1.5-mile Coastal Trail

Also known as the California Coastal Trail, the 1.5-mile Coastal Trail is a challenging if short hike through the fascinating Presidio. It takes hikers along the cliffs between the Golden Gate Bridge and Baker Beach.

As many as a dozen major trails cross the Presidio, with scenic overlooks provided to allow hikers to rest and take in the view. One of the most panoramic of these is the Immigrant Point Overlook, which is just above this trail about mid-way along. There are also two new overlooks under development, the Golden Gate Overlook and the Pacific Overlook, both a bit closer to the bridge-end of the trail.

The 1.5-mile Coastal Trail passes by six different military batteries between the toll plaza and the World War II Memorial. It also runs between Battery Chamberlain and the Baker Beach Apartments. If it is followed all the way to its conclusion at the 25th Avenue Gate, the trail actually covers 2.7 miles in total.

Terrain along the way varies from sandy bayshore to the rugged coastal bluffs, forests, and creeks. Portions of the trail were former Army roads, sidewalks, or undesignated pathways that evolved over time. The Presidio Trust is in the process of updating the trail system, so construction work and upgrades should be expected.