Category: urban

Another recommended “urban walk”.

This one I saw in the comments on a post on Modern Hiker.

The southern end of the Barbary Coast Trail begins at the Old U.S. Mint in the heart of downtown. From there it heads north, weaving its way through San Francisco’s most vibrant and historic neighborhoods to Aquatic Park.

Walking Length 3.8 miles (mostly flat or gently sloping).

The trail is designated by 170 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk.

Trail Highlights

• Birthplace of the Gold Rush
• Largest collection of historic ships in the U.S.
• Pony Express Headquarters site
• WWII submarine
• First Asian temple in the U.S.
• Barbary Coast-era shanghaiing den
• Old Mint, once the “Fort Knox of the West”
• Gold Rush-era buildings
• Oldest Catholic cathedral west of the Rockies
• Gold Rush Museum, featuring stagecoaches and Gold Rush mining implements
• Mansion built by Silver King James C. Flood
• Hyde-Powell Cable Car Line

Barbary Coast Trail – official website

We have no urban pathways on our list of the best hikes in the world.

Perhaps we should have.

On a stopover in San Antonio, Texas, recently, I did the River Walk (Paseo del Rio). Beautiful.

original – flickr – Stephen Witherden

I did it at night. Quite late. Most of the restaurants were already closed so it was quiet.

original – flickr – Stephen Witherden

more photos tagged “San Antonio River Walk” on flickr

It’s one of the most interesting urban walks I’ve ever done, a series of convoluted pathways around the San Antonio River. Most of the Walk is one story below street level.

River Walk – Wikipedia

Surprisingly, tiny Hong Kong offers some terrific hiking.

I’ve done day hikes on some of the islands. One of our contributors recently did a long day hike on the mainland.

Of course combining hiking with one of the most photogenic cities in the world is a great combination!

The clean, well organized hostels offer the best value accommodation in town. My home base in Hong Kong is the Mt. Davis hostel.