San Francisco, CA: San Bruno Mountain State Park

San Francisco, CA: San Bruno Mountain State Park

Attention climbing junkies, this 36-mile ride wanders San Francisco tackling four city climbs, including Twin Peaks and San Bruno Mountain.

Author:	Bicycling Magazine
Date:	27 Jan 2009 7:23:01 PM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	California (CA)
Distance:	36.59 mi (Change units)
Elevation:	Total Gain: 3839 ft Total Loss: 3840 ft Net Change: -1 ft
Difficulty:	7 / 10
Tags:	San Fransisco, San Francisco, California
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

Some of the Bay Area’s best climbing rides require cyclists to ride over the Golden Gate, cruise down Highway 1, or even hop on a train. This 36-miler wanders through San Francisco, packing in almost 4,000 feet of climbing.

Starting from Sports Basement, the route starts heading south on Arguello Boulevard, tackling the first climb of the day and then jogging south through lush scenes in the Presidio and Golden Gate State Park.

4.6 miles in, the second climb gains 400-feet up Twin Peaks Boulevard. At the top, drink in near 360-degree views of the city and bay below, then descend to Portolo Drive for a 2-mile stretch of spinning before the short-but-sharp climb up Dalewood Way—if your legs weren't awake at the bottom, they will be at the top.

Heading west on Portolo, the route cruises by Ocean Beach, where coastal breezes may put you at ease before the big challenge of the day. After heading inland to Daly City, you’ll climb almost 1,100 feet up Guadalupe Parkway to the top on San Bruno Mountain. At the summit, cyclists are reward with panoramic views of the Bay area. The return trip traces the coast north back to Golden Gate State Park; though the truly ambitious could double-back on the middle climbs for an even tougher workout.

-Mapped by Pete Ferguson

TO TRAILHEAD: This ride departs from the Sports Basement parking lot.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

San Bruno Climbs

Dist: 36.59 mi	Points: 755	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.04 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Funston Ave	Then go 0.31 mi
0.35 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Moraga Ave	Then go 0.04 mi
0.38 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Mesa St	Then go 0.00 mi
0.38 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Moraga Ave	Then go 0.09 mi
0.48 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Arguello Blvd	Then go 0.73 mi
1.21 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Arguello Blvd	Then go 1.15 mi
2.36 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Conservatory Dr W	Then go 0.21 mi
2.57 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at John F Kennedy Dr/Kennedy Dr	Then go 0.25 mi
2.82 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at S Tea Garden Dr	Then go 0.31 mi
3.13 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Martin Luther King Jr Dr/South Dr	Then go 0.30 mi
3.43 mi		Continue on 9th Ave	Then go 0.17 mi
3.59 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Irving St	Then go 0.49 mi
4.08 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Carl St	Then go 0.55 mi
4.63 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Clayton St	Then go 0.36 mi
4.99 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Twin Peaks Blvd	Then go 0.13 mi
5.12 mi	Bear Right	Slight right to stay on Twin Peaks Blvd	Then go 0.06 mi
5.18 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Twin Peaks Blvd	Then go 0.60 mi
5.78 mi	Bear Right	Slight right	Then go 0.04 mi
5.81 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Twin Peaks Blvd	Then go 0.23 mi
6.04 mi	Bear Right	Slight right to stay on Twin Peaks Blvd	Then go 0.92 mi
6.96 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Portola Dr	Then go 0.51 mi
7.47 mi	Turn Left	Rex Ave.	Then go 0.08 mi
7.55 mi	Turn Left	Miraloma Dr.	Then go 0.13 mi
7.68 mi	Turn Left	Juanita Way	Then go 0.04 mi
7.72 mi	Turn Right	Lansdale Ave.	Then go 0.03 mi
7.75 mi	Turn Right		Then go 0.59 mi
8.35 mi	Turn Left	Dalewood Way	Then go 0.36 mi
8.71 mi	Turn Right	Lansdale Ave.	Then go 0.06 mi
8.77 mi	Turn Left	Marne Ave.	Then go 0.06 mi
8.83 mi	Turn Right	Miraloma Dr.	Then go 0.05 mi
8.88 mi	Turn Left	Portola Dr.	Then go 0.85 mi
9.73 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Sloat Blvd	Then go 1.31 mi
11.04 mi	Bear Left	Slight left at Sloat Blvd	Then go 0.64 mi
11.68 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Great Hwy/Upper Great Hwy	Then go 0.77 mi
12.46 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at CA-35/Skyline Blvd	Then go 2.55 mi
15.01 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Westridge Ave	Then go 0.12 mi
15.13 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Southgate Ave	Then go 0.09 mi
15.22 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at 87th St	Then go 1.13 mi
16.35 mi		Continue on School St	Then go 0.11 mi
16.47 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Station Ave	Then go 0.25 mi
16.72 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at W Market St	Then go 1.14 mi
17.86 mi		Continue on Guadalupe Canyon Pkwy	Then go 1.29 mi
19.15 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Radio Rd	Then go 1.50 mi
20.65 mi	U-Turn		Then go 0.00 mi
20.65 mi		Continue on Radio Rd	Then go 1.51 mi
22.16 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Guadalupe Canyon Pkwy	Then go 1.29 mi
23.45 mi		Continue on E Market St	Then go 1.14 mi
24.59 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Station Ave	Then go 0.25 mi
24.84 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at School St	Then go 0.11 mi
24.95 mi		Continue on 87th St	Then go 0.50 mi
25.45 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at S Park Plaza Dr	Then go 0.19 mi
25.64 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Palmcrest Dr	Then go 0.10 mi
25.74 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Coronado Ave	Then go 0.07 mi
25.81 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Lake Merced Blvd	Then go 0.86 mi
26.67 mi	Turn Left	John Muir Dr.	Then go 0.06 mi
26.73 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at John Muir Dr	Then go 1.06 mi
27.80 mi	Bear Right	Slight right	Then go 0.16 mi
27.96 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at CA-35/Skyline Blvd	Then go 0.33 mi
28.29 mi	Bear Left	Upper Great Hwy	Then go 0.78 mi
29.07 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Sloat Blvd	Then go 0.07 mi
29.15 mi		Make a U-turn at 47th Ave	Then go 0.06 mi
29.21 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Great Hwy/Lower Great Hwy	Then go 1.52 mi
30.73 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at La Playa St	Then go 0.46 mi
31.19 mi		Continue on Martin Luther King Jr Dr/South Dr	Then go 0.65 mi
31.84 mi	Bear Left	Slight left at Middle Dr W	Then go 0.33 mi
32.17 mi	Bear Left	Slight left to stay on Middle Dr W	Then go 0.46 mi
32.63 mi	Bear Left	Slight left at Overlook Dr	Then go 0.32 mi
32.95 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Transverse Dr	Then go 0.04 mi
32.99 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at John F Kennedy Dr/Kennedy Dr	Then go 1.05 mi
34.04 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Conservatory Dr W	Then go 0.21 mi
34.25 mi		Continue on Arguello Blvd	Then go 1.06 mi
35.31 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Washington St	Then go 0.00 mi
35.32 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Arguello Blvd	Then go 0.82 mi
36.14 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Moraga Ave	Then go 0.11 mi
36.25 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Funston Ave	Then go 0.31 mi
36.56 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Lincoln Blvd

