48 Hills editors and writers are highlighting their favorite people and things of 2025. Vote now for your own favorites in our 51st Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll! And join us October 22, 6pm-9pm, at El Rio for the 48 Hills Annual Community Gala to party with the winners and celebrate the independent spirit of the Bay Area.
Have you had a go at San Francisco’s Crosstown Trail, which just celebrated its six-year anniversary? A day’s worth of hiking from Candlestick Point State Park to Land’s End Lookout Visitor Center, with plenty of toilets, cafes, and amazing views to help you make it to the end, the Crosstown Trail provides a fun challenge for avid walkers and urban explorers of most ages.
And now… say hello to its new counterpart, the Double Cross Trail, which debuted in 2024. This 14-plus-mile trek meanders from Fort Funston to Pier 23, taking in sights such as Lake Merced, Twin Peaks, and Postcard Row’s Painted Ladies of Alamo Square before ascending the stairway to Coit Tower, and back down to the waterfront.
Called the Double Cross because it forms an “x” with the original Crosstown Trail (as opposed what you’re feet might be experiencing around mile 10, when you insist on powering through to the next stop), this trail is more than just a greatest hits of San Francisco scenery—it’s a tangible reminder that while there may truly be no more unmapped terrain to “discover,” there’s always the potential for a remix.
First created during the most isolated part of the COVID-19 pandemic by Crosstown Trail enthusiasts Arnie Thompson, John Trevithick, and Chris Rupright, the Double Cross is a fantastic addition to the original. Not to mention, it’s a must-do for trail lovers, completists, and anyone who wants to “get away from it all” in their own backyard.
