Hike Stats
Trail Type: Loop
Length: 12.5 miles (based on FitBit tracking & Health App)
Elevation Gain: 2, 438’
Time on Trail: 5 h 5 mins (moving time) // 5 h 41 mins (total time)
Trail Signs: Not very clear in some areas/takes a bit of navigation (using All Trails App)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Park: Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Popularity: Moderate — We didn’t see anyone else on the trail till we got to Mori Point, where it was
moderately busy. Everyone we saw here was wearing their masks, which was nice! The second half of
the loop back was also moderately trafficked, we saw a couple of bikers and several hikers.
All Trails Recording: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/mori-point-and-sweeney-ridge-loop-trail-via-skyline-college-32bb90e?u=i
The Trail
As the Skyline College parking lot was closed, we found street parking then made our way through the college to the start of the trail. The first part, the Notch Trail, was roughly 1.2 miles of gradual inclines and flat ground. Once you make it to the junction with the Ridge Trail, you have the option of going left or right. Either way you will be going downhill for the first half of the trail and then climb up the second half of the loop trail.
At the junction we took a right on to the Mori Ridge Trail, which had lots of downhills, paired with a few uphill stair portions. Eventually the trail passed an orchid farm and switched from a dirt trail to an asphalt path. Soon we had to walk through a neighborhood to reach a crosswalk that would take us across Highway 1. This part was a bit scary because the cars were going by super fast and there was no stop sign or light, so we had to be very vigilant and run across when the coast was clear. From here it was easy to find the rest of the way down the Upper Mori and Lishumsha Trail to the coast. We took a break here, enjoying the view from The Point, a lookout from a cliff over the ocean. The views were spectacular and we were refreshed with a cool ocean breeze. From here we went a mile off trail and walked the length of Sharp Park Beach, greeted by several people fishing and crabbing. After enjoying this short off course walk, we returned to the Bluff Trail, a nice seaside trail taking us to Rockaway Beach, where we saw several surfers enjoying a day out on the waves. I love watching people surf because it looks so fun and I’ve always wanted to learn!
After spending some time enjoying Rockaway Beach, we crossed Highway 1 again. Here was the tricky part, my All Trails map showed the Farallones View Trail starting behind a church, and that was fine, until we walked to the church and saw that their Sunday service was happening. We really didn’t want to interrupt their service in any way so we looked for ways around for a good ten minutes. With no other option, we decided to hike up a bike trail, a short distance away, that would join us back to the Farallones View Trail. This second half of the hike had some pretty tough uphill sections, and the heat didn’t make that any easier. I prefer trails where you hike uphill during the first half of the trail, but this was a loop, so at least we didn’t have to retrace our steps! This second half of the loop had awesome views; we saw the beaches we hiked from as we climbed higher and higher away from them.
Overall, it was a great hike with amazing views of the ocean! It was foggy in the morning, but it cleared up by the time we got to the beach :)
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