Urban Hiker SF

06/02/2026

Discount alert! Want to come on a hike with us? I have my own website, but also run tours through Airbnb! If you're a US resident, use the code SPRING25 to get $25 off your next Airbnb Experience. The coupon is valid for 1 qualifying booking made on or before June 30, 2026.

Immerse yourself in the Presidio's history and trails. We can often accommodate additional dates and times — just message us! We can also include team-building activities for corporate groups.

05/22/2026

Did you know that has TEN lakes?! That’s not even counting the lily pond or the pond in the Botanical Garden!

Seven of these lakes are manmade and three are natural. In the 1870s, park engineers and Superintendent John McLaren cleared natural marshes to create the Chain of Lakes (North, Middle, and South Lake).

Many of the lakes were built to transform the “outside lands” into a more picturesque landscape, but some are functional: Blue Heron Lake and Metson Lake are irrigation reservoirs and Elk Glen Lake is a storage reservoir.

Here’s the full list in case you want to visit them all!

1. and 2. Blue Heron Lake
3. Lloyd Lake
4. and 5. Metson Lake
6. Mallard Lake
7. North Lake
8. and 9. Middle Lake
10. South Lake
11. Spreckles Lake
12. Alvord Lake
13. Elk Glen Lake

A hike with nine of these lakes is in my book Urban Trails: San Francisco: https://amzn.to/42O8sIA. 😊

05/19/2026

The views at Starr King Open Space in Potrero are top notch. Many people don’t know this park as it’s not owned by SF Rec and Park, but check it out for grasslands, serpentine rocks, and cool murals on houses on either side. There was even a small coyote here this morning!