Where Land Ends
It is difficult for us to fathom (I like the sound of this Middle English word “fadme” that refers to a unit of length used to measure the depth of water. To understand something thoroughly is “to get to the bottom of it”) that for the most of human history people believed that the Earth was flat, and if one reaches the end, he will fall off in the abyss (another Middle English word “abissus,” which means bottomless, or deep bottom of the sea). Therefore cartographers drew dragons at the end of the known ancient world maps to indicate the danger of getting there.
Nevertheless, San Francisco has its own Land’s End. It is the name of the park, which is a rocky and windswept shoreline at the mouth of Golden Gate, situated between the Sutro Bath and Lincoln Park. A beautiful place to visit and walk along the track with the expansive view of The Golden Gate. The area has rich history and is named “Land’s End” because by the 1860s a horse-drawn stagecoach made a trip every Sunday from crowded downtown San Francisco to the area where San Francisco ended by the ocean. During the 1880s Adolf Sutro, who made a fortune at the Comstock Lode, increased his wealth by large real estate investments in San Francisco. At one time he owned one twelfth of the acreage in San Francisco. This included Mount Sutro, Land’s End, the area where Lincoln Park and the Cliff House are today, and Mount Davidson, which was called “Blue Mountain” at that time (the area where our family lives). At the “Land’s End” he built an entertainment complex called Sutro Bath. He also laid down a railroad in order to reach the area. Adolf Sutro served as the 24th mayor of San Francisco from 1895-1897, and made many contributions to our city. Unfortunately, Sutro Bath was destroyed in a fire, along with his mansion, which was at the top of what is now Sutro Heights Park, and the original Cliff House, a seven story Victorian Chateau, called by some “The Gingerbread Palace”. The railroad tracks disappeared as well, and now it is about a trail that is about two miles long, which starts just above the Cliff House and winds in and out of the woods and along the edge of the bluffs and ends in the residential area of Sea Cliff near China Beach. When you visit the area, also explore the labyrinth, and if you do not mind walking down the steep hill, visit the Mile Rock Beach.
I have visited the trail many times, but never walked down to the beach. This time when I came here with a friend, I discovered another hidden gem of our city.
P.S. After coming down the hill, I decided to explore the beach and noticed a trail going up the hill through the tall wild flowers. I convinced my young friend to join me. It was fun, but if you decide to do the same, be sure to wear hiking shoes. These four images are only teasers; you need to have your own experience.
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Cheers,
