Utilitarian sand ladder to help you get down from the main road to the beach. Its a very beautiful area with the Golden Gate Bridge off in the distance. Its difficult to walk in sand as it is - but when you are walking up and down a steep hill covered in sand it gets even more difficult. This is where the sand ladder comes in handy. If you want to avoid the sand ladder there is a parking lot that is closer to the beach and isn't as steep. I tend to think this is for locals in the area without cars. This sand ladder could also double as a gym. Imagine how its so much more pleasant than a stair stepper in a 24 hr fitness gym all stuffy and stanky. read more

I guess it's better then just having traditional steps. It was a pretty good workout and was the most convenient way for me to connect to marshals beach. Some areas of the steps are completely covered in sand read more

Baker Beach Sand Ladder - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you like the oceans in Frisco. Please go. if your not in shape for a hike ....Don't. Lol. read more

It's definitely picturesque and unique. This is a good work out for repetitions or just to take down to Baker Beach from the California Coastal Trail. It's hard to say how many steps there are since sometime sand covers them completely. Walking down there are great views of the ocean and bridge with many wildflowers abundant in the spring and early summer. For a list of SF hikes and walks: https://bit.ly/43PhQtL read more

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Two hundred. That's the number of steps between the naked old men, and the road: two hundred. (The ladder is located on the North end of Baker Beach, which is clothing optional.) It's way harder to climb than it looks, and it's very steep. According to Strava, the ladder has a 25% grade. I would count climbing the ladder as a fun mini-workout. The views of the bridge and the nearby bay area are great. It's possible to see porpoises, and sometimes even larger whales, near this area. Several years ago, my cousin and I were lucky enough to spot a couple of blue whales. According to the Parks Conservancy website, one of the best places in San Francisco to view the serpentine rock cliffs is from the overlooks on Lincoln Blvd, which is just a short distance north from the top of the sand ladder. I would say that the ladder is great for kids, but I guess that depends on how you feel about them possibly seeing people proudly parading around sans underwear. Overall rating: PG (parental guidance suggested) read more

We often come to San Francisco for work and don't care for hotel gyms. The sand ladder has become one of our favorite locations to workout and get a good morning run. The sand ladder isn't much of a ladder as it's all a slope of sand except for the very bottom, there you will find a few visible steps. The walk down is easy but coming up is the workout. It's a great one and doing it more than once is the killer of stair masters. The beach below is beautiful, clean and never crowded when we arrive. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge is always the reward for us after we have completed our steps and a run along the water. Parking here is along the highway and has about 10 spots, otherwise there is a metered parking lot about .5 miles away and is an easy, very scenic walk to the trailhead. We highly recommend a stop here even if you are not coming for a workout, you will get one anyway. This is definitely not stroller or wheelchair friendly, but definitely worth the visit. Enjoy! read more

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If you keep your footing, you can get a workout going up and down the Sand Ladder without going to the gym. When you have exhausted yourself, rest on the beach. read more

The stairs has a yelp page? Well then, I'm not sure how to fully grade the stairs but if you're looking for a work out and need to work on legs, here's your resolution. Give your best going up once and you'll probably rethink why on earth you gave this a chance in the first place. The nude beach is directly in front of the stairs so don't act surprised. Most of the sun bathers are older gentlemem... unless you like that kinda thing... read more

Baker Beach Sand Ladder - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

View is beautiful but the ladder is a big workout going up and down , and yes there was a naked guying lying at the bottom of the stairs

We took a little walk around the beach and decided to go up the sand ladder. The view of the beach was beautiful, but the walk up wasn't easy. It was a good work out though. There were some nude people nearby, but they didn't crowd around the ladder area. It's definitely worth checking out for the view and just to go on a nature walk and enjoy the great outdoors. It loops its way around again so it's not too far of a walk. I did get a good burn from it; so it was all worth it. I would do it again. read more

