Trailstompers Guide to SF Bay Area Trail Running
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​San Bruno Mountain State and County Park

The Dirt:
  • Click here to download a printable trail map of the Favorite Runs below!
  • Click here for the official park website with link to trail map.
  • Click here for driving directions to main parking lot at the Saddle.
  • In addition to the main trailhead, there are various neighborhood access points.
  • There are NO DOGS allowed in the park.

Extras:
  • There is no drinking water in the park, so bring your own!
  • The City of Colma, just to the south, has a fascinating history.  Check it out below...
Picture
The view from Radio Peak
Picture
San Bruno Mountain State and County Park is located on the peninsula about 5 miles south of downtown San Francisco. The 2,326 acre park borders the cities of Brisbane, South San Francisco, Colma and Daly City. The park is a unique open-space island in the midst of the San Francisco Peninsula's urbanization. The centerpiece of the park is San Bruno Mountain which is topped by a four mile long ridge. At 1,319', Radio Peak is the highest point along the ridge, and is host to several radio broadcast towers.

The park offers about 10 miles of trails, which are a mix of dirt roads and singletrack. Elevations in the park range from about 250' to 1,319' at Radio Peak, and the trails to the summit afford expansive views of the San Francisco Bay Area. The trails range from moderate to very steep.

​Also at the summit stands the remains of an old Nike Missile early warning radar site. This was part of a network of Nike Missile sites which ringed the Bay Area during the Cold War. To read more about the Nike Missile program, check out "The Story of Nimitz Way, Nike Missle Bases, and the Cold War" on the Wildcat Canyon page.

There are a few different trailheads to access the trails. The main access points are from the park's entrance or from Radio Road at the mountain's summit. In addition, various neighborhood access points, including Crocker Road and Charter Street, provide good starting points.


​Colma: City of The Dead

PictureOne of Colma's seventeen cemeteries
​Just to the south of San Bruno Mountain lies the Town of Colma, which has a unique distinction. The city's dead residents outnumber the living residents by a factor of 1000 to 1! As of 2015, the town has about 1,500 residents, and about 1.5 million bodies buried in its seventeen cemeteries. In fact, cemeteries account for about 73% of the total acreage of the two-square-mile town. How did this happen?

In 1900, the San Francisco City Fathers passed a bill stating that no further burials would be allowed in the City & County of San Francisco. With no further burials, the cemeteries became a place of neglect and vandalism. They then became a health hazard. So, in August of 1912 the San Francisco's Board of Supervisors declared intent to evict all cemeteries in their jurisdiction. Residents then turned to Colma, just south of San Francisco, as a place to bury their dead. After over 20 years and numerous legal battles, all bodies were ordered to be removed from cemeteries within San Francisco. So, Colma cemeteries inherited hundreds of thousands of additional bodies. This led to the incorporation of the cemetery area that became known as Lawndale on August 5, 1924. The town kept the name Lawndale until the United States Postal Service informed the town that there was a Lawndale in Southern California. The town then went back to the original name of Colma in 1941.

Colma’s living-to-dead ratio of residents has earned the city some morbid monikers, such as "City of Souls" and "City of the Silent." Ironically, or perhaps due to a little graveyard humor on the part of the local chamber of commerce, the city’s official slogan is actually, "It’s great to be alive in Colma." 


Favorite Run #1: Summit Loop Plus (4.3 mi, ~700' elevation gain)

This is a short but challenging loop that incorporates the challenging Summit Loop Trail with a side trip to the 1,319' Radio Peak for spectacular views of San Francisco and surrounding cities. The route is almost entirely singletrack, except for the small dirt road section to the peak.

This run starts from the main parking lot at the saddle. Begin the loop by running south under Guadalupe Canyon Parkway to the trailhead for the Summit Loop Trail.


