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Distance:
0.5 Miles / 0.8 km
Type:
One-Way
Difficulty:
Easy
Time to Hike:
~15 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Park:
Lands End
Town:
San Francisco, California
Directions:
37.78028, -122.511292
Added:
September 27, 2018
Updated:
September 27, 2018

The Sutro Baths Ruins and Cave Trail at Lands End in San Francisco is an easy 0.5 mile one-way hike that leads from the main parking lot, down to the Sutro Baths ruins and a sea cave.

The trail itself is easy to moderate depending on your physical condition, but in order to reach the ruins, you'll have to climb about 50 stairs on the way back, including some uphill sections on the trail. At the bottom of the hike, before entering the sea cave, you'll reach the Sutro Baths ruins, which you can walk along; however, this recording does not follow any of the ruins trails. The trails along the ruins are technically just walks along the concrete structures.

Adjacent to the ruins is a large hole in the cliff below Point Lobos - the Sutro Baths cave. Within the sea cave there's an opening where you can watch the waves crash along the shore; however, please read the warning below if you plan to enter the cave. At the end of the cave is a lookout below the northern side of Point Lobos, and a view of the ocean.

Warning: The sea cave at Sutro Baths is not completely safe, as there are warning signs all over the area. The waves crash upon the cave's outer walls and sometimes the waves are strong enough to fill the tunnel. Some people have drowned here and the waves are impossible to predict. Enter the cave/tunnel at your own risk.

History: The Sutro Baths were built in 1894 by entrepreneur and silver mine millionaire Adolph Sutro. They opened in 1896, with a salt water pool and an aquarium and soon after he added a 3 acre public bathhouse so that the people of San Francisco could enjoy swimming. Sutro died in 1898, but the bath continued on for decades and eventually failed as a business. Forty years later, Sutro's grandson tried to build an ice skating rink there, but that also failed. In 1966, the place went up in flames, which left behind the ruins we see today.

Explore 26 trails near San Francisco, CA
  1. Parking

    37.78028, -122.511292
  2. Main Trailhead

    37.779526, -122.511661
  3. Sea cave entrance

    37.780797, -122.5141
    Sea cave entrance
  4. View from end of sea cave

    37.781228, -122.513764
    View from end of sea cave
  5. Sutro Baths

    37.780542, -122.513231
    Sutro Baths
Explore other trail routes for this hike, added by the MyHikes Community via Trip Reports.
No community routes found. To add your own route as a Community Route for this Trail guide, please leave a Trip Report with a GPX file on this Trail.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)

Seasons

All
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121 '

Total Change
68 '

Ascent
119 '

Descent

Photo Albums

1 Trip Report

No Star-Ratings
Write-up by:
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0.5 miles / 0.8 km
Trail added
September 27, 2018
Hiked on
September 27, 2018
Updated on
September 27, 2018

Weather Forecast

In San Francisco, CA

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Dave Miller
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