Did you know about the Sand Ladder? If you did, then you know some of what you've read in other reviews. Yep, there are lots of naked dudes at the bottom, and it's a killer to walk back up. Oh, but there is so much more to the Sand Ladder. I mean, it's a literal ladder coming up and down the side of a sandy cliff at Baker Beach. This is access, man. If you didn't have this ladder, you'd have to go way around to get back up the hill given the geography of the area. It's not just that it's a good work-out, and it's not just something to use in spite (or, in fairness, because - if that's your thing) of some aging naked dudes on the bottom. It's just plain practical. And, it is in a beautiful spot. A better Adam S. review would have some history of how this place came to be. I'll focus more on this review. First and foremost, Baker Beach is a truly great spot. I rate this beach as my favorite in The City. The locale is scenic, nestled on the Pacific side of the Golden Gate Narrows - meaning some gorgeous vies of The Bridge. The beach is secluded enough yet so close to get to if you're in The City. There are many great spots along this whole stretch - I heartily advise getting to know this spot, particularly on a warm SF day. The Sand Ladder is located on the North side of Baker Beach. The geography elevates quickly and the terrain is not great for trails going up to the Coastal Trail, Battery Crosby, the World War Two Memorial, Inspiration Point, etc. The Sand Ladder itself consists of one-foot diameter logs which are joined by cables. The elevation change is dramatic and it is steep either way. While there are hand-holds (also cable) along the edges, you need to exercise caution as this is literally holding together a path on a sandy slope. There is constant erosion, but the sand also gets blown back in. Good design. Personally, I can think of better places to go for a work-out, and I'd prefer to eliminate the uphill. I just find it darn convenient when coming down from up top as a regular visitor coming in from the trails to the East. And then, you're on Baker Beach. You just drop in this way and you're in the midst of it all - naked old dudes and all. read more

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A fun shortcut to Baker Beach. The only downside was the sand was washed/blown away in some places leaving some big gaps between the ladder rungs. Nothing too technical to traverse but you have to take your time and step carefully. Very unique! read more

If you've ever seen "Rocky", think of Sly Stallone running up that huge flight of stairs in Philly. Now replace those concrete stairs with these sand stairs. Boom, you have yourself a killer workout. A good way to get those quads in shape. Great views. You may want to skip the, um, "views" on the north end of the beach, though . . . read more

Located by Battery Chamberlain with convenient parking at the lower Baker Beach parking lot in the Presidio. The stairs are labelled "Sand Ladder" as it resembles a fire ladder. It's part of the Pacific Coast Trail that winds through the Presidio. Great quad training. Huffing and puffing guaranteed on the way up. Thank goodness we came down from a different path. Nudist alert! At the bottom of the stairs you can expect to find a bunch of nudists sun bathing on the beach. Spectacular views of Sea Cliff neighborhood and the channel emptying into the glistening Pacific Ocean. read more

I'm a San Francisco native who has come to Baker Beach many times over the years, but it wasn't until last year that I came upon the sand ladder. This is no ordinary hill climb, nor it is an ordinary set of stairs. The sand ladder is built into the dunes and travels from the north end of the beach up to Lincoln, with logs held together with cables as the steps. On a good day, the sand is a little damp and sticks together well enough to allow a relatively easy climb up the steps. They start steep at the beach end and end much more leveled out as you get to Lincoln. On a dry day, however, the sand is loose and not only gets in your shoes better but makes it a much more difficult trek. The difficulty is made up for in the view, which is fabulous on a clear day. If you are really up for a challenge, conquer the Baker Beach Sand Ladder as part of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, in which the ladder falls nearly at the end of the race. read more

I found this page and it was such a relief to read that other people expressed the difficulty of getting up these stairs. I thought I was just in the worst shape ever...and while that may still be true...it's good to not be alone. Came for the bridge views....stayed for the naked men doing yoga. 5/5 a must do American experience. read more

We were insane enough to do this in the pouring El Niño rain last Saturday. But I wouldn't regret it! Super pretty & less crowded. We'll be back during the sunshine time! read more

Baker Beach Sand Ladder - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was a hard workout. The stairs (logs) are unevenly spaced which makes this climb much harder than normal stairs as I had to vary the height at which I lifted my legs on each step. About halfway up, the steepness lessens a little but any relief is quickly offset by the fact that the stairs in this section are completely buried in sand....so you are basically running in sand with already worn out legs. The peak was the most fun as the steps allowed for a bounding sprint to the end (where I proceeded to hunch over gasping for air after each of my 15 ascents). The pictures don't do the steepness justice as I am in good shape and by the third ascent, I began asking myself why am I doing this and had thoughts of stopping early. Most interesting part of the run we're the 3-4 naked guys at the bottom of the stairs who counted my laps and cheered me on to keep going. Kind of creepy at first but by the end, any encouragement was welcome. read more

