The San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide

Your Passport to the San Francisco Bay Trail

The San Francisco Bay Trail Project is announcing the release of the second edition of the popular San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide.  Published by UC Press and funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, the Guide is comprehensive, compact, user-friendly, and studded with full-color maps and illustrations that cover the more than 325 miles of shoreline Bay Trail already open to the public.  This book is essential for anyone who wants to explore the remarkably diverse San Francisco Bay shoreline.  For more information about the Bay Trail and where you can order your copy, go to www.baytrail.org.

The Guide shows how the Bay Trail offers access to commercial, industrial and residential neighborhoods, featuring points of historic, natural and cultural interest; recreational areas like beaches, marinas, fishing piers, boat launches, and over 130 parks and wildlife preserves.  The Guide illustrates how the Bay Trail, which consists of paved multi-use paths, dirt trails, bike lanes, and sidewalks, passes through highly urbanized areas like downtown San Francisco as well as remote natural areas like the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  It also highlights the various ecosystems that coexist along this unique urban shoreline, with common plant and animal species illustrated and described for easy identification.  Access maps with icons indicate sites suitable for various activities: boating, fishing, biking, hiking, bird watching, picnicking, wheelchair riding.  A reference section contains public transit information, names of Bay-related organizations, and many useful phone numbers and websites.

Since the Guide’s first publication in 1995, more than 150 miles have been added to the Bay Trail, which will eventually encircle San Francisco and San Pablo Bays with continuous 500-miles of bicycling and hiking trails.  The Second Edition Guide showcases those additions as well as the incredible array of amenities and activities featured along the Bay Trail.  The Association of Bay Area Government’s Bay Trail Project directed the comprehensive updates and new contributions, with Maureen Gaffney serving as editor and Laura Thompson and Lee Huo providing additional revisions and updates.