Urban Backpacking Trip to Hawk Camp

It's nice to have a car to go places for hiking and backpacking.  Ever since I got rid of my truck four years ago, I am not traveling as much to backpack those special destinations.  I now rely on friends to drive, public transportation, and my own two feet (yes, my own two feet!) to get around.

Sunset Picture of the Marin Headlands from Bobcat Trail

One of the joys I have discovered about being in San Francisco is that one can simply walk out the front door, and go on an overnight backpacking trip without the car.  Recently, I took a trip to Hawk Camp, which is located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The beauty of walking from the front door to the campsite is that the city itself becomes the hiking landscape.  Who says that mountains, trees, and rivers have to be the dominant features?  Hiking through the city is seeing the culture at work, the citizenry at play, and becoming more familiar with the urban geography and its unique features.

I hope the video I made captures some of the nuances of urban distance hiking, and the reality that our wild spaces are closer than we think.  Bear in mind here that those coyote yelps and owl hoots are just a few miles from San Francisco!  This is cool.