Updated Jan 2022!
Hidden on the western end of San Francisco is Land’s End park, a gem of a spot with tons of coastal trails, one of which leads to the secret Land’s End Labyrinth. That’s right, there is a stone Labyrinth on the edge of a cliff with beautiful a view of the Golden Gate Bridge to one side and the endless Pacific ocean to the west.
Finding the Lands End trail can be tricky if you don’t know where you are going. Here’s how to find the Lands End Labyrinth in San Francisco – directions and a map included! You’ll love this fun spot, it’s one of my favorite places to bring visitors.
Land’s End is part of the Golden Gate Recreational Area on the North West side of the city. It’s not technically a California National Park (but it did close down during the government shutdown) and it’s free to visit. This area of the city can get very very foggy, especially in the summer.
It can also get windy. The trail to the labyrinth Lands End is sheltered from the coastal winds, but the Labyrinth itself can get so dang windy. My phone almost blew out of my hands during my last visit! When you are visiting, prefer for some windy spots (ie, bring a jacket!) I also recommend sturdy shoes. Intense hiking boots aren’t needed unless it just rained and the trails are wet.
Directions To Find The Lands End Labyrinth in San Francisco
Ready to go on my favorite hike in San Francisco? This spot is fun to visit at any point in the day, but I really like coming at golden hour when the bay is filled with stunning hazy light. If you have extra energy, Mile Rock Beach below the labyrinth is extra beautiful to visit in the evening. All in all, you’ll only hike about 2-3 miles round trip.
Land’s End Main Parking Lot
Park in the Lan’s End / Sutro Baths parking lot at 680 Point Lobos Ave. It can get busier in the evenings but we almost always can find a spot. If it’s full, resort to street parking around Geary. This area is a popular tourist area, so make sure to not leave valuables in your car as break-ins sometimes happens.
If you are visiting from another city, you probably don’t have a car as you’ll most likely be in a hotel near Union Square. You can take a bus out to Land’s End but it’ll take a really long time, so I instead recommend calling an uber.
The parking lot overlooks Sutro Baths, these stunning old ruins that touch the ocean. I suggest heading here after your hike as they are SO DANG beautiful to run around during late golden hour/dusk. These ruins used to be bathhouses but burnt down and the city turned them into a park. They are basically a jungle gym for adults now! Read more about Sutro Baths here.
Note: Some people prefer to park at the lot near Fort Miley as it’s a bit closer to the maze, but I like the easy hike in so I prefer to start at the Sutro Bath’s lot.
The Right Hiking Trail
Take the hiking trail to the right of the parking lot into the trees. Keep on this main path (don’t take the one off to the left that goes down the stairs to the ocean.) This trail eventually hooks up with another larger road and you’ll turn left to follow it.
The Land’s End Trail at some points turns into the Coastal Trail by name, in case you are looking at the map below. There’ll be a few look out points along the way that you can stop for a photo if you want, though the view down below will be better!
Lands End Trail Map
Eventually, this wide trail turns narrow and you’ll go down some stairs. Keep walking! You’ll come to a point where you can’t so straight anymore. At this point take a left.
Pretty quickly, you’ll see the trail branch. On the left will be stairs and the right, the trail will keep going. Take these stairs (warning – they are a pain to walk back up!)
Land’s End Labyrinth Lookout
Keep walking down these steps. At the base, the trail will go into the trees and you’ll see it also branch off to the left. These stairs take you to Mile Rock Beach, so do NOT take these stairs. Follow the trail under the trees to the lands end lookout at the end of the trail!
Warning! At this point, the trail gets thin and is right next to a steep drop off. Be careful when walking!
Keep walking – you’ve made it to the Land’s end labyrinth (sometimes called the eagle point labyrinth.) You can climb the rock to overlook the stone pattern (that’s where you get the best photo from!) or take the path down to the right to walk around the rocks maze and see it up close and personal.
If you still have energy after your Lands End Labyrinth hike, I recommend walking down even further to Mile Rock Beach. It’s a really cool beach that only really locals tend to go to. During low tide you can walk out and see the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a fun place to watch the sunset. The walk back up the stairs is hard, but no pain no gain, right?
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I love how vast the United States is. From gems in New York City to hidden San Francisco labyrinths, there are so many fun adventures in your backyard just waiting to be taken! Lands End park is one of those fun places that I’m so happy I live near.
As I mentioned, Sutro Baths is another amazing gem you should visit. On your hike back, you can take those stairs I was talking about at the beginning. Follow this trail down to the ruins. Please remember to STAY ON the trail! I’ve been tourists slide down the cliff side here because they are too lazy to take the trail. This is dangerous for you but also harmful to the park. Don’t be a dick, ok?
You can climb all over the ruins here. If it’s low tide, you can even walk on Lands End beach! Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can even quickly dart around to Ocean Beach on the other side of the Clif House. There’s even a hidden tunnel here that you can take. It pops you out on the other side of the cliffs where you can see the Point Bonita Lighthouse on a clear day.
If you’re looking for even more fun things to do in San Francisco, head to Golden Gate Park to find the Bison or even the Windmills! Read my full San Francisco travel guide here for more ideas!
I hope this helps you plan a fun hike to the Lands End Labyrinth! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram @thewhimsysoul and I’ll be happy to help!
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5 comments
Thank you SO much for this. I ventured to both locations today and while the stairs kicked my a#%, it was well worth it! I also went down to Mile Rock beach while I was there. It was a windy day and the waves crashing all the rocks was mesmerizing.
Omg those stairs are BRUTAL especially from Mile Rock Beach hahaha but always worth it. Happy you found this little gem!
– Kara
This is gorgeous, thank you for sharing! When do you recommend is the best time to visit to avoid crowd? The photos you took are stunning 🙂
Lame pics cool location
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