Urban Hiking at the Continent's Edge, where Land's End

Date: January 2018

Place: Land's End, San Francisco, California

Address: 680 Point Lobos Ave. San Francisco

Length: about 3 miles

Level: easy

The county of San Francisco is all city. Here and there, however, there was left an undeveloped area with an almost wild feel to it. One such place is Land's End, today a part of the Golden Fate National Recreation Area.
While Land's End isn't on the absolute must see list of SF tourists, it still attracts many people, and often it is difficult to find a parking spot at the main lot by the visitor center.
Up until the date of this hike I, like many other visitors, was satisfied with viewing at the ruins of Sutro Baths, and enjoying the beach below.

View of the Sutra Baths

The green cliff area however, beaconed me, so I added it to my hiking wish list and eventually to the Redwood 4-H Hiking Project schedule. The photos here are from my solo preparation hike and the following 4-H hike.

Awareness of the California native nature has increased in recent years, and with it the efforts to preserve and also rehabilitate the native vegetation in many places. A good job of that was done at the Lobos Dunes of the neighboring Presidio of which I posted here before. 

The area near Land's End visitor center has been repopulated with native coastal plants, some of them were even blooming. 

Seaside Fleabane, Erigeron glaucus

A wide path meandered between the coastal bushes and I walked slowly along it, paying attention to the new growth and the beautiful colors. On the day of my solo hike the parking lot was nearly full yet the trail was almost deserted. On the day of the group hike the lot was surprisingly vacant, yet the trail was full with bikers, joggers, and some hikers too. I presume that at no time this place would be found human-free.

Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium 

Above the parking lot the path becomes a trail that stretches northward through a lovely grove of cypress trees. 

I spotted a hawk perched on a brach of one of these trees and pointed it to the group. Both Pappa Quail and my elder chika trained their camera at the bird. It didn't seem to mind one bit.

Cooper's Hawk

In the nearby bushes Pappa Quail had spotted a towhee.

Orange Moon

Further down the trail there is a staircase leading upward, connecting to a higher trail through the park. Between the stairs and that trail there is another parking lot and south of it a memorial to the  USS San Francisco - a battle ship that fought and was damaged during WWII.

The USS San Francisco Memorial

Many sparrows were active all around me. some were hopping on the cement ledges. I saw one sunning itself, looking nonchalantly at the passers by.

White-crowned Sparrow

The view form up there was spectacular. Partially overcast on my solo hike but I could  still see a long way out. 

After admiring the USS San Francisco memorial I found the upper trail at the edge of the parking lot and commenced walking, now east bound. Before long I was engulfed in vegetation. The sound of the crashing waves below drowned the sounds of the city above and like by magic, I felt like I was out in the wilderness, away from society.

But not far enough from al the escaped cultivars that populate this park. Many of the plants I saw there were immigrants, brought from overseas to the yards and gardens of the city. Some just took off and set their roots out in the wild.

Plume Acacia, Albizia lophantha

They were all very pretty. It was easy to see why these plants were introduced into gardens here. Still, in gardens they didn't remain confined. California's climate is very welcoming.

Passiflora tarminiana

While these pretty garden plants do catch the eye, there were plenty of California native plants still to give a wild appearance to Land's End. During my solo hike I had an easy time taking trail photos that didn't include any people. It was easy to forget that the city was just a few yards away.

Wildlife too we encountered on this hike. Birds, mainly.

Anna's Hummingbird, male

But also other creatures.

Banana Slug

Nearing the eastern end of Land's End the trail changes altitude, going up and down with many stairs. I took it slowly, stopping to breath and to admire the fresh, green ferns that were growing on the thin topsoil that covered the rocks.

At that part of the hike the trail is a bit more inland and not right over the cliffs. But I did get occasional glimpses of the ocean. And then I had a peep of the Golden Gate Bridge, making sure I would not forget where I was :-)  

There too were areas of native vegetation rehabilitation. The blood currant was in bloom, just as pretty as any of the imported garden plants. Indeed, it is now used to beautify many a California yard, including my own.

Blood Currant, Ribes sanguineum

Eventually I emerged at the north side of the park, where the trail once again goes right over the coastal cliffs and a nicely landscaped vista point with an observation platform and benches, and a terrific view of San Francisco's iconic landmark.

There was also a view of the neighborhood that's between the Presidio and Land's End, and beyond it in the background sticks up the new monster skyscraper in downtown San Francisco.

While I was admiring the geographical features Pappa Quail was looking for birds. And he found many of them, ocean side.

Glaucus-winged Gull

And right over the water, gliding through the spray.

Western Gull

This place is truly a birder's heaven. On my solo hike I've met a few near the Sutro Baths. For the group hike I brought two of my own :-)

Surf Scotter, male

Pappa Quail also aimed his camera at the Golden Gate Bridge, but as it turned out, it was the bird he was looking at. A beautiful red-tailed hawk was suspended in mid-air, balanced on the wind without flapping a wing.

Red-tailed Hawk

Pappa Quail also captured some niece close ups of the cormorants on the rock, but I liked this image of the boats cruising to the Golden Gate.

From the north end of Land's End we took the sidewalk up along El Camino Del Mar, the road that will eventually bring us back to the upper trail. It was a bit unusual to have our hike turn into a city walk but that was the quickest way up and back on our planned loop trail. And it too provided some interesting sights. Like this bump I thought was a bird on the lower branch of this tree below. (A close up revealed it to be the stump of a branch.)

Yes, I fell for it. 

San Francisco is a city of monuments. Sure enough there were plenty of monuments to see along the way. I liked this one - a monument for peace inscribed in Japanese with translation to English on the side. During the group hike all the children gathered around the inscribed stone, admiring its smooth and graceful appearance.

Monument for Peace

We moved quickly on the sidewalk until we reached the Legion of Honor where we reconnected with our park trail. At first, however, we had to cross the park's golf course.

It's nice to see green in winter. It would hurt in summer. Either way, this isn't public grass to run and roll on. 

We crossed the golf course, found the trail connector, and went right away to the lower trail. Turned west and found the steep, multi-steps path to Mile Rock Beach.

On my solo hike I didn't go all the way down to the beach itself, but enjoyed the nice coastal sight from above. There were very few people there and the sound of the sound of the waves drowned all other sounds.
On the group hike I had to exercise my will to get the children to the labyrinth first but after that we all went down and enjoyed a good time at the beach among a gazillion other people. The waves were higher and stronger but the dominant sound was that of humans talking, shouting, and laughing.

Mile Rock Beach

Just above the beach, at the end of a little side trail, was another monument - an unofficial one - the Labyrinth of Land's End.
The first time I encountered a labyrinth of this type was during my hike at Sibley Volcanic Regional Park. Later I have found the one at the top of Mori Point, along with its numerous (and still multiplying) little 'offsprings'. When I learned that Land's End has one I had to include it in my hike plan, and I wasn't disappointed.
Built by the artist Eduardo Aguilera, this labyrinth is much more interesting and complex than the simple spirals laid out in other places. It has become a well loved landmark and its location is prime, no doubt. It was almost impossible for me to get a people-free photo of this monument.

I prompted all the 4H hikers to go through the labyrinth. Meanwhile I scouted the horizon. I didn't see any whales that day, but it was impossible to ignore the huge liner that was making its way slowly to the mouth of the Golden Gate.

What goods do you bring from far away?

We had a good time at the beach and I wish we could have stayed more, but eventually it was time to move on. With some effort I managed to gather everyone and urge them up the stairs and back on the trail.
We continued west on the lower trail. For some time we were once again walking in an almost wild setting but soon the path widened and became paved. We reached the cemented vista point just below the stairs leading to the USS San Francisco Memorial. Below, just off shore were the remains of an old shipwreck, sticking out of the water.

I looked back east. There was the Golden Gate, and the magnificent bridge in full view. I took yet another photo of this iconic sight (heading this post). Then I turned my attention to the place we just left - the rock ledge over Mile Rock Beach, and the labyrinth. A fitting landmark for San Francisco, more moving than any of its official monuments. 

From there, it was a matter of five minutes walk back to the visitor center and the parking lot. Any thoughts I had of going down to the beach by the Sutro Baths were dismissed - the children had already their beach time and were ready to go home. None of us had any thoughts of remaining in the City for further exploration that day.
This loop trail is fairly short and can be walked quickly if fitness is the only thing on one's mind. Taking the time, however, is very rewarding because a large art of this trail still has a very wild feel to it, and provides wonderful opportunities to immerse in Nature. In an urban block such as San Francisco, that is priceless.

The Last of The City's Wild: Lobos Dunes at San Francisco

Date: February 15, 2014
Place: Lobos Dunes, Presidio National Park, San Francisco, California
Coordinates: 37.788478, -122.482079
Length: about 1 mile
Difficulty: easy

I walked around San Francisco many, many times. But never did I think of these walks as hikes. Certainly not Nature hikes. When I wish to go for a nature hike I normally leave the city behind. The best view points in San Francisco, be it Corona Heights Park or the Coit Tower, the view below is of a sea of cement and asphalt. This view is considered by so many San Francisco residents and visitors to be one of the most beautiful in the world, but to me it brings much sadness to think of what had been covered by this splendid human mega-hive.
San Francisco isn't devoid of Nature, though. Far from that. As far as urban areas go, San Francisco does pretty well trying to salvage and keep as much of its natural heritage as possible. And one of the greenest areas in San Francisco and most promising in terms of natural restoration is the Presidio.
The Presidio - it's that mass of dark green just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. Used to be a huge military base - what saved it from intensive urban development. Turned over to the National Parks system merely 20 years ago, the Presidio is now one of the best places to visit in San Francisco for anyone who'd like to see more than Chinese stores, victorian houses and hairy bums.
I was there with all the Quails last February for a nice weekend vacation in which we did some exploration of thePresidio's more natural spots, and our first port of call was the Lobos Dunes Nature Area.

Our hike at Lobos Dunes is the green-labeled loop. The big green arrow is where the arming lot is.

The area of Lobos Creek used to be all sand dunes bound with indigenous coastal vegetation. There is a plaque there, displaying a photo of an old painting of this area from the early Spanish era showing sand everywhere and no human structures at all.
The creek's area, being part of the Presidio, was spared the urbanization that quickly covered the tip of the peninsula. It is the last place in San Francisco where the native vegetation is still dominant.

Mock Heather and Coyote Brush still dominate Lobos Dunes

There is an active effort to keep it like that. Everywhere there were signs of exotic plants removal and replanting of native species.

Seaside Fleabane (Erigeron glaucus)

There is a good size parking lot just off Lincoln Blvd and the trailhead is right by the entrance to the lot. We parked and immediately Papa Quail took off following the tweets in the bushes.
It was a sunny day, hotter and more beautiful than should be in February. It was just before 10:00 am on a Sunday but there were quite a few people there already. Most of them, however, went straight to Baker Beach. We, on the other hand, turned our backs on the ocean (for now) and walked up the boardwalk into the dunes.
It's good to see an protected wild preserve within The City. The City, though, is impossible to ignore.

City all around - Lobos Dunes

The tweets Papa Quail was following eventually produced a White-crowned Sparrow. Sparrows, which are very common bush birds, were chirping all over, announcing the untimely arrival of spring.

White-crowned Sparrow

 Shiny spiderwebs attract me with their intricate workmanship (or workspidership, to be more accurate). They're even more attractive when still glistening with morning dew.

Mock heather is the dominant shrub at Lobos Dunes but silver bush lupines are also pretty common there, breaking the bright-green with their silvery-gray foliage and adding a beautiful purplish-blue touch to the scenery.

Silver bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons)

An early spring in February - the Indian Paintbrush was also in bloom.

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)

All restoration and conservation efforts cannot completely undo the damage of invasive weeds spread. A common invasive weed that seems to be everywhere this year is the sourgrass. It was present also at Lobos Dunes.

Sourgrass (Oxalis pes-caprae)

Lobos Creek itself is fenced off, which is, I think, a good thing. Better for the wildlife, anyway. The sand dunes themselves are all bound down and covered with the coastal vegetation. In a few bare spots though, one can still see the natural sand.

A Lobos Dune

The trail eventually takes uphill and into a grove of Monterey Cypress that has some pines mixed in.

A grove of Monterey Cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa)

At the top of the hill there is a nice view point to the south-west. The view point area is nicely done and is planted with may native shrubs. The view shows the clear line between modern man's habitat and the closest approximation to what had the area been before development ensued. It also shows how little of that wild is left within The City, and how precious it is. The last stronghold of San Francisco's Wild.

 Lobos Valley Overlook

Going downhill is at the same trail. Movement in the trees caught Papa Quail's attention: a couple of nuthatches where performing their spring activities on a nearby dead pine tree.

Pygmy Nuthatch, photo by Papa Quail

On the ground the juncos were doing the same.

Dark-eyed Junco

We descended from the hill and walked out of the shady grove and into the open sunlight. The trail continues to loop its way to the parking lot at the bottom of the hill. A new growth of manroot was crawling over last year's dry vegetation.

California Manroot (Marah fabacea)

Another common hillside bush that surprised me was the sticky monkeyflower. I didn't expect to see it bloom so early in the season.

Sticky Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus)

The chikas grabbed my attention - they saw a lizard sunning itself. It didn't bother to move, just gave me a wary look. Papa Quail came over with his camera and took a photo.

Western Fence Lizard

The trail is short, easy, and very interesting. We didn't expect to be alone there, and we weren't. It is very easy for such a small nature area to be lost in a big city such as San Francisco. To be littered, trampled and destroyed with human overuse, legit or not. Still, it seems that the preservation efforts are so far successful in keeping this place relatively clean and as close to wild as possible. It appears that the locals also wish the Lobos Dunes to remain the precious gem that it is for the years to come.

A crooked pine tree I saw near the parking lot

By the time we got back to the car it was already lunchtime. While we were walking at the Lobos Dunes the parking lot had filled up completely with beach goers and a hopeful driver was waiting patiently in her car for us to vacate our spot. We were on our way to lunch and then - to the Ocean.