Visitors guide to Land's End

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If you want to get away from the crowds, Land’s End by the sea is a terrific choice.

 

Nature lovers and photographers love this part of San Francisco with its rocky and windswept shoreline at the mouth of the Golden Gate, where San Francisco changes from a bay city to an ocean city.

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It is hard to beat Land’s End, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, for tranquility and natural beauty and photo ops. Go for the views of the Golden Gate, stay for the dolphins. Every turn reveals another stunning vista along the Land's End Trail, a family-friendly hike along the coast.  

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Plenty of parking can be had most days on the ocean side of Land’s End at the Visitors Center (680 Point Lobos Ave., 415-426-5240), just up the hill from Ocean Beach and the famed Cliff House restaurant. Here you will find a coffee shop and bathrooms (the only public ones anywhere near there) and picturesque views of the old Sutro Baths, as well as a free map of the area. 

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The Sutro Baths, a saltwater swimming pool complex along the ocean, was once the largest indoor pool in the world. With more than 500 private dressing rooms, it was a major draw in the city among the well-heeled. The baths were closed after a fire in 1966, but the site of its ruins remains jaw-droppingly beautiful. 

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Stand on the hill and take photos looking down to the ocean, past wildflowers and cypress trees. Breathe the ocean air rushing up from below. 

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While many of the best places on the trail require hiking, there is a paved promenade that is wheelchair accessible at the western edge near Ocean Beach.

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The coastline here is home to shipwrecks from a bygone era, and some can be seen at low tide from Mile Rock and along the Coastal Trail.

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If you want to bike here, be aware that only a small part of it will be on concrete. The rest is best left for hiking boots, unless you don’t mind carrying your bike up or down quite a few stairs.

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Beware: Auto burglaries are an epidemic in the city, and places like Land’s End are popular among the thieves, who love rental cars. Also, beware of the tides if you venture down to the Sutro Baths ruins.

 

Oddly: A “hidden labyrinth” can be found at Eagle’s Point along the Coastal Trail, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Formed with rocks, it has been vandalized a few times, but always rebuilt by the original artist with help from volunteers.

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Hot tip: If sleeping away from the masses interests you, book a stay at the Seal Rock Inn across the street from the Land’s End Visitors Center. It’s a beautiful area (bluffs overlook Ocean Beach) with lower prices than you find in the tourist hotspots downtown (plus free parking), and if you can get a room on the top floor, you’ll have a fireplace and ocean views.

 

Good eats: The Cliff House is a famous spot with world-class ocean views, particularly wondrous at sunset. Finish your walk with a hot fudge sundae, or dinner.

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Photo op: There are plenty. Because there are so many other places to photograph the Golden Gate and its famous bridge, our recommendation for Land’s End is the view of the coast from above the Sutro Baths. If you are visiting America’s West Coast for the first time, and want a shot of a rocky shoreline without driving to Big Sur, here is a great place.