About the Bay Trail
The San Francisco Bay Trail is a series of connected walking and cycling paths that ring the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.
About the Bay Trail
The Bay Trail, currently more than 350 miles, connects communities, parks, open spaces, schools and transit. It provides space for recreation and active transportation to work, school and other destinations in the community.
The ultimate goal of the Bay Trail is to build a beautiful shoreline path for everyone to enjoy. And when it’s complete? A total of 500 miles running through all nine Bay Area counties, 47 cities and across seven toll bridges.
Find your maps. Get out and on the trail.
History
Senate Bill 100, authored by then-state Senator Bill Lockyer and passed into law in 1987, directed the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to develop a plan for this regional trail system including a specific alignment for the Bay Trail.
MTC works with ABAG to implement the Bay Trail Plan, adopted by ABAG in July 1989. It includes a proposed alignment; a set of policies to guide the future selection, design and construction of routes; and strategies for implementation and financing. Since its inception, the Bay Trail Plan has enjoyed widespread support in the Bay Area.
Trail Types
Because the trail circles the entire San Francisco Bay, a wide variety of unique landscapes and a multitude of experiences can be found.
Residents and visitors can walk, bike, run or roll on trails that have both paved and natural surfaces.
There is something for everyone. Explore the trail.
Bay Trail Design Guidelines and Toolkit
The Bay Trail Design Guidelines and Toolkit outlines the principles for designing and developing the Bay Trail.
Work is underway on the next version of the Guidelines and Toolkit. Read the latest on development of Bay Trail Design Guidelines and Toolkit 2.0.
The toolkit is designed to be used by:
- Developers, land planners, landscape architects, engineers, architects, public community groups and other members of professional teams designing projects along the shoreline
- Cities, counties, special districts, and regional, state and federal agencies involved in resource protection, land use planning and the development of transportation and recreational trail facilities
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission staff, design review board members and Commission members when considering the siting and design of shoreline public access proposals
Bay Trail Publications
Bay Trail Brochure
Download the PDF of the entire San Francisco Bay Trail, including descriptions of the varied ways to enjoy the trail.
Bay Trail Map Cards
This set of 25 map cards is now out of print, but you can see and use the details of the map cards online.
Each card offers highlights for a small geographical section of the Bay Trail, including sights to see and activities to enjoy.
The Bay Trail Interactive Map is a great way to plan your next adventure!
San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide
The second edition of the popular San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide is the one essential book for anyone who wants to explore the remarkably diverse San Francisco Bay shoreline. Comprehensive, compact, user-friendly, and studded with full-color maps and illustrations, the guide covers the more than 325 miles of the shoreline Bay Trail already open to the public, a corridor that will eventually encircle San Francisco and San Pablo Bays with a continuous 500-mile network of bicycling and hiking trails.
2012, Paperback, 248 pages. A State Coastal Conservancy book, with assistance from the Bay Trail Project.
Available for purchase through:
Bay Trail Staff
Technical Contacts
Lee Huo, Senior Planner
Email: lhuo@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-820-7915
Diane Dohm, Principal Planner
Email: ddohm@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-778-4429
Lily Brown, Associate Planner
Email: lbrown@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-778-6721
Donations to the San Francisco Bay Trail Project
Save The Bay is building on 35 years of progress by the original Bay Trail Project, leading regional advocacy to complete and improve the Bay Trail by engaging many local partners and residents. For more information or to donate, visit SaveSFBay.org/bay-trail.