Address: Lands End Trail, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States
Land’s End Park, a jewel of a place with loads of coastal paths, one of which leads to the underground Land’s End Labyrinth, is hidden at the western end of San Francisco. That’s right, on the edge of a cliff, there is a stone maze with a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge on one side and the endless Pacific Ocean to the west. It can be tricky to find the Lands End trail if you do not know where you are headed.
On the northwest side of the city, Land’s End is part of the Golden Gate Recreational Area. Technically, it’s not a National Park (but during the government shutdown, it closed down) and it’s free to visit. This area of the city, particularly in the summer, can get quite foggy.
It can get windy as well. The trail to the Lands End labyrinth is shielded from the coastal winds, but the labyrinth itself can become so windy. When you visit, some windy spots are preferred. If it is only raining and the trails are muddy, intense hiking boots are not mandatory. This spot is fun to visit at any point in the day, it will be best coming at golden hour when the bay is filled with beautiful hazy light. If you have extra energy, Mile Rock Beach below the labyrinth is extra beautiful to visit in the evening.
Hiking Trail
Take the hiking trail down into the woods to the right of the parking lot. Stay on this main route (do not take the one that goes down the stairs to the ocean to the left). Finally, this trail hooks up with another bigger road and you can turn left to follow it.
At certain points, the Land’s End Trail turns into the Coastal Trail by name, if you look at the map below. There will be a few lookout points along the way that you can pause if you want for a snap, but it will be easier to see the view below!
This broad trail gradually turns narrow and you’ll go down some stairs. Start walking! You’ll come to a point where you can no longer be that straightforward. Turn left at this stage. You’re going to see the branch of the trail very soon. There will be stairs on the left, and on the right, the route will keep going. Take these stairs (warning, going back up is a pain!)
Check out our list of the Top 9 San Francisco Hidden Gems. We introduce more information about each on the following pages:
- Sutro Baths Ruins and Cave
- Land’s End Labyrinth
- The Wave Organ
- The Vulcan Stairs
- Yerba Buena Garden Sculptures
- Seward Mini Park
- Telegraph Hill Parrots
- Musee Mecanique
- Angel Island State Park
All of these wonderful locations are located just a short drive from our location near Downtown Walnut Creek, California on Locust Street. Stop by for a visit anytime!
