Walking in SF

I shall be staying in Union Square when I visit and know I can get public transportation to most places from there (and back). I plan though to walk as much as I can to see the city properly, but it%26#39;s difficult to estimate distances from maps - not to mention the hills!

How long does it take, on average, to walk to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf from Union Square? I%26#39;m reasonably fit and won%26#39;t be in any hurry - and not averse to stopping en route for refreshment! And is there a ';scenic route'; that takes in any of the sights on the way - or any areas to avoid?

And how long from there to the GG bridge and over to Sausilito - though I probably won%26#39;t tackle that on the same day.

Sorry for all the questions - I know I could track down most of the information online, but posters on here are so helpful and usually able to offer extra insight. Thanks in advance.

Walking in SF

from Union Square, walking through Chinatown, North Beach to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf probably takes 1 hour if you are sightseeing

for walking the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito see: http://tinyurl.com/2o7jta

Walking in SF

Union Sq to the Warf is just under 2 miles. An hour is about right if you are taking your time. If you put your head down and walk fast, don%26#39;t stop, it can probably be done in a little over 30 mins. There are no areas to avoid, all safe and mostly touristy.

The Warf to the southern end of the GGB , is farther almost 4 miles, there are a lot fewer streets to cross, probably a little over an hour. It%26#39;s mostly flat except for the last 1/4 mile or so. All safe areas en route.

Southern end of GGB to downtown Sausilito is just about 4 miles. I%26#39;d guess 1.5 - 2hrs hrs at a scenic pace, you will want to stop a lot and take in the views.

Take the ferry back! Another popular alternative is to rent bicycles and do the ride over the bridge to Sausilito. Search this forum for tons of info on bike rentals.

For a nice route, not to hilly, follow Grant Ave North thru Chinatown to Columbus. Columbus northwest thru North Beach. When you see the cable car tracks,on Columbus, follow them to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf, or continue on Columbus to the Cannery and Aquatic Park. Plenty of refreshment ops along the way.

On your walk to the bridge, stop in at the Warming Hut, just before you begin the ascent to the bridge, for nourishment.

A group of us went on a walk on New Years Eve from Union Square to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf, we used the Barbary Coast Trail, and acompanying book by Daniel Bacon. There are bronze plaques embedded into the sidewalk marking the route. They sell an audio version on their website too.

http://www.barbarycoasttrail.org/

I%26#39;ve lived here all my life, and I knew some of the details, but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from the book by preparing to lead this walk.

It took us about 3 hours, but we stopped for lunch in Chinatown and took our time. (we took the cable car back to Union Square from Ghiradelli Square, which added another hour including waiting in line). The route isn%26#39;t the shorted route, it meanders a bit (in a good way) It went by really quickly, and we were never tired, because it was so interesting. I recommend it. Walking is the BEST way to see San Francisco (except maybe on a cable car!).

If you do use the book, please note that the book isn%26#39;t totally up to date, some things have changed and the restaurant recommendations are a bit dated, but the other info is great.

I have followed Girasol%26#39;s route and can vouch for the ease of walking it. To my mind, the whole route is scenic, coming as I do from a small desert town. Photo ops at every turn.

I walked to the wharf and then caught the cable car back to Union Square.

Pug

sherman36 complained «it%26#39;s difficult to estimate distances from maps - not to mention the hills!»

The best map of which I know that addresses both problems is the Bike/Walk map linked to the Flag/Maps page at the TouringSFO site at http://geoticites.com/touringsfo/

Look at it in conjunction with the responses above.

Many thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice - just the sort of info I was looking for.

Sherman