Heart of the Matter

Heart of the Park Hike in the Presidio San Francisco

Hike in the Presidio San Francisco

With very few tourists in town these days, San Francisco’s Presidio gets to bask mostly in local love, making now a good time to visit this national park with relative ease and room. For a hike combining art, history, mindfulness, and magnificent beauty, do the 3-mile (round-trip) classic Heart of the Park, which includes the historic and poignant National Cemetery Overlook.

Hiker among eucalyptus trees in the Heart of the Park hike in the San Francisco Presidio

Park at the Presidio's Main Post (Anza Avenue), where the central lawn buzzes with locals picnicking and playing Spikeball while sailboats float in the bay. Follow Anza Avenue and Arguello Boulevard to Moraga Avenue and head left passing the tiny Chapel of Our Lady and the historic Inn at the Presidio.

Walk ahead to the Ecology Trail, gently ascending the wide, forested trail to Inspiration Point Overlook.

Next comes one of the most sublime sections of trail, a woodland that passes by the popular Spire installation by Andy Goldsworthy. It's beautiful when bathed in afternoon sunlight.

Rows of tombstones with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background at San Francisco National Cemetery

Around the bend you'll come to the National Cemetery Overlook, cradled in the backdrop majesty of the Golden Gate. The 28-acre San Francisco National Cemetery honors the American soldiers buried here, including over 400 Buffalo Soldiers, four all-black regiments in the United States Army. Buffalo Soldiers were also among the very first rangers to protect our treasured national parks prior to the creation of the National Park Service.

The overlook has an entrance into the cemetery; spend a little time there before returning to the trail and descending to McDowell Avenue and the multi-use Presidio Promenade, which leads back to the parking area.

Tip: The National Cemetery is wheelchair accessible via the Bay Area Ridge Trail, starting from Arguello Gate.

Download a Presidio Trail Map and follow the "Heart of the Park" loop hike. This hike is dog friendly, but dogs are not allowed within the San Francisco National Cemetery.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Sponsored

    Tram to Cool Treks

    Elevate your fun, getting whisked from palm trees to alpine wilderness on the world’s largest rotating tramcar. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you up and away on a 2.5-mile scenic route from the desert floor to the refreshing wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park.

    View
  3. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  4. Woman hiking down the stairs to Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

    Secluded Royale

    Panoramic coastal views and a killer leg workout combine on this 2.7-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike to secluded Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

    View