop 2: Battery Boutelle
Stop 3: Golden Gate Overlook
Stop 4: Marshall’s Beach
Stop 5: Battery Crosby
Stop 6: Baker Beach
Stop 7: Pacific Overlook
Stop 8: Final Stop – Round House Café

Nearest Parking

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge District website for comprehensive info on parking in the area.

Stop 1: Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

Start your adventure at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, where you can grab a map, a bridge-themed postcard, or a jacket in case it’s a little chillier than expected.

 

Tip: Restrooms are located at the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Plaza across from the Welcome Center.

 

Directions: Pick up the California Coastal Trail in front of the Round House Café and follow it 0.4 miles west to your next stop, Battery Boutelle.

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center with the bridge and blue skies in the background.Photo by Myleen Hollero.

Nature Notes 

Our goal is to make sure people can enjoy the Presidio’s natural beauty for generations to come. We work to protect native plants and animals while reducing our impact on the environment.

Wildlife Along the Trails

Along the Batteries to Bluffs and California Coastal Trail, look for fence lizards, coast garter snakes, banana slugs, and red paint-brush seaside daisies. Peer out to the ocean to spot Red-tailed Hawks and V-shaped formations of Brown Pelicans.

Red-tailed Hawk in the sky.Red-tailed Hawk in the sky. Photo by David Assman.

Stop 2: Battery Boutelle

Completed in 1901, Battery Boutelle is named for Lieutenant Henry M. Boutelle, Third Artillery Regiment, who was killed in action near Aliago, Philippine Islands in 1899. The battery’s three 5-inch rapid-fire guns on balanced pillar mounts had a field of fire over the entire outer harbor except for Baker Beach and the area immediately under the bluffs at Fort Point. In 1918, during World War One, the Army removed the guns and sent them to Europe for service there. The battery was never rearmed.

 

Directions: Walk for a short distance along the trail and turn left at the stairs to reach your next stop: Golden Gate Overlook.

 

Battery Boutelle with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Stop 3: Golden Gate Overlook

This Golden Gate viewpoint frames both towers of the bridge between historic cypress trees. The curved concrete plaza has wooden benches where you can rest and enjoy the view.

 

Tip: If you want to take a break, benches are built right into the overlook’s curved walls.

 

Directions: Go back down the stairs to the California Coastal Trail and turn left to continue south for 0.2 miles. When you reach a fork, take the stairs on the right to enter the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Golden Gate Overlook with two trees framing the bridge and two people sitting on the ledge talking.

Stop 4: Marshall's Beach

Walk along the short but invigorating Batteries to Bluffs Trail, a majestic route that snakes along the Presidio’s wild western shore. It leads to petite and beautiful Marshall’s Beach which local reporters often rave about. Take a moment to explore with your senses – listen to the foghorn, feel the mist coming off the water, and smell the salty ocean air.

 

Tip: Don’t miss the serpentine rock formations and native wildflowers.

 

Directions: Walk uphill to return to the Batteries to Bluffs Trail and then continue south a short distance to your next stop – Battery Crosby.

The water and the rugged shoreline at Marshall’s Beach.Photo by Paul Myers.

Stop 5: Battery Crosby

Battery Crosby is named for Lieutenant Franklin B. Crosby, Fourth Artillery Regiment, who was killed in a Civil War battle in Virginia in 1863. This battery was built to protect underwater minefields laid outside the Golden Gate and was completed and armed in 1900. In 1943, the Army closed the battery, and its guns were scrapped.

 

Directions: Keep walking south until the Batteries to Bluffs Trail reconnects with the California Coastal Trail at Lincoln Boulevard. A short distance further to the south you’ll reach your next stop – the Sand Ladder to Baker Beach.

A man and woman walk near Battery Crosby.

Stop 6: Baker Beach

Head down the Sand Ladder to one of San Francisco’s most iconic beaches, Baker Beach. This mile-long sandy shoreline offers amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Tip: Toss out a blanket and rest before your return journey.

 

Directions: Walk back up the Sand Ladder to connect to the California Coastal Trail. Take a left and walk north until you reach your next stop, the Pacific Overlook.

People walking off the trail toward Baker Bridge with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.Photo by Myleen Hollero.

Stop 7: Pacific Overlook

This overlook offers a spectacular view of the Presidio’s Coastal Bluffs and the Pacific Ocean all the way from Lands End to the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll find rustic, wooden benches made with reclaimed Presidio Monterey cypress trees and two interpretive waysides.

 

Tip: On a clear day, see if you can spot the Farallon Islands 27 miles off the coast.

 

Directions: Head north along the California Coastal Trail for 0.3 miles, passing the Golden Gate Overlook and the batteries on your left. Return to the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Plaza where you’ll find the Round House Café.

Runner at Pacific Overlook with Golden Gate Bridge to the right.Photo by Jay Graham.

Stop 8: Final Stop - Round House Café

Right next to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, you’ll find the Round House Café. Reward yourself with an Equator Coffee, a sandwich, or a sweet treat.

 

Tip: There are two great locations nearby to snap a photo – the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point South and the Golden Gate Postcard Viewpoint.

The Golden Gate Bridge Plaza with Round House Café and the Golden Gate Bridge.Photo by Myleen Hollero.
Google Map of the Presidio

By Public Transit

Muni Route: 28

Stop: Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza

Golden Gate Transit Routes: Various

Stop: Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza

By Presidio GO Shuttle

Route: South Hills Route

Stop: Stop 8, Kobbe Avenue

By Car

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge District website for comprehensive info on parking in the area.