South San Francisco, located 10 miles south of San Francisco, is a small community along San Francisco Bay just to the north of the San Francisco International Airport. This industrial area receives fewer visitors than its more famous namesake. However, visitors can find many exciting sports and activities in the area with far fewer crowds--including hiking, mountain biking, sailing and golf.
Hiking
The Bay Area offers numerous opportunities for hiking, including several within three miles of South S.F. Junipero Serra County Park provides well-maintained trails close to the city, although the facility is relatively small and visitors can hear noise from the surrounding highways and nearby airport. Sweeney Ridge offers a six-mile hike among wildflowers and historic remnants of the cold war. The trail is mostly paved, making this a good potential hike for individuals pushing strollers or wheelchairs. Milagra Ridge is another small park surrounded by highways. This 1.5-mile hike with a view is popular with dog owners, though visitors should note that wild animals do live in the area.
Mountain Biking
Just four miles to the west, in Pacifica, the Sweeney Ridge Loop Trail provides 6.7 miles of mountain biking excitement for visitors and locals alike. Though the Sweeney Ridge Loop Trail technically begins in a local nursery parking lot, Trails.com experts recommend beginning at the Pacifica State Beach to warm up one's leg muscles prior to tackling the steep Mori Ridge. From either beginning point, this trail provides beautiful views of the countryside and its wildflowers in addition to historic remnants of a 20th-century missile site.
Sailing
Located along the San Francisco Bay, South S.F. provides locals and visitors alike with the opportunity to sail the bay. The Oyster Point Marina and Park offers a launching point for boats as well as a 300-foot fishing pier, a beach and an area for jogging and picnicking. Boat rental companies in the area are less prevalent than in larger cities. As such, visitors hoping to rent a sailboat should consider planning ahead.
Golfing
More than a dozen golf courses exist within ten miles of South S. F. A significant majority of these courses are member-oriented. However, courses still exist for the general public--including the Sharp Park Golf Course in nearby Pacifica, the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, and the Poplar Creek Golf Course in San Mateo. Each of these public courses offers 18 holes upon more than 6,000 yards of field. Visitors can book tee times online for their convenience. The Bay Area of California offers cooler weather than other local areas, making a round of golf possible at any time of day.
Fishing
South San Francisco proves a wonderful place to fish, with fewer visitors than larger cities but easy access to the bay and great recreational facilities such as the fishing pier at Oyster Point Park. The most frequently caught fish in the area are leopard sharks, caught mainly during the summer and early fall. The bay also boasts of striped bass in spring and early summer, halibut throughout the summer and sturgeon each December. As such, fisherman can enjoy the sport for the great majority of the year. The most prolific fish can be caught pier-side or from a boat.
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