Has anyone walked/ridden the entire Bay Trail?
A handful of people — and probably more than we know about — have ventured to walk or ride all of the existing segments of Bay Trail — over 350 miles. This is no small chore as several significant gaps, particularly in the North Bay, need to be worked around as no trail exists.
Kurt Schwabe and Corinne DeBra have walked the entire San Francisco Bay Trail — one of them more than once. Check out their stories below.
Kurt Schwabe
You use it to get to work. You taught your children how to ride a bike on it. You walk your dog on it. which brings us to my last question:…
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The Bay Bridge’s hard steel underbelly (photo by Kurt Schwabe)
Corinne DeBra
I’m walking around San Francisco Bay, a few miles at a time, following the San Francisco Bay Trail. I walked 1,000 miles during my first walk around the bay. In December of 2011, I began my second walk.
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Q: When will it be done?
A: We started in 1989 and are 70% complete. While we have gained significant momentum over these 30 years, we are now left with the harder gaps — the “low hanging fruit” has been picked.
If you want to walk or ride the whole Bay Trail, please peruse the links on this page to see how others have achieved this feat. As the Bay Trail Project is unable to provide guidance on getting around the gaps, we suggest Google maps for planning your route.
Q: Can I bring my dog?
A: Each segment of trail is subject to the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction the trail passes through. Please check with our partners for rules regarding dogs on trails.
Q: When is the trail open?
A: While the goal of the Bay Trail is to have a facility that is open 24-7, each segment of trail is subject to the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction that the trail passes through. Please check with our partners for posted hours.
Q: Is hunting allowed on or near the Bay Trail?
A: Some areas near the Bay Trail do allow hunting. Please check with US Fish and Wildlife or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for hunting information in your area.
Q: Do I need to know anything special to use the bridges?
A: Six of the region’s toll bridge spans host direct bicycle and pedestrian access, and no toll is charged for these users.
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Carquinez Bridge
- Benicia-Martinez Bridge
- East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
- Dumbarton Bridge
- Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
Bicycle/pedestrian access on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is part of a pilot program that began on November 16, 2019. During this time period, bicycle and pedestrian counts will be a factor in whether the path becomes permanent. It will be important to demonstrate effective use of the trail, particularly during commute hours.
The San Mateo-Hayward bridge is not accessible to cyclists or pedestrians. In addition, the West Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is not accessible to cyclists or pedestrians, but plans are in the works. In the meantime, a Bay Bridge Bike Shuttle between the two cities is available.