The 10 best easy hiking trails in the Bay Area, according to over 1 million reviews

Lands End Trail feels like the ending to a great story — a 3.5-mile loop through extreme northwest San Francisco but also an exclamation point of sights and sounds for all of the West Coast. People used to come here at the finish of a very long journey across the U.S.; how lucky that we get to experience these ocean views as part of a lazy afternoon.

The first elevated part of the loop is more urban, passing near a few Lincoln Park golf holes, the Legion of Honor Museum and Sea Cliff mansions. Then you drop into comparative wilderness, with arching cypress trees, isolated paths, ivy walls and the Golden Gate Bridge, unveiled at the 1.5-mile mark like a magic trick.

The bridge is on more postcards, but the descent into Mile Rock Beach is a pinnacle of this hike, especially for locals who may not know it exists. The trail detours down wooden steps then drops right on a beach. The steep climb back out offers the best view of the bridge yet. A mile later you’re back at Lands End and the eerie ruins of Sutro Baths — all the better if you timed your walk to one of the best places to watch a sunset in the world.

If fog has kept the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands views hidden, consider it an opportunity to focus more on the audio charms of this hike, as foghorns in lower and higher registers seem to be in conversation with one another, and the crashing waves feel like they’re syncing with your footsteps. — Peter Hartlaub

Join Peter Hartlaub for a guided hike and history talk on the Lands End Trail on July 12. Sign up for the Total SF newsletter for first access to tickets.

There are many ways to experience the Stream Trail, the crown jewel of Oakland’s Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. In the winter, you’ll find swarms of ladybugs; in the summer, a cool respite under the shade of 100-year-old redwoods.

This popular, 4.5-mile loop starts you on West Ridge Trail, dodging mountain bikers until you connect to the more rugged French Trail. Clusters of Queen Anne’s lace make way for ferns as you descend to the Stream Trail. This is a place to feel small, to inhale damp sweetness, to be totally enveloped by redwoods.

If you pack a lunch, look out for Girl’s Camp on your left as you leave the redwoods behind. The campsite has picnic tables and a bathroom. From there, it’s a sunny, moderately strenuous half mile climb back to the parking lot; feel empowered to guzzle what’s left of your water. You can refill — and use the bathroom again — at the parking lot. — Janelle Bitker

Castle Rock State Park in Santa Clara County is known for verdant forests, striking sandstone formations and spectacular scenery — this 4.9-mile loop that starts from the park’s Kirkwood Entrance includes it all.

The trek starts out with a shady descent along the Waterfall Connector and Saratoga Gap trail. After passing an overlook for Castle Rock Falls, you’ll head into more exposed stretches that provide sweeping views of the San Lorenzo Valley. Eye-catching wildflowers decorate the trail. There are some spots where you’ll need to navigate through boulders.

Up to this point, the hike has largely been downhill; that changes around mile two. In total, the loop involves over 1,000 feet of elevation gain, including some moderate inclines. Vegetation is lush, but watch out for poison oak. The climb continues onto the Ridge Trail and wends past Goat Rock, a popular rock-climbing destination. Even the path is a scramble, descending through boulders and involving steep stone steps. The trail takes you back to the Saratoga Gap Trail, which ends at the overflow lot, a short walk from the main parking area.

— Jack Lee

This Bay Area classic is almost surely the most booted hiking path in Marin County, and for good reason.

Compared to much of Mt. Tam’s drier, sun-baked routes, the trek through Steep Ravine plunges hikers into a cool vein lush with electric-green ferns and shaded by redwoods. It’s like plugging into Northern California’s essence.

And it’s easy to get to. There’s ample parking at Pantoll Campground, and hikers looking to make a nice loop can set out on the Dipsea Trail west toward Stinson Beach, which opens to cinematic views of the Pacific. (On a clear day you can spot the jagged Farallon Islands 30 miles away.)

The Dipsea wraps back to the bottom of Steep Ravine and from there you can climb your way as slowly as you like through the refreshingly dank stream corridor back up to Pantoll. — G.T.

Read more: Mt. Tam is a peak staycation option for outdoor travel

Muir Woods’ main trail is an easy loop packed with eye candy, but it’s also a victim to the national monument’s fame. On weekends, you’ll constantly step around families taking group photos in front of giant redwoods, not to mention the bus tours. That may be why the main trail isn’t nearly as popular on AllTrails as this 3-mile loop.

After passing major attractions like Cathedral Grove, you’ll peel off onto the Fern Creek Trail. (There is a water fountain here, so you might as well fill up.) It’s immediately more peaceful, the gentle rushing of the creek more prominent than toddlers wailing in the distance. Take it in: This is arguably the most beautiful part of the hike, with its combination of stately trees, lush greenery and dancing light. You’ll walk across two short bridges. When you see the third, take the stairs on the right for the Lost Trail. It’s a steep climb. You might wonder, this is rated moderate? When you reach the top, panting, take comfort in knowing the rest is a gentle decline down the Canopy Trail.

