The San Francisco Bay Trail is a long-term project that’s been ongoing since the late 1980s, although you’ve probably already walked portions of it without even knowing.
It comprises a 500-mile network of walking and cycling paths ringing the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, which will eventually connect an impressive 47 cities, all 9 Bay Area counties, over 130 parks, and 7 toll bridges.
The trail is over 70% complete, with more than 350 miles already up and running. That leaves 150 miles of “gap” segments still waiting to be built, many in shoreline areas and underserved communities.
Here’s a closer look at the San Francisco Bay Trail…
About the San Francisco Bay Trail
Conceived in the 1980s as both a recreation corridor and a transportation network, the San Francisco Bay Trail connects people to local open spaces, schools, job centers, and transit hubs.
People can use the SF Bay Trail for everything from a weekend stroll to a daily bike commute, and many users are likely already walking or cycling the trail without realizing it. Here in SF, it follows major existing waterfront segments, including Crissy Field, Golden Gate Promenade, and the Embarcadero.
The path hugs the waterfront from Petaluma and Napa in the north to Santa Clara and San Jose in the south, with terrain ranging from sidewalks to compacted gravel and multi-use paths. It even traverses elevated pathways over the water, such as the ones in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission maintains an interactive map on its website depicting the entire San Francisco Bay Trail. Here, you can see which parts of the trail have been completed, and which are still labeled as “proposed,” to help you plan your trail outing.
Current project status
Recent work on the San Francisco Bay Trail is mostly focused on closing the remaining 150 miles of “gaps.” The Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission finished a Bay Trail Gap Closure Implementation Plan in 2024, which ranks the missing segments by equity, connectivity, sea-level-rise risk, and cost estimates.
The planning translates into specific on-the-ground projects over the next few years, including trail segment work through Millbrae and San Bruno around the airport, as well as construction around Point Molate in Richmond. Here in San Francisco, the completion of India Basin Shoreline Park fills another critical gap.
🌐 Learn more: Metropolitan Transportation Commission – San Francisco Bay Trail
