FRIDAY FIVE
Late autumn in San Francisco is a gray affair. Karla The Fog tends to stick around longer than usual, enjoying her leisurely passing in and out of the city. Rain falls in cool and calm manners; it bounces off Victorian rooftops and bodega signage in muted tones. Sunlight wanes — oftentimes considerably quicker and earlier than we’d like. Those of us whose brain chemistry is affected by seasonal depression disorder grab at any dopamine or serotonin sources.
And one of those fountains of feel-good brain chemicals can be found in communions with Mother Nature, which allow us to experience the full bandwidth of human emotions.
(Far too often, we embolden the lives around us with blind optimism and hollow cheer — simultaneously ignoring those meh moods for what they are and forcing toxic aspiration down people’s throats. It’s OK to feel and experience the meh-ness of life; that’s part of human existence. To forgo portions of our humanity because they don’t fit shiny idealisms, we do ourselves a disservice. We alienate ourselves and those around us, too.)
So lace up those sneakers purchased on clearance, double-check to make sure the AirPods are fully charged, and get about putting one foot in front of the other at these five San Francisco hikes that’ just exude Sad Girl Autumn vibes.
Pro Tip: Karla The Fog tends to completely burn off by noon, so taking to any one of these trails before the afternoon sun is ideal to find yourself enveloped by her gray haze.
Mount Sutro Loop
This 900-foot hill is home to a glorious historic forest that is over a hundred years old. (Many of the trees, however, are likely far older than that.) A simple, straightforward loop around the elevated foliage puts you in the way of autumn leaves, chatty wilderness, and thick blankets of fog. And at just two miles long, it’s a perfect length to help jumpstart your morning with some worthwhile forest bathing.
Opt to start at the Historic Trail off at the intersection of 17th and Stanyan for both convenient trail accessibility and easy parking. More info on AllTrails.com
Lands End
Lands End is a whole vibe, all of itself. Not only does this part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area include a quiltwork of natural splendor — bird watching is abundant here; cliff-top views of the Pacific Ocean afford everyone the feels; proximity to Mile Rock Beach and Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum offers some post-hiking rest — but it’s also a perfect place to just be.
Feel free to stop at any point along the network of trails to take it all in and find gratitude for, somehow, finding yourself in this maddening, magnificent city. More info on AllTrails.
Mount Davidson Park
Towering 928 feet above sea level, Mount Davidson marks the highest point in the city. Usually, Mount Davidson offers awe-inspiring views of San Francisco, but those viewsheds evolve into a foggy dreamscape this time of year. Dare we say it might warrant an evermore listen-through while you comb the mountainside trails.
Fun Fact: Mount Davidson Park — named after famous geographer and Sierra Club charter member George Davidson — is considered the geographic center of San Francisco. More info at San Francisco Parks and Rec.
Upper Great Highway
We didn’t exactly get the car-free Great Highway many of us had hoped for earlier this year. However, the fact that the three-plus mile stretch of highway is off-limits to automobiles Saturday and Sunday is reason enough to walk up and down it — a trek that’s now sweetened by the addition of food trucks. More info here.
Golden Gate Park Loop
Got some time to kill? Keen on taking a half-day to honor some self-care? An early morning trot around Golden Gate Park sounds like a sublime way to spend the better part of two hours, sponging up all the hidden treasures and still bodies of freshwater that fill SF’s most iconic green space. More info on AllTrails.
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