Points of Interest

Twin Peaks

Location: 37.754065°, -122.447380°
After an 800-foot climb, cyclists are rewarded with fantastic views overlooking San Francisco, the Pacific (to the east) and the Bay (to the west--when the road criss-crosses with the north-bound boulevard). © Pete Ferguson

Sports Basement

Location: 37.801104°, -122.454987°
A popular meet-up spot for Bay Area cyclists, the Sports Basement doesn't offer much in the way of a warm-up for this ride (the first climb up Arguello Boulevard is less than a mile south).<p>If you need to warm up, consider takign a spin down to the Golden Gate Bridge and back.

Arguello Boulevard

Location: 37.797136°, -122.459493°
The Presidio offers the first of many beautiful views on Arguello Boulevard. Further south, Arguello drops into the Golden Gate State Park, where the route passes the California Academy of Sciences. © Pete Ferguson

California Academy of Sciences

Location: 37.770274°, -122.466703°
For a scenic detour in Golden Gate State Park, consider a short detour loop through the majestic campus of the California Academy of Sciences.

Dalewood Way

Location: 37.737666°, -122.456317°
In the shadow of Mount Davidson, the third climb of the route is only three blocks long, but it's steep enough to make your muscles and lungs cry uncle. © Pete Ferguson

Ocean Beach

Location: 37.735290°, -122.507258°
As the route turns south on the Great Highway, riders are greeted by ocean breezes and the sound of crashing waves (not to mention a public restroom). The return trip heads north through this intersection to continue along the Pacific back toward Golden Gate State Park. Ocean Beach is a relaxing place to take a break. Restrooms are also available. © Pete Ferguson

San Bruno Mountain

Location: 37.690375°, -122.440310°
The final climb of the ride gains 1,000 feet as it climbs north-facing slopes up to the spine of San Bruno Mountain. © Pete Ferguson

San Bruno Vista

Location: 37.685756°, -122.434645°
Atop San Bruno Mountain, cyclists are rewarded for their efforts with expansive views of the city and San Fransisco Bay. © Pete Ferguson

Velo Rouge

Location: 37.775345°, -122.458398°
Stop at this chique, bike-friendly café for a cup of coffee on the return trip. Or, make it your departure point and get a pre-ride caffeine fix. © Pete Ferguson