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Don't be a weenie about the schmekel-show on Baker Beach. It's a penis. No big deal. You don't need to go near it. And besides, this is San Francisco, not Dallas. We have a celebrated culture event/street festival/S&M exhibition midday, open to children, in our downtown. Nude beach should be well within your comfort zone here people! The Sand Ladder at Baker Beach is a sure bet to light up your legs and make you slow your roll. I don't care how fit you are, you can get a challenge out of the ladder. It hurts. Some days it hurts a lot. But after a few weeks of incorporating it into your route, you'll be able to keep a pretty consistent pace from the beach right into the ladder. Still hurts, but it makes you feel like a monster. Serious alpha experience. The ladder is a collection of timbers about 8 feet wide (less?) and with a diameter of maybe 4 inches. They're attached to one another with cables, and the sand fills in behind/around the timbers to create a stair tread of sorts. Running up the ladder is a challenge requiring good focus (depending how fast you run), especially since some of the stairs aren't well-filled with sand, and you often have to step accurately on the timbers. If I crank up (and better still, down) the ladder, I get a real good case of that stair-induced tunnel vision....talk about a runner's high; that's the zone! The Lyon St. stairs barely qualify as a challenge when compared to the sand stairs at Baker Beach. In fact, I'd say they're an equal challenge to the stairs from Levi's Plaza to Coit Tower, despite being somewhat shorter. read more

If you wanna see if youre fit, come here. The sand stairs at baker beach will kick your butt. I bet you will stop at least once. i went with my bf. we're used to doing stairs at cataract trail and figured this would be easy. it doesnt matter if you go on the treadmill for an hour everyday. this set of stairs will make you huff and puff and gasp for air. when you make it to the top, cross over and theres another trail of stairs. woohoo! you can immediately feel the burn in your legs. as i was walking back down to the sand stairs, i noticed on the right side, there's another set of stairs going down 1.4 miles to a beautiful secluded beach area. total time round trip climbing up and down stairs 1.5 hours for 4 miles. not bad. come here during the week and it's not so crowded. it can get pretty chilly but remember, after running up the stairs, you will be sweaty and hot. Bring a camera if you do decide to go to the secluded beach area. read more

It was great!!! We for got our warm clothes but for the most part the kids enjoyed. The parking is ruff not enough. We parked on the street and every window had been busted out. So don't bring anything important if your not ok with losing it. The bathroom is so so so nasty bring a lot of hand sanitizer. read more

Ran the sand ladder as part of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. Next time I will be better prepared by finding some stairs and sand to run in advance! read more

Haha! I didn't know the stairs at Baker Beach had it's very own listing? Two words: DO IT! read more

Not sure I should technically be reviewing this, since I'm not an exerciser and I didn't "do" the sand ladder for the workout (though I sure as heck got one). I'm not what you'd call in shape, though I do walk 30 minutes a day if I can. Still, walking = horizontal for me in the Midwest in my cushy business park. We wanted to stop at Baker Beach for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and to relax for a while, maybe snicker at some nude bathers. There were no nude bathers, alas (too chilly, I think) - but we decided it would be fun to go down these sand stairs, not thinking that we'd have to go back up... It was awful! I had to stop a few times. But at least now I can say that I did it. I've actually had worse, but it wasn't my idea of fun! But hey, they're a unique thing and I probably burned more calories by taking them. So 3 stars! read more

5 stars for being unique and one of those little things that adds character to the GG recreation area as well as those who climb them. 3 stars because there are not enough signs warning you about the potential naked people that hang out at the beach at the bottom. read more

If you like your legs to burn... come here. Slippery when wet (and we're talking the logs not Bon Jovi's album) Barefoot is the way to go. If you like to get out of the gym and move you @ss outdoors, this, my friends, is a great spot to challenge yourself. Through the years, I have hit this place when I am feeling it. And today I was feeling it -My friend is training for a marathon so I told him to join me here early a.m. He's extremely fit but I laughed as he panted and complained by the time we were done. ;) Best to avoid on the weekends, especially when the weather is clear as there are waaaay too many things called people up in your way. And, if you're lucky, you might miss the guy who likes to do naked cartwheels. read more

The best way down to the beach for sure. And yes, there are naked people. Everywhere. If it's a hot day, wear something on your feet...the sand on the ladder heats up to about a million degrees. And bring your tolerance for some of the weirdness at the bottom. read more

Dang, these sand stairs are serious. Kind of amazing though -- logs held together that form stairs. Intense!

