About the Bay Trail

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.

• Read the Bay Trail Plan Summary
• Read the original Bay Trail Plan full document

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.

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

View the MTC Operations Committee to see Bay Trail Board and Steering Committee agendas, meeting minutes and locations.

The Bay Trail Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit*. Your contribution to the Bay Trail Project will advance the vision of a continuous trail around the San Francisco Bay. You will be part of a legacy to create a spectacular shoreline recreational resource that will be enjoyed by countless residents, visitors, and future generations.

Your Bay Trail donation will support outreach and education efforts to:

• Promote the benefits of a continuous shoreline Bay Trail
• Bring people in contact with and foster appreciation of the bay
• Close gaps to create more miles of connected trail

Download the Donation Form to make a donation via check or money order. We are unable to accept credit card donations at this time. Thank you!

*All contributions are fully tax-deductible and go directly to assist outreach efforts of the Bay Trail Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. A donation receipt will be provided for tax purposes.

Bay Trail Brochure

Download the PDF of the entire San Francisco Bay Trail, including descriptions of the varied ways to enjoy the trail.

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:

• Powell’s
• Amazon
• University of California Press

Technical Contacts

Lee Huo, Senior Planner
Email: lhuo@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-820-7915

Lily Brown, Associate Planner
Email: lbrown@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-778-6721

Diane Dohm, Associate Planner
Email: ddohm@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-778-4429

Donation Contact

Sarina Seaton, Administrator
Email: sseaton@bayareametro.gov
Phone: 415-955-7479