Many people who grew up in San Francisco still don't know about all the incredible walks and hidden trails you can take along the cliffs overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and along to the Sutro Baths, including the Lands End trail. 

Located in the Sutro District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Lands End offers some of the best Bay Area hiking without ever leaving San Francisco. Its coastal views, secluded beaches and smooth grades all the way along the trail from the Cliff House to Eagle Point also make it a popular spot for families with kids. 

If you're thinking about experiencing this coastal gem, here are seven top reasons you should. 

1. It's wild nature right in San Francisco

Just because the Lands End trails are near the fancy Sea Cliff neighborhood, in the westernmost part of San Francisco, that doesn’t mean these are groomed city park paths. 
 
"People come here thinking it's a city backyard park," said Roberta Walker, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy retail manager for the Lands End Lookout Visitor Center. Walking along the coast at Lands End makes you feel like you've found your own secret path, hemmed by bushes and trees on one side and dramatic cliffs on the other. Still, the trails here are well maintained and easy to follow.

After parking at the visitor center, you can follow the well-marked trail that skirts the Pacific coast, walking about 1.7 miles to Eagle Point. Along the way, you’ll pass under arching trees and by dramatic, shrub-lined cliffs. While much of the trail follows a smoothly-graded route of the original railroad that brought visitors out to Lands End, there are steeper sections, some with significant grades that can get slick in the fog and the rain, some with stairs (the start and end of the trail is paved and wheelchair accessible). For a bit more exploration, you can take the steep stairs off the main Lands End trail down to Mile Rock Beach or up to the El Camino del Mar trail, which runs parallel to the main coastal trail.

No matter where you go, keep your eye out for poison oak, coyotes and, just maybe, a river otter.

2. There's free parking

If you’ve ever tried to find parking for a popular weekend hike, then you know circling and circling and circling is no way to start your blissful journey into nature. Part of the beauty of Lands End is how easy it is to get away from the city while still within the city. As Walker told SFGATE, "you don’t feel like you're in the city."

Parking can be found in the big lot at the visitor center — its on Merrie Way at the intersection of Point Lobos and El Camino del Mar; you can search for "Lands End Main Parking Lot" in Google maps to find it. There's a second parking lot at the USS San Francisco memorial, right outside the Legion of Honor. While both parking lots can get crowded on holiday and summer weekends, parking here can be easier than at other popular Bay Area hikes — and way easier than trying to park at other spots in San Francisco. You can also go into the visitor center to use the bathroom and buy snacks and gifts, and get a free map to guide your exploration of the area. 

Bonus: This is also the best San Francisco hike you can take public transit to. Catch the #38 Geary bus and get off at 48th & Point Lobos.

3. You will find amazing views at every turn

I’m not even a good photographer and I was able to snap a couple of beautiful (if I do say so myself) pictures on a leisurely walk down Lands End trail on a recent sunny morning.

That's because the Lands End trail has some of the best views in San Francisco. Starting from the west trailhead at the visitor center, you can take in the Pacific Ocean, walk out to the Sutro Baths lookout or down to the baths themselves, hike along the trail and down the stairs to the lookout above Mile Rock Beach, then wander toward Sea Cliff for an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge, ending at the lookout at Eagle Point. Dozens of spots along the way also offer amazing viewpoints.

Along with views of Baker Beach and the Marin Headlands, you might also catch a glimpse of whales out in the ocean. Or, use your imagination to consider the many shipwrecks off the coast. The strait off of Lands End and under the Golden Gate Bridge is known for its dangerous conditions; many boats have unsuccessfully attempted to enter the rough waters and come into the San Francisco Bay.

4. Lands End trails are full of hidden secrets

OK, yes, the famous Lands End labyrinth just above Mile Rock Beach keeps getting destroyed, but that’s not the park's only hidden gem.

Even if the labyrinth isn’t there when you visit, Walker says the lookout above Mile Rock Beach where the labyrinth usually stands makes a great spot for some of the area's best views. It's also a popular location for marriage proposals. Walker's favorite spot to watch the waves crash against the shore is behind the historic Cliff House. 

For a hidden piece of history, you can take a turn up off the main Lands End trail past the USS San Francisco memorial towards West Fort Miley. Turn up the trail to find an abandoned octagon house, which used to be a historic lookout station. 

Or, if you venture down to the old Sutro Baths, you can even hike through the (semi-secret) cave tunnel.

5. You can experience San Francisco history

Lands End was an important spot for the Yelamu Ohlone; today, there are still shellmounds around the visitor center. The land was later purchased by mining magnate and philanthropist Adolph Sutro in the 1880s and turned into a popular seaside destination. The famous Sutro Baths housed multiple pools of different temperatures inside a giant glass house. Just 25 cents would get you entry, a bathing suit and a towel.

To ferry visitors out to the area then known as the Outside Lands, Sutro built a railroad along the cliff’s edge — now the path of the popular Lands End trail.

You can still see the foundation of Sutro's house and garden in the Sutro Heights part of the park; bring something to eat if you like, there are picnic tables here. And the Cliff House — the version built in 1909 after fires destroyed the first two structures — still sits on the edge of the cliff overlooking Ocean Beach. 

6. You can start or end your day at Lands End

Sitting on the very western edge of San Francisco, Lands End has some of the city's best sunsets — though it's often foggy, so check the weather first. On clear days, people come as early as 4 p.m. to find the best spot to watch the sun go down over the ocean.

The Lands End trail is also a popular way for locals to start their day at sunrise with a short (or long) walk. Go as far as you want towards Eagle Point for an out-and-back, or make it a semi-loop by hiking up to the Legion of Honor or the El Camino del Mar trail on your way back. 

7. Up and down or relatively flat: take your pick

While the Lands End trail attracts San Francisco dog walkers and locals looking for a quick jaunt in the morning, you can also spot the fitness enthusiasts and hikers making it a workout by climbing up and down the stairs that run along and off the main trail. 

For a longer adventure, you can keep going along the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge — although you'll have to walk along the road on El Camino del Mar through Sea Cliff before getting back on the California Coastal Trail above Baker Beach in the Presidio.

Whatever you do, be sure to stay on the trails when you're in Lands End. People have died falling from the cliffs when trying to take shortcuts. "It’s safe," Walker explained, "if you stay on the trails.”

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.