Hawk Hill, San Francisco, CA
Show Your Route
Hawk Hill may be one of the most popular rides in San Francisco. Well loved by many San Franciscans, it takes cyclists across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the overlooking Hawk Hill. But beware! All the tourist dodging makes it more of an obstacle course sometimes. So I just had to chronicle it :). Without further adieu…the short but epic “Hawk Hill” bicycle ride.
Start
Meet here. If you are meeting friends and they are running late, I highly suggest you partake in some quality people watching (or use the bathroom).
After your cycling friends arrive, say a nervexcited (nervous + excited) “hi” and then proceed up the ramp to the right.
It is now time to play a game of frogger with humans from all over the world, speaking all kinds of languages, interpreting traffic laws in all kinds of creative methods.
Best of luck to you. The next 2 miles are filled with insane views of the bay (or extreme white out — depending on the whether Karl is in town), wind, unpredictable tourists, AND selfie sticks.
Although it may appear that these carefree, irresponsible humans attached to the selfie sticks are trying to kill you, they are simply trying to capture that magic that is the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, so do your best not to grab the selfie stick and throw it overboard. Photobomb and use your brakes instead.
ALSO…
If you see a human riding one of these sans helmet. Proceed cautiously. If you see a human riding one of these with a selfie stick…
Just to be clear, there is an attempt at organization and direction with traffic flow on the bridge.
In a perfect world, all pedestrians would stay on their side and cyclists would travel on their respective right sides of the bike lane. Unfortunately, this does not happen all that frequently.
To be fair, the views are kind of ridiculous. You might find yourself captivated by this beautiful distraction. If this happens, choose life and limit yourself to .25 seconds per daydream viewing.
You will eventually make it to the Vista Point, where you are likely to encounter at least one giant tourist bus.
Follow the arrow and make a left onto the sidewalk, which will turn into a bike path. After about a quarter of a mile you will get to the road intersection, at which point, you will look over your left shoulder, make sure no cars are coming, and then enter the left lane to make a left at the stop sign.
You will then approach a tunnel. It’s very short, but don’t hold your breath. You will need that in a big way in about 45 seconds.
Warm up is now over. Game time. *Important: Make a right up the big hill. If you continue straight you will end up on 101 going over the bridge with vehicles traveling 45mph.
Not ideal.
The next couple minutes are quite intense. This is the steepest grade on the climb, so down shift and start the positive self talk immediately after turning.
Congratulations. You have made it up the most difficult part of the climb. Depending on the day, you might get a nice gust of wind to the face to help with the flat recovery. Nature is always trying to make us stronger.
Smile and thank the nature. The next mile has a slight incline, but you will most likely feel like a boss on wheels and pick up your pace dramatically.
At the roundabout, stay to the left and then take the second exit (it is the uphill bit, you can’t miss it). The grade increases again, but it’s not nearly as bad as the first part of the climb, so proceed with confidence.
After a few more minutes of climbing, you will begin to approach the top. Now would be a good time to sprint. Crush that thing.
A job well done. If you are lucky and have a clear day, look out at the incredible view. If Karl is hanging out, focus on the bunker situation to your right.
It is now time to descend. After picturing taking and high-fiving to your heart’s content, turn yourself around and head down the road you just ascended. This ride is an out and back, so you will follow your path right back to where you started.
Be a bit conservative on the downhill, as there is always a possibility that a gust of wind or a tourist driver gone rogue might throw you off balance.
Warning, the last part of the descent is the steepest. Use both brakes and come to a full stop at the stop sign before taking a left to the short tunnel.
After going through the tunnel, you will make a right and then an immediate left to get back on the bike path. Somewhat sketchy. Watch yourself.
It is now time for round two of Frogger. Use the skills you acquired on your first try and proceed with caution.
Great success. Upload that thing to Strava and celebrate.
Do you have any stories, mishaps or exciting adventures from Hawk Hill? Share below in the comments!
