Mt. Livermore on Angel Island

Updated on Thursday, July 22, 2021

Sunset trail to Mt. Livermore to North Ridge trail loop on Angel Island

Turkey Vultures on Angel Island

View toward Mount Tamalpais from Angel Island

Harbor Seal at Ayala Cove on Angel Island

Mt. Livermore on Angel Island

The Immigration Station at Angel Island is a fascinating piece of history. It's amazing how unwelcoming we were to Chinese immigrants while the station was in operation, and how ineffective all of the unpleasantness was. It's a racist mirror universe of Ellis Island. Get a guided tour if you can. I've visited the Immigration Station a couple of times and also hiked around the perimeter (which is spectacular), but this trip was the first time going up to the top. The Angel Island Company site suggests that this is a 6.5 mile hike but my GPS thinks it was 5 miles and so did the fact that we made it back in time for our planned ferry back to San Francisco.

Get off the boat, head right and up the hill to pick up the sign for Sunset Trail. This takes you up to a spur about half a mile from the top that is well signed for Mt. Livermore. There are a few picnic tables and an annoying mast that makes it hard to take the panorama that this peak is so obviously calling for. On the way back down head right at the first opportunity to follow North Ridge trail back to Ayala Cove.

Hike starts at: 37.868337, -122.434656. View in Google Earth.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Mt. Livermore on Angel Island #hike #sanfrancisco #angelisland #map Five mile hike to Mt. Livermore at the summit of Angel Island State Park in the San Francisco bay. )

Bay View and Shoreline Trails at China Camp State Park

Bay View Trail to Shoreline Trial at China Camp State Park

View from Bay View Trail at China Camp State Park

A nice 4 mile hike at China Camp State Park - starting at the day use parking in the campsite follow Powerline Fire Trail up to a left on Bay View Trail then left on Back Ranch Fire Trail and finally left again on Shoreline Trial back to the parking lot. Gentle ascent for three miles then a fairly steep stretch down Back Ranch Fire Trail (I slipped three times, watch where you're going) and then gentle again for the final half mile.

(Previously: shorter 3 mile hike of Back Ranch Meadows and Turtleback Point loop)

Hike starts at: 38.006014, -122.496775. View in Google Earth.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Bay View and Shoreline Trails at China Camp State Park #hike #chinacamp #map Bay View Trail to Shoreline Trail 4 mile hike at China Camp State Park )

Limantour Spit

Updated on Saturday, April 13, 2024

Limantour Spit

Limantour Spit

There is a shorter trail through the dunes before you get to the beach which we attempted a couple of years ago. The vegetation is spiky and unforgiving for small people. Better option is to hit the beach, turn right and walk as close to the end as you can. Five mile flat round trip. We saw harbor seals and one very decomposed whale.

Hike starts at: 38.025765, -122.884455. View in Google Earth.

Updated 2024-04-13 21:52:

Limantour Spit

Another visit, on another beautiful day. Spotted a seal and I think a grey whale.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Limantour Spit #hike #limantour #pointreyes #map Five mile beach hike along Limantour Spit in Point Reyes )

San Pedro Valley Park Waterfall Loop

San Pedro Valley Park Waterfall Loop

Waterfall at San Pedro Valley Park

San Pedro Valley Park Waterfall Loop

A short but steep 2.2 mile loop in San Pedro Valley Park. From the parking lot go behind the toilet block and turn right to find the start of Montara Mountain Trail. After 1.2 miles winding slowly up you reach the junction with Brooks Creek Trail at a bench with views to the Pacific. Take Brooks Creek Trail down 1 mile to the parking lot, passing another bench with a view of the waterfall on the way down.

Hike starts at: 37.578046, -122.475395. View in Google Earth.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: San Pedro Valley Park Waterfall Loop #hike #sanpedrovalleypark #pacifica #map Montara Mountain Trail to Brooks Creek Trail in San Pedro Valley Park (2.2 miles, waterfall view). )

China Camp State Park

Updated on Thursday, November 24, 2022

View from China Camp State Park

China Camp State Park

New Year's resolution: hike more again.