Desperate to find "the perfect" place to watch the sunset, we pulled over (thinking we were at the old gun battery 1/2 mile away), jumped out of the car and ran down the Sand Stairs. Halfway down, we witnessed a beautiful sunset and watched the sky turn colors (PINK!) over the Golden Gate Bridge. Then we hiked down to the beach and played in the sea foam. Hiking back up the stairs made me feel healthy and successful. Note: the Sand Stairs are covered with sand and aren't an easy climb, up or down. So, inaccessible for anyone with mobility problems or fear of heights. read more

after weeks of doing the Lyon Street Stairs i decided it was time to up my game so I headed over to the Baker Beach Sand Stairs. Hmmm. Sand + Stairs. What the H. WAS i thinking? Heart pounding. Quads burning, iPod volume maxed out. Calories melted. These stairs would bring Rocky Balboa to his knees..I will be back to conquer these stairs again soon. Urgggh! read more

When you want to workout your legs and lungs, just come here. The stairs lead from the road to the beach, so you get amazing views as you are working out. read more

It's actually formally known as the Sand Ladder. I didn't know what I was getting myself into with my friend on a day-long hike. So what the heck, didn't think this was going to hurt. Since we had no idea where we were going, we just stumbled down the stairs halfway only to reverse our steps since we had no business to do on Baker Beach on a chilly morning. One can no longer see the wooden steps as the sand has completely blanketed each step. Just be cautious where you place your foot. read more

Probably the best thing you can add to any SF workout. The infamous SAND STAIRS. I was lucky enough to live in close proximity to Baker Beach and would include them into my runs around the area. You are always greeted at the base by naked dudes chilling where the public and tourists flock even though there is whole beach to be nude on. It just adds a hilarious atmosphere and gives you a quick chuckle before the punishment that lies ahead. Half buried logs and humbling sand add to a perfect heart breaking, air gulping workout. Link these with the trail and stairs to Immigrant Point (apparently named 1000 Step Trail, I never counted) you will be dead or wish you were. Cool down and go get all the pizza and wine, you've earned it. read more

Repeats up and down the Sand Ladder on a foggy morning will make your life worth living.

So I took my sister here for the first time and before we arrived; "ooo running up and down stairs seems like a great workout!" Upon looking up at what lie before us aka "the great wall of Baker Beach" and the first 5 stairs, "how is running up these possible? i can barely walk, this is going to be rough" Great challenge and location to get a good workout in! Running up them is possible, yet walking up is equally as challenging. But the end result is a calf/quad burn like no other! read more

If you are in for a challenge... This is a must! I completed this barefoot due to shoes getting wet! Very difficult. Had to stop a few times, but the view was amazing! I was sore the next few days for sure... read more

As much as my body wants to give them 1 star after climbing to the top, the sand stairs are the pinnacle of a workout challenge. My fiance and I made Baker Beach part of our running path when we first moved to the area, and I naively suggested that we run up the stairs when we stumbled across them. Now, I am decently fit, but I was not prepared for the intensity of these stairs (ladder is approaching a better name). Between the sand, hearty incline, and the nearly 300 stairs, had to stop a handful of times to catch my breath and let my legs stop burning, but I made it. The next run, I made it to the top without stopping. I am not sure you need to run up them to get an exercise - walking seems to do it just fine, but it could be a really good work out goal. My guess, if you can jog up these while having a light chit chat, you're ready for the ironman. read more

We have a group of girls that do a sand stairs challenge every year, and every time we do this their are the same whiners! lol this is just a good butt burner. However, yesterday the sun bathers or should I say one in particular was in rare form! He kept watching all of us as we gathered and took are pics before heading up the stairs, and it took all that we had to not roll on the ground laughing. He kept fondling himself, and then stood up to face us and continue to play with himself. Anyway, love the sand stairs, and the view is awesome; the ocean and the bridge of course! lol. read more

came here to lay on a blanket in the sand and watch the day go by.. nice beach cool that you can be nude even though i never dun that.. i just dont like the annoying dogs people bring and let run wild with no leash read more

well originally 5 stars for the cool sand ladder and the awesome beach minus 1 star for being taken aback by the fact it is clothing optional without warning... the view was not particularly nice... read more