Adventure 008, Hike 072 - Park Trail

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 008, Hike 072 – Park Trail

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 30, 2012

Location: Presidio, San Francisco

Hike Info:

Trail: Park Trail

Distance: 1.7 miles

Duration: 1:02

Elevation Rise: 304'

Description:
Today we go on the start of five trails we walked, plus several other smaller trails we touched. The trails we went on were: Crissy Fields-Bay Area Trail, Park Trail, Mountain Lake Trail, Ecology Trail, and Presido Promenade.




Park Trail is another one of those recommended trails and after traveling it, we can see why. The trail goes straight up the center of the Presidio, semi-following Park Blvd. We start at Crissy Field where the detour signs lead us up the slope. This was not a planned trail for today, but it looked interesting. After passing the Presidio Pet Cemetery—yes a pet cemetery, where you are traveling up the side of the road, you pass the Park's archives, a rather large building. We come to the intersection of the Presidio Promenade and the Park Trail. We will be visiting the Promenade later because our trail leads us on up. As we climb up steps and cross a couple of roads, we are thinking we may get to see out onto the Bay. Our hopes are not dashed as there is a side trail which leads to an overlook. This overlook gives a view of the National Cemetery and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is an impressive and moving view. Even more so, there was a couple of dog walkers there who had found a damaged baby hawk on the road and had brought it up here to see if it would fly—when we left, it had not and they were trying to contact a wildlife specialist.



We continue up the trail after the overlook where we meet up with Bay Area Ridge Trail. We walk westward on this trail for about a third of a mile when it meets back up with the Park Trail. A short distance later on the Park Trail is the Presidio Golf Course—as the sign says, it is an active golf course. But our trail leads through it so on we go. But not for long. We find a warming hut with food—remember we had a granola bar for lunch. So Thing Two orders a Presidio Burger and Thing One a spicy chicken sausage. Unexpectedly good. It revives our cold spirits and we continue on down the golf course. And down we do go for 2/3 of a mile where we run out of park and trail and we run into the Mountain Lake Trail.