Batteries to Bluffs Trail: Steep west side
San Francisco’s longest public stairway is the Batteries to Bluffs Trail in Presidio National Park: 470 steps.
Started off at the bridgeviewing area on the Coastal Trail. Now’s an especially good time for walking this and other trails with all the wildflowers around -- wild mustard, wild radish, thistle, etc.
The east trailhead is just off Lincoln Blvd. a short distance from Langdon. The west trailhead is at the top of Battery Crosby, about 0.7 mile away. A short trail leads up to Lincoln from the battery. You can now see more of the BTB as you look down from Lincoln as they’ve trimmed and removed several trees up here.
There’s an alternate trail down from Lincoln that will also take you directly to the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead. Did this today; tree roots to walk over and one steep spot. Go slowly here. A rather flimsy fence zigs along one side of the trail.
The Batteries to Bluffs consists mostly of wood stairs (no railings except for one side of the short footbridge) with a few short trails in between. Presently the last step down from the footbridge is rather steep; wouldn’t be surprised if a couple more steps are added here in the future.
The view has to be seen to be believed, especially on a sunny, fogless day. Bring your camera, but the signs say no dogs allowed on this particular trail.
Today counted 339 steps from the west trailhead to the viewplace with a bench called View Point.
From the main Batteries to Bluffs there’s a separate trail (about 48 steps included) that will take you down to secluded Marshall’s Beach.
The west trailhead is above Baker Beach, close to the top of the Sand Ladder (approximately 253 steps from Lincoln to Baker Beach). From Lincoln you can also access another long wood stairway called the Connector Trail that curves up to Immigrant Point Overlook and Rob Hill Campground (about 208 steps). You can easily see the foot of the Connector Trail as it ascends from the crosswalk on the south side of Lincoln; there are excellent infosigns and trail markers throughout the park.
Looks like summer’s already here: chilly, windy, and foggy. Better for hiking than it being overly hot. Walking back to the bridgeviewing area to catch the #28 bus, took an alternate route behind one of the batteries: a cliffside trail here where I emerged atop the battery instead of walking along at the foot/front of it.
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