GPX Track

Printable Trail Map

​Driving Directions
Route Details:
  • 0.0 mi: From the main parking lot at the saddle, run south under Guadalupe Canyon Parkway to the trailhead for the Summit Loop Trail.
  • 0.1 mi: Veer right at the "Y" to stay on Summit Loop Trail toward the peak. Stay to the right at the next two trail junctions.
  • 0.9 mi: At the Ridge Trail intersection. Turn left on Ridge Trail toward the peak. You will run around the side of the peak and then intersect a dirt road.
  • 1.3 mi: Turn right at the dirt road to climb to the parking lot at Radio Peak. Head through the fence and enjoy the view from the parking lot. Then, head back down the way you came to return to the Ridge Trail.
  • 1.5 mi: Turn left to get back on the Ridge Trail singletrack toward the Summit Loop Trail.
  • 1.8 mi: When you reach Summit Loop, turn left to continue the loop.
  • 1.9 mi: Cross over the road to continue on Summit Loop Trail.
  • 2.2 mi: Cross over the road to continue on Summit Loop Trail. You will now start descending.
  • 3.6 mi: At the low point of the run. Now the trail climbs back up to the parking lot.
  • 4.2 mi: Cross the road, then turn left back toward the main parking lot.
  • 4.3 mi: Back at your car!!
Picture
The Ridge Trail
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View of San Francisco from Summit Loop Trail

Favorite Run #2: South Side Loop (6.7 mi, ~1100' elevation gain)

This 6.7-mile  loop allows you to access the summit directly from the neighborhoods in Colma and Daly City, using an unofficial but well-used trail. There is one caveat; the trail is extremely steep! But, you are quickly rewarded with stunning views of the entire peninsula. To make this route a loop, it incorporates about 2.5 miles of pavement to return back to where you started. But, even the road section is very interesting as it passes by several of Colma's huge cemeteries.

Note that this run does NOT start from the main parking lot at the saddle. Instead, this run starts from Hoffman Street in Daly City. You can park anywhere along Hoffman Street north of Hillside Boulevard. To begin the run, head north on Hoffman Street toward San Bruno Mountain.

GPX Track

Printable Trail Map

Driving Directions
Route Details:
  • ​0.0 mi: Run north along Hoffman Street toward San Bruno Mountain.
  • 0.1 mi: Turn left on Atlanta Street.
  • 0.2 mi: Turn right onto Royce Way, which is a dead end street. At the end of the street, you'll see a small path. Climb up the short retaining wall and head up the narrow path. The dirt path will turn to the left behind a house, then veer right up a very steep unofficial trail. This next section is VERY steep, but quickly rewards you with outstanding views!
  • 0.6 mi: About 500' before the radio tower you'll reach an unmarked 3-way intersection. (If you reach the fence you've gone too far.) Turn left on the narrow path toward the Summit Loop Trail. 
  • 0.7 mi: Turn right on the Summit Loop Trail.
  • 1.3 mi: Cross the road to continue on Summit Loop Trail.
  • 1.6 mi: Head through the parking lot and cross the road to continue on Summit Loop Trail.
  • 1.7 mi: Turn right on Ridge Trail. This great singletrack trail goes around the north side of Radio Peak and offers great views.
  • 2.1 mi: Turn right at the dirt road to climb to the parking lot at Radio Peak. Head through the fence and enjoy the view from the parking lot. Then, head back down the way you came to return to the Ridge Trail. When you reach the singletrack, stay right on the dirt road heading east on the Ridge Trail.
  • 2.7 mi: Pass the PG&E service road on the right.
  • 3.1 mi: Turn right on the service road (Fire Road 2-A). You will follow the service road all of the way down to Hillside Blvd. The fire road is steep in sections!
  • 4.1 mi: The fire road ends on Hillside Blvd. Turn right and follow Hillside Blvd for 2.2 miles.
  • 6.3 mi: Turn right on Hoffman Street to head back to your car.
  • 6.7 mi: Back at your car!!

Picture
Outstanding view from the "unofficial trail"
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The gate where Fire Road 2-A hits Hillside Blvd

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