This is a combined hike of Back Ranch Meadows and Turtleback Point loop at China Camp State Park (around 2.7 miles total). Have never been to China Camp before, it's a beautiful park forty minutes north of San Francisco with plenty of interesting looking trails so will be back again soon.

(Hikes was my first blog, now folded into ITHCWY. Here's an old post about the blog. Since the last update I've ditched My Tracks because it got terrible and switched to Gaia GPS. I also moved from BlogEngine.net to my own custom blogging platform which is mostly better but hasn't worked well for my hike posts. I had to manually upload any KML files and also manually scrape out the coordinates for the start of the hike. Today I've automated this for my post by email system - I just need to attach a KML file to the email and it gets automatically uploaded to the blog and the start point is used to link to Google Maps, geocode the post and include an embedded map. Pretty cool. Hopefully this will inspire me to hike more and post more hikes as well.)

Hike starts at: 38.00733, -122.490322. View in Google Earth.

Updated 2022-11-24 14:14:

China Camp State Park

China Camp State Park

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(Published to the Fediverse as: China Camp State Park #hike #chinacamp #map Back Ranch Meadows and Turtleback Point loop hikes at China Camp State Park. )

Coho Salmon in Lagunitas Creek

Updated on Monday, August 16, 2021

Lagunitas Creek Coho Salmon Hike

Two Coho Salmon in Lagunitas Creek (center of picture)

Coho Salmon in Lagunitas Creek (center of picture)

A five mile guided hike from Samuel P. Taylor State Park to the Leo T Cronin Fish Viewing Area along Lagunitas Creek and back again to spot spawning Coho Salmon. The hike was a program offered by Turtle Island and the specific route will vary based on where the salmon are currently active. Having done this once I think I could spot them again without assistance but it's well worth donating to get the full naturalist led experience.

Hike starts at 38.0244751,-122.7291936 (Google Earth).

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Coho Salmon in Lagunitas Creek #hike #lagunitascreek Finding spawning Coho Salmon in Lagunitas Creek with Turtle Island naturalists, a hike from Samuel P. Taylor State Park to the Leo T Cronin fish viewing area. )

Batteries to Bluffs

Batteries to Bluffs

Mussels at Marshall's Beach

Batteries to Bluffs trail with stop at Marshall's Beach, extended by starting at Immigrant Point and then continuing on to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Hike starts at 37.7962571,-122.4780047 (Google Earth).

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Batteries to Bluffs #hike #presidio #ggb Hike from Immigrant Point to the Golden Gate Bridge via the Batteries to Bluffs trail and Marshall Beach in The Presidio of San Francisco )

Round Top loop at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Updated on Saturday, July 31, 2021

Round Top loop trail in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Round Top in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Labyrinth in quarry at  Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Small garter snake at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Round Top is a remnant of a 10 million year old volcano, tipped over by tectonic activity. It's pretty high at 1,763 feet. Unfortunately the peak is privately owned so you can't go right to the top but there is a 2.5 mile loop around the peak. You get views out to Mount Tam, Mount Diablo and even the Sierras and an occasional glimpse of the bay. The drive up is also spectacular.

Hike Starts at 37.8483327,-122.1986103 (Google Earth).

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Round Top loop at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve #hike #sibley #roundtop #map #volcano #snake Hike around Round Top Loop (a 10 million year old volcano) at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve with views out to Mount Tam, Mount Diablo and even the Sierras )

San Bruno Mountain

Updated on Sunday, January 2, 2022

San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain State Park has outstanding views of San Francisco, the Pacific out to the Farallon Islands and much of the bay. We did the three mile summit loop (the wrong way round, San Bruno pros do it counter-clockwise).

Hike starts at 37.6888964,-122.437008 (Google Earth).

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Pinnacles National Park

Updated on Thursday, November 12, 2015

Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles is the newest National Park which features various hikes to Talus Caves (formed by rockfalls into a valley) which are fun to scramble through as long as you don't think about the formation process while you do it.

Hike starts at 36.4943003, -121.173081 (Google Earth).

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Pinnacles National Park #hike #pinnacles #caves Hike through Talus Caves at Pinnacles National Park )