Attractions and Places To See around South San Francisco - Top 20

San Andreas Lake is a hidden gem tucked into the hills of San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco. Originally a natural sag pond formed by the San Andreas Fault, it was transformed into a reservoir in the late 1800s and now serves as a vital water source for the region. The lake is off-limits for swimming or boating, but you can enjoy its peaceful beauty from the San Andreas Trail or the popular Sawyer Camp Trail, which runs along its eastern edge. It's a serene spot where you can walk or bike with sweeping views of the water and surrounding hills, all while standing right on one of the world’s most famous fault lines. Despite its proximity to urban life, San Andreas Lake offers a quiet, scenic escape steeped in natural and historical significance.

Devils slide itself is nice and just to the south is the beautiful Gray Whales Cove beach. There is plenty of parking at both places. Two notes for cyclist: 1. cycling along Hwy 1, coming from Pacifica, requires climbing on a relatively narrow but highly frequented road. It is not a long climb until the turnoff to Devils slide, but it might be stressful for cyclists who are not used to riding in heavy traffic. Hwy 1 south of Devils slide has enough space for everyone. 2. If you cycle on Hwy1, then check the wind forecast beforehand. Dominant wind direction is NW, which means cycling southbound maximizes tailwind and minimizes breathing in all the air pollution from stinky cars.

Long gravel stretch was no issue for my hybrid commuter on a dry day. Nice and quiet, it's a lightly populated trail.

This 2,400-acre park stands as an oasis of open space, right on the fringes of San Francisco. The highest point of the ridge is just over 1,300 feet (almost 400 meters) in elevation, and the views are great!

Hayward Regional Shoreline encompasses 1,811 acres of salt, water, fresh water, and brackish water marshes, as well as seasonal wetlands and public trails for visitors. The shoreline features five miles of public gravel trails along the waterfront. Keep an eye out for remnants of timber at landing sites along the trail that become visible during low tide, offering a glimpse into this historical landing's history.

Originally, this area was used as a landfill, but it was capped and is now designated as the Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline. Landfill operations stopped in 1977. The site has since been repurposed for visitors to enjoy dog walking, biking, hiking, and picnicking. There are future development plans to add active recreation areas, including facilities for disc golf and a bike park. More parking will be created within the park for better accessibility.

San Bruno Mountain Park is adjacent to the southern boundary between San Francisco and northern San Mateo County, and borders the cities of Brisbane, South San Francisco, Colma and Daly City -- a unique open-space island in the midst of the peninsula's urbanization at the northern end of the Santa Cruz Mountain Range. The Mountain's ridge line runs in an east-west configuration, with considerable slopes and elevations ranging from 250 feet to 1,314 feet at the summit. The 2,416 acres of rugged landscape offer excellent hiking opportunities and outstanding views of San Francisco and the Central Bay Area. https://parks.smcgov.org/san-bruno-mountain-state-county-park The trailheads at the summit offer restrooms, picnic tables, drinking water fountains, and trail maps.

Hayward Regional Shoreline consists of 1,811 acres of salt, fresh, and brackish water marshes, seasonal wetlands and public trails. Cogswell Marsh, a 250-acre tidal marsh restoration and enhancement project, was completed in 1980. This area, once restored to tidal action, rapidly became an established saltwater marsh. Hayward Marsh, completed in 1985, is a 145-acre fresh and brackish water marsh and is somewhat unusual in that it relies on secondary treated effluent as the freshwater source. The marsh is made up of five managed ponds and has 15 islands that are utilized by many species of nesting birds. Flow through the five basins is controlled by a series of weirs, valves, and channels, and allows for great flexibility in operation, management and biological research. Oro Loma Marsh was constructed in 1997 and consists of a 364-acre tidal marsh with seasonal wetlands and transitional uplands. Hayward Shoreline has five miles of graveled public trails along the shoreline. Levees were originally built in Hayward and San Lorenzo to create land for salt production, Landings were established in the 1850s to ferry passengers and move salt and agricultural products to San Francisco. Remnants of timbers at landing sites along the trail can be seen from the mudflats at low tide. http://www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward