The promenade provides a walking tour of San Francisco’s urban park next to the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, with a wealth of activities to explore. One highlight is, of course, the view, but there are many more attractions along this waterfront. There is a wide, sandy beach with gentle waves, grassy picnic areas, and a tidal marsh that attracts a bounty of birdlife.

This section of the California Coastal Trail features some of the best views to be found in The Presidio. It is an easy walking and biking path from Baker Beach to the Golden Gate bridge, with intermediate access and car parking at points in between. Dogs are allowed on leash, and parts of the trail are suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

A short network of trails twists around the part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area known as Lands End. This far tip of San Francisco’s peninsula has incredible views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge, tall sea cliffs, wind-warped cypress groves, historic ruins, and shipwrecks. All these highlights are located within a relatively small area and can be linked in one concise hiking loop.

Fort Funston, named for an old military installation, still has defense batteries that you can view up close, but today it's better known for natural scenery, including cliff-top views and hiking among sand dunes. It's also one of the few San Francisco parks with extensive off-leash dog areas, making it quite popular among locals. Note that dogs must be under "voice control" to be allowed off leash, meaning they will hear and obey when called.

This is one of the best moderate hikes in Marin Headlands. Clear weather is ideal, so you can see the distant views, but foggy days can be enjoyable, too. Apart from the vistas, it features war bunkers, hillside rock outcrops, spring wildflowers, and a chance at spotting wildlife.

This out and back hike links two of the best beaches in the Marin Headlands, and all of the green rolling hills in between. You’ll enjoy views along the craggy coast, over the boundless ocean, and to Mount Tamalpais—all on a clear day, that is. This shoreline is often foggy, but even without the views, this hike is worthwhile—the fog adds a mystique to your perception of the landscape.

The redwood forests of the East Bay are some of the prettiest in the region, and they’re practically within the metro area. Redwood Regional is one of a few interconnected parks that show off second-growth redwoods and a mix of other forest types. In this expanse of lush greenery and furrowed hills, it’s easy to forget how close you actually are to the city, but easy access by roads and trails from Oakland make it super convenient for afternoon or weekend workouts.

Mission Peak is one of the more prominent mountains of the Bay Area, defining the horizon east of South Bay. At just over 2,500 feet elevation, it sets the stage for hikes with pretty serious elevation gain. There are several trails, but Hidden Valley is the most direct and most popular route to the summit. It’s a wide gravel path and very easy to follow, but sustains a demanding grade for most of its 3 miles.

Cataract Creek, in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, is one of the loveliest streams around because of its abundance of waterfalls. Countless small cascades, and quite a few bigger ones, tumble through lush, mossy forest on their way down to Alpine Lake.

Bolinas Ridge is the east rim of the valley where the San Andreas Fault lies, in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Though the fault itself is buried far beneath the forest soils of Olema Valley, the parallel ridgelines on either side are topographic evidence of the active rift zone below. On the surface, it’s an idyllic land of rolling meadows, patches of oak-chaparral, and deep ravines of redwood groves.