San Francisco Outdoor Adventures: Hike, Bike and Kayak - 2

After that side trip, get back to the Marina Green and continue west through the Presidio on the Golden Gate Promenade. The Golden Gate Bridge has 24 hour bicycle access. (Hours for use of east and west sidewalks can vary, so check the bridge Web site for current times.) Take a cruise across the bridge, but don’t forget to stop and look at the scenery.

If you have extra time on your return trip, explore the trails in the Presidio and get a look at the Main Parade—home to the oldest existing buildings in the Presidio.

Blazing Saddles. 2715 Hyde St., San Francisco (there are other locations as well, so check the Web site for the one most convenient to you). Tel. 415-202-8888, www.blazingsaddles.com. Open 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last rental out is 7:30 p.m.); hours vary by location. Rental rates start at $7 per hour; discount coupons are available on the Web site.

Golden Gate Park

Take advantage of car-free Sundays on John F. Kennedy Dr. to enjoy a bike tour of Golden Gate Park. Pick your rental up at Golden Gate Park Bike and Skate, and start at the 8th Avenue entrance to the park. Pedal east along JFK Dr. to check out the Conservatory of Flowers. Then backtrack and follow JFK Dr. west, past Stow Lake (or you can take a side trip to cycle around the lake), Speedway Meadow, the disc golf course and Spreckels Lake. Take a short breather at the bison paddock to view the massive beasts. Then pedal past the golf course and celebrate your park adventure at the Beach Chalet and Park Chalet restaurants, just steps from the Dutch Windmill.

Golden Gate Park Bike and Skate. 3038 Fulton St., San Francisco. Tel. 415-668-1117, www.goldengateparkbikeandskate.com. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Rentals cost $3 per hour for kids’ bikes, $5 per hour for mountain bikes and $15 per hour for tandem bikes. Rental includes helmet, lock and map. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department also provides a helpful downloadable map of the park.

• Because of the region’s hilly terrain, large groups of cyclists are a common sight on the weekends all over the Bay Area.
• The Dublin Reeds

Peninsula Biking

Cyclists are abundant on the many steep and winding roads in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties along the Santa Cruz Mountain foothills on the peninsula, south of the city. It’s not uncommon to see teams of cyclists, decked out in full head-to-toe racing gear, tackling the switchbacks of such noted challenges as Montebello, Alpine, Old La Honda and Jamison Creek roads.

—Jill K. Robinson

Kayak

Water is everywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area—so why should you limit yourself to just looking at it? Local kayak outfitters allow you to get out on the water and see the sights from a different perspective.

Half Moon Bay

On the Pacific coast in Half Moon Bay (about 30 minutes south of San Francisco), Pillar Point Harbor is home to commercial and sport fishermen, as well as a base for kayak, kite-boarding and sport boating enthusiasts. The famed Maverick’s big wave surf spot, which is active in the winter months, is only a short distance away.

The Half Moon Bay Kayak Company is located on a beach in the heart of the harbor, and is a full-service kayak outfitter—offering rentals, guided trips, a full instructional program for beginners and advanced alike, and boat and gear sales. Families who want to explore at their own pace can rent kayaks for $15 per hour for single boats and $30 per hour for double boats; all the gear, including life jackets, come free with the rental. Inexperienced kayakers can venture out into the calm, double-breakwater harbor with a short introductory demonstration by a skilled guide.

Those guides also lead local excursions, including three-hour harbor tours where you can see marine mammals and bird life ($65), a trip to the tidepools of nearby Fitzgerald Marine Reserve ($100), and sunset and full moon paddles ($60/$70). After the sun goes down, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to view the bioluminescence in the seawater stirred up by your paddle.

Special children’s programs are offered, from a Take the Kids trip (adults $65/kids $35) to five-day summer kids’ camps ($235). In addition, children can go along on a selection of other guided trips offered by the company.

Half Moon Bay Kayak Company. 2 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay. Tel. 650-773-6106, www.hmbkayak.com. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed.-Mon. (closed Tues.).

• A girl finds a sea star on her kayak excursion with the Half Moon Bay Kayak Company.
• Courtesy of the Half Moon Bay Kayak Company

Richardson and San Francisco Bay

More kayaking options are available across the Golden Gate Bridge, about 10 minutes north of San Francisco. Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center is another full-service outfitter, and operates on a beach in Sausalito’s Schoonmaker Point Marina.

Families can take guided trips along the Sausalito waterfront, viewing marine life and quirky houseboats (adults $65/kids $30). Adventures on Angel Island are also available, where you can spend some time hiking along the trails of the island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, and then paddle out along the shoreline (adults $75 adults/kids $45).

For those interested in going it alone, Sea Trek also rents kayaks in Richardson Bay, a small northern finger of San Francisco Bay. Rentals for single boats are $20 per hour, double boats are $35 per hour. All necessary gear is included with your rental.

Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center. Schoolmaker Point Marina, Sausalito. Tel. 415-332-8494 (weekdays) and 415-332-4465 (weekends), www.seatrek.com. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., daily.

—Jill K. Robinson (Full disclosure: Jill and her husband own Half Moon Bay Kayak Company.)