Fort Point from the top of Marina Drive

It’s not very far from Fort Point to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcoming Center, but if you’re on foot or riding a bike, you must be prepared for a climb! I took these steps up the side of the hill, and it’s a very good workout. Although I paused about halfway up, it wasn’t to catch my breath — I only wanted to get a closer look at the flowers growing beside the trail.

Once you reach the top of the stairs, a left turn on the Battery East Trail will lead you back toward the bridge. I enjoyed this quiet pedestrians-only path (there’s also a paved bike trail running parallel) because it allowed peeks into the battery entrances, and because I got to pass through the old tunnel which I described about a month ago in this post.

The trail gets crazy steep right at the top of the hill; even with scoring on the pavement to prevent slipping, I don’t think I’d want to tackle it in wet weather! Nearby is the site of Battery Lancaster, where you can find displays including hands-on exhibits describing the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Finally, I passed the Round House Cafe on my way to catch the bus taking me back into downtown San Francisco. The building is impossible to miss, and the view is breathtaking. That’s if you have any breath left after climbing all the way up from Fort Point!