San Bruno Mountain State and County Park, an open space island on the peninsula between San Francisco and South San Francisco, is a great getaway for day hikes. It is a few short hops from the Daly City BART. The views of the bay and coast are spectacular, and it is home to several endangered species of butterfly, native plants and cute lizards. For a similar hike in the East Bay, check out Tilden Park’s Curran Loop Trail. Go here for views of the San Francisco skyline beyond rolling hills.
Quick Notes
Distance: 9.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet
Difficulty: Moderate with steep hills
Type: Loop
Transit Directions
From Daly City BART, take SamTrans line 130 to Chester and Orange Street. Walk a block up the hill, turn right and then left, and walk another block uphill. The trailhead will be up a short staircase at the end of the last block.
Driving Directions
Drive to the parking lot in the center of the park, a long distance from the transit accessible trailhead. From I-280, take exit 50 to San Jose Ave. From there turn left on Hillside and another left on Guadalupe Canyon Parkway to the middle of the park. Begin the hike in the middle, starting at the Dairy Ravine Trail.
The Hike
The hike begins up an extremely steep hill (581 feet in only 0.4 mile) towards a small summit near two radio towers. When you reach near the top, a for will appear. Turn left here and hike down the hill to the loop trial itself. From there, turn left to go downhill towards base camp for views of the open ocean beyond the monk flowers on your left.
At the bottom of the hill are several intersecting roads and a parking lot. Continue on the San Bruno Summit Loop Trail past Radio Road. When it forks, take the right fork to the Dairy Ravine Trail. Head uphill for the best views of the Bay as well as native species.
The wild iris plants you see in this stretch of trail are native to the area. They are called Douglas Irises, and are visible from December to and least the the end of May.
You might also see the Western Fence Lizard sunning itself in the middle of the trail, especially on hot days.
As you climb the hill to the summit, take a look to the east for a unique view of the bayside, San Francisco skyline, and the East Bay.
The Dairy Ravine Trail will reconnect with the Summit Loop, and then fork right to form the Ridge Trail to the summit itself.
Turn back toward Radio Hill and walk the Summit Loop Trial back to the south fork, which will take you to the transit stop. Remember that the trail was steep — Take your time going down.
With plenty of opportunities for photography and good air, this hike was a great use of an afternoon. However, the way in and out needs improvement, since the steepness made walking out very hard. Perhaps that stretch could be improved with switchbacks. There may also be a quicker way in via the northeastern end of the park, but it would require much more walking. Overall, this was a good hike.
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