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Running with a view always beats the alternative. And in the Bay Area, vistas are even more epic, with so many routes and trails offering a glimpse of the Pacific and its gorgeous coastline. Residents and visitors alike know there’s always a trail nearby where you can log miles while watching waves. In other words, there’s no excuse not to see the ocean when you lace up your sneakers.
With options that hug the Pacific Ocean from Marin to Santa Cruz, here are the best Bay Area trails with ocean views. Whether you’re looking for a quick, easy jog or a hard slog complete with elevation gain, you’ll find something scenic to choose from. Just make sure to keep an eye on your footing: It’s all too easy to get distracted by these gorgeous vistas.
Easy, flat 4-mile out and back and a strenuous 7.3-mile loop; Marin County
Every June, Stinson Beach hosts the finish line for the famed Dipsea Race, the oldest and maybe the most treacherous trail running race in America. The beach, however, also offers the perfect starting point for runners looking for a less ambitious outing. An easy four-mile out and back runs right along the water's edge toward Bolinas, the next beach town to the north. There’s no elevation gain and nothing but beautiful views (or a whole lot of fog.)
Craving more exertion? Then head away from the beach and cross Highway 1 onto the Dipsea Trail. The 7.3-mile Stinson to Pantoll Loop run offers waterfalls, wildflowers, tall trees, and bragging rights for running part of the Dipsea.
From the Dipsea Trail, climb for a mile and a half then veer left onto the Steep Ravine Trail. You’ll climb some more through a commanding redwood forest, see a pair of waterfalls and climb a quick ladder before reaching the Pantoll Ranger Station. Carefully cross the Panoramic Highway and find the Matt Davis Trail, which starts as single track through the forest.
When the trail opens up onto a grassy hill, take a moment to savor a view that includes the Marine Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge and all of San Francisco. Then keep running. Stay on the Matt Davis Trail (don’t veer onto the Coastal Trail) and beware of the wooden steps, gnarly roots and other tricky footing as you return to Stinson.
The most popular trail in the Marin Headlands, the Tennessee Valley Trail starts at the visitor center on Tennessee Valley Road. From the parking lot, it’s a gentle 1.8 miles to the beach on a wide, partially paved trail that you’ll share with horses and bikes for most of the way. Halfway down, however, you can opt for the bike-free Lower Tennessee Valley Trail.
In addition to humans, you might see red-tailed hawks, mule deer, and the occasional rattlesnake. Park service pro tip: Coordinate your visit with a low tide to see the engine of the shipwrecked SS Tennessee.
Easy 3-mile out and back, San Francisco
When you don’t have a lot of time but want a lot to see, Lands End is the way to go. Home to the Ohlone Tribe until Spanish settlers arrived in the 1700s, this northwest corner of the city became the passion project of Adolph Sutro, a German inventor and eventual mayor of San Francisco in the late 1800s.
Sutro believed everyone—not just the rich—should enjoy the views from this rugged outpost. He bought the land, renovated the Cliff House restaurant, and built the Sutro Baths and Gardens. After his death, the land was transferred to the city under the condition that it remain free and open to the public.
Now owned and managed by the National Park Service, Lands End sits within the Golden Gate National Recreational Area and offers stunning views of the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, and open ocean. From the Lands End parking lot, take a quick jog out to the Point Lobos to see the mighty Pacific, then loop back to take the Land End Trail to the Coastal Trail. Stay back from the cliffs, keep an eye out for poison oak and avoid dog-walkers and strollers on your way to Eagles Point. Turn around and retrace your steps. It’s spectacular in either direction.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park; 12-mile out-and-back
The oldest state park in California, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is always worth the trip from San Francisco. From Waddell Beach, start on the Skyline to the Sea Trail, which hugs Waddell Creek. Continue up and up until you get to the Berry Creek Falls Trail. It’s tricky footing and tough going but you’ll be surrounded by redwoods and great views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Once you reach Berry Creek Falls, take a moment to appreciate the accomplishment, turn around and retrace your steps. The falls are dramatic and worth the trip, especially in an El Niño year, but if you don’t have 12 miles in you, any amount out and back on the Skyline to Sea Trail will give you a sense of achievement and an eyeful of the Pacific.
Easy 2.5-mile loop; Santa Cruz
Wilder Ranch sits on a former cattle farm and straddles both sides of Highway 1. For an easy, flat jog, start in the parking lot and take Old Cove Landing Trail. You’ll cross the railroad tracks and hear the ocean, loud and powerful, just before you turn to see it.
When the Old Cove Trail meets the Ohlone Bluffs Trail, you’ll see Wilder Beach, which is a snowy plover preserve, on your left. Continue to your right along the bluffs past Fern Grotto to Sand Plant Beach. Take the trail to your right, head down the hill, over the tracks and back to the parking lot.
If 2.5 miles isn’t enough, you can continue on the bluffs for a 10-mile out and back to Four Mile Beach (confusing, we know). And if you need elevation gain to feel complete, you can skip the bluffs run altogether and take the tunnel under the highway from the parking lot. The inland side of the park offers 70-some miles of trail over open grassland and into redwood forest.
Your sock size shouldn’t be a guessing game. Our socks range from small to double XL, but the best way to know the perfect fit for you is to match your shoe size to the chart on the left. That way, you’ll know the size you select will give you the fit and feel you expect.
Between sizes? Go with your gut, but rest assured that your socks will still fit great. If you receive your order and find yourself wishing you’d gone up or down a size, just let us know. We’ll happily send you replacements for your preferred size.
Concerned about laundry mix-ups? All FITS® socks are coordinated by color and size, based on the colors you see on the size chart. So, you won’t have to worry about mixing up your sizes with the other FITS® wearers in your home. (But stray socks mysteriously going missing in the dryer? Unfortunately, we can’t help with that.)
Sock sizes are typically measured in inches, not by your shoe size. So, a sock size 6-8 will comfortably fit someone whose feet are between six and eight inches long. However, at FITS®, we make it easy for you to choose the ideal sock size without having to measure your foot. Simply use our sock size conversion chart based on your shoe size to select the right fit for you.
To measure your foot for socks, measure the length from the heel of your foot to the tip of your longest toe. The measurement in inches correlates to your sock size. For example, if your foot is 10 inches long, a sock size 9-11 should fit you comfortably. At FITS®, you can skip this step and find your sock size based on your shoe size using our conversion chart.
The sock size conversion refers to sock size compared to shoe size. While all companies may vary slightly on which size socks to purchase based on your shoe size, you can always measure your foot to find the right fit for you.
Because sock sizes are determined by the length of your foot in inches vs. your shoe size, shoe and sock sizes differ. The FITS® sock size to shoe size conversion is as follows:
Knowing this makes it easy to choose the ideal sock size based on your shoe size without measuring your foot.
Sock sizes typically don’t correlate with age. For kids, age can be a general indicator of what size sock they’ll need, but everyone is different. An adult sock size 9-12 fits anyone whose feet are approximately nine to twelve inches long. For kids’ sock sizing, check with the company to find exact details to ensure your little one gets the perfect fit.
Got more questions about finding the perfect sock size for you? Let’s talk.