You could buck AllTrails and do this loop in the other direction, walking the main trail briefly and then turning right onto Canopy. Does going up or down those stairs sound better? You know your knees best.

Visiting Muir Woods takes some planning. Don’t forget to pay for a parking reservation at least a few days in advance, particularly if you’re on a schedule. You’ll have to commit to your arrival time within a 30-minute window; there is no option to pay day-of. Alternatively, you can book a shuttle from Larkspur, where there is free parking. — J.B.

Of the handful of trailheads that’ll get you into the idyllic redwood forests behind Half Moon Bay, Grabtown Gulch is a great one.

From there, hikers can launch into the verdant heart of Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve for a 4.8-mile loop that, with nearly 1,200 feet of elevation gain, counts as a hardy outing.

While the preserve is popular with local hikers, joggers and mountain bikers, this route offers the kind of peace and quiet associated with California’s soaring redwood cathedrals and their soft, duffy floors. Expect to be enveloped in the woods and shaded the whole way — though there are a couple of small vista points at the top of the preserve that offer glimpses of the ocean.

Parking at most of the trailheads into Purisima Creek is limited, and it’s no different here, so go early. — G.T.

Read more: How Peninsula residents created the 50-year-old open space district that manages our favorite nature preserves

According to a Chronicle analysis of 850,000 reviews submitted to AllTrails.com, this hike has the highest approval rating among all trails in San Mateo County.

No wonder: It’s a stunner.

From an unassuming trailhead tucked behind an Ace Hardware store in Pacifica, this loop trail rises steeply to start, drawing hikers up the shaded backside of a headland on the oceanside of Highway 1.

The payoff at the top is a mile or so of nice up-and-down walking on a high edge overlooking the endless Pacific. To the south is a vantage of Montara Mountain and Devil’s Slide you won’t find anywhere else; the northern views let you spy into Shelter Cove and the town’s main beach at Lindamar. — G.T.

Read more: Hikers’ favorite trails in each Bay Area county, according to 850,000 reviews

Waterfalls aren’t a typical sight on a Bay Area hike, but this 2.8-mile Santa Clara County loop features three of them.

The hike starts out with a steady climb. About half a mile in, a picnic table and bench provide a much-needed spot to take a breather and soak in a gorgeous view. A signpost marks a right turn for the Contour Trail, which winds up and down a well-shaded path. In the spring, you’ll spot brilliant wildflowers; also watch out for exposed roots and poison oak.

After another mile or so, a sharp turn on the Contour Trail marks a long-awaited descent. The trail is tricky in spots, with steep stone steps and creek crossings. But you’ll soon be rewarded with the hike’s trio of waterfalls. The first, and grandest, is Upper Falls, which spills down amidst trees and moss-covered rocks. You’ll branch off the main trail to enjoy Basin Falls and Black Rock Falls, both of which trickle through lush greenery. Continue the trip along the Waterfall Loop and you’ll soon find yourself back at the parking lot.

The waterfalls in Uvas Canyon County Park are best viewed in the early spring and range from 5 to 40 feet in height. The park requires day use passes, which can be reserved online. — J.L.

Bodega Head Trail is ideally suited to hikers venturing out at dawn or dusk — perfect for a morning stroll with coffee as well as a prime destination for soaking in the sunset.

The easy, 1.7-mile trail wraps around a bare, bulbous headland that juts out from the Sonoma coast like a thumb and is surrounded on three sides by water.

From the trail, you’ll find little offshoots that plunge down toward the water, offering closer looks into the rocky nooks that harbor colonies of lazing seals and gossiping Cormorants. On auspicious outings, hikers looking west across the ocean can glimpse the distant spray of migrating whales. — G.T.

Read more: One perfect day on the remote Sonoma Coast

In the shadow of Mount Tamalpais and the shade of pine trees sits this secluded Marin reservoir that’s a pleasant, mostly flat 4-mile walk around. It’s part of the Marin Water company-operated Mount Tamalpais Watershed but feels like a regional park, with bathrooms and ample paid parking at a lot by Lake Lagunitas, another small nearby body of water.

You can hike in either direction. One side of the lake, the Shadyside Trail, is wooded and hillier; the other, the Sunnyside Trail, is exposed and flat. Connecting them in the middle is a dam and spillway you can walk across.

The water looks particularly cool and refreshing from the sunny half, but sorry, no swimming: This watershed is the source for much of Marin County’s drinking water. That said, you might bring a pole, since there are fish to catch. — Caleb Pershan