Scenic Walking Trail Near Me: Lovers Lane Through the Presidio Eucalyptus Forest

Not every scenic walking trail near me has to be a cliffside epic. Sometimes you want twenty minutes under tall trees, a bit of history and a piece of art you can walk on. In San Francisco, that walk is Lovers Lane, a 0.6-mile paved path in the Presidio that runs from the Presidio Gate near Pacific Heights up to the Main Post. It is free, pedestrian only, and the Presidio Trust sums it up nicely: nature lovers, history lovers and art lovers will all find something to gush about.

The name is not a marketing invention. According to the Presidio Trust, the path was established in the 19th century as a shortcut used by US soldiers heading out to catch transit to visit their sweethearts and families in the city. When you walk it today you are following the very same route, from the edge of the old Army post toward the neighborhoods to the south.

That history is visible on both sides. To the east of the path stands a forest of eucalyptus, cypress and pine that the Army planted in the late 19th century to turn the windswept dunes and grasslands into something that looked like a proper military reservation. To the west are rows of modest homes built by the Army in the 1930s, now leased as Presidio residences. The combination of old forest and quiet housing gives the walk an almost village-like calm.

Start at the south end, at the Presidio Gate near West Pacific Avenue, where there is very limited free parking along the street. The path climbs gently at first and then more steeply. The Trust lists an average grade of 9 percent with a maximum of 21 percent, so expect some genuine uphill on the way to the Main Post. The surface is paved with a stretch of boardwalk, which makes it one of the more comfortable walks in the park if you are in ordinary shoes.

Plan on about thirty minutes one way. The north end comes out at the intersection of Presidio Boulevard and Barnard Avenue, close to the Main Post. An out-and-back trip gives you the climb first and an easy descent on the return, with long views down through the trees.

The highlight for many walkers runs right alongside the lane. Wood Line, by the British artist Andy Goldsworthy, is made of felled eucalyptus trunks laid end to end in a long zigzag across the forest floor. The Trust describes it as a literal art walk, because you are allowed to stroll along the top of the logs as they curve between the standing trees. Children treat it as a balance beam, and adults usually end up doing the same.

The numbers are bigger than the sculpture looks at first glance. The Trust describes Wood Line as a 1,200-foot piece made of eucalyptus branches recovered from the Presidio's program to rejuvenate its forest, the same forest the Army began planting in the 1880s. It was completed in 2011, and Goldsworthy intended it to fade slowly back into the earth, so the version you see this autumn is softer and more weathered than the one in early photographs. The closest Presidio GO shuttle stop is Tides Converge at Letterman Drive, and there are a few parking spots along West Pacific Avenue next to the lane.

Morning is the best time to see it. Light comes through the eucalyptus canopy from the east, picking out the curves of the trunks against the bark-littered ground. The Presidio holds other Goldsworthy works too, including Spire near Inspiration Point, so if Wood Line hooks you, it is easy to make a short art loop.

Lower down, Lovers Lane crosses MacArthur Meadow on a brick footbridge that the Trust dates to around 1885. It connects to a newer bridge carrying the path over the creek that flows down Tennessee Hollow from El Polin Spring. In autumn the meadow grasses turn tawny and the willows along the creek give some color, and it is a good spot to pause and listen for birds working the thickets.

If you have extra time, take the connector up to El Polin Spring itself. The Trust describes it as a peaceful refuge in the park's largest watershed, and it is one of the few places in San Francisco where you can watch fresh water bubble out of the ground.

Lovers Lane is pedestrian only, so leave bikes at the racks. Respect the homes along the west side. People live here, and the lane passes close to front yards. Stay on the path through the forest, and if you climb onto Wood Line, do it gently and keep children supervised, since the logs are uneven and some ends sit higher off the ground than others.

The Trust lists restrooms at Presidio Wall Playground and at the Presidio Officers' Club. The playground, at Pacific Avenue and Spruce Street near the southern trailhead, has one structure for babies and toddlers and another for school-age kids, plus courts and an athletic field, and on clear days its view stretches north to the Golden Gate Bridge. West Pacific Avenue beside it is a Presidio Slow Street, so watch for people walking and biking on the roadway. At the north end, paid parking near the Officers' Club is the easiest option, and the club itself makes a natural place to finish. It houses Colibri Mexican Bistro, open daily, and free history exhibitions in its Heritage Gallery that trace the story of the Presidio from its founding in 1776. One Letterman Campus is nearby too, with its meadow, restaurants and the Yoda Fountain outside the Lucasfilm buildings.

North end landmark: Presidio Officers' Club, 50 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129. Trailheads: Presidio Gate near West Pacific Avenue (south) and Presidio Boulevard at Barnard Avenue (north). Length: 0.6 miles. Moderate, average grade 9 percent and maximum 21 percent. Paved and boardwalk. Pedestrian only. About thirty minutes one way. Parking: very limited free street parking on West Pacific Avenue. Paid lot near the Officers' Club. Transit: Muni 43 to the Presidio Transit Center. Admission is free. Restrooms at Presidio Wall Playground and the Officers' Club. For a café stop or dinner in nearby Laurel Heights after the walk, ask Karpo in the Karpo APP.