Barbary Coast Trail

04/20/2024

Barbary Coast Trail #1 hike in San Francisco Magazine!

Explore our area’s stunning vistas with these eight San Francisco hiking trails. Barbary Coast Trail The Barbary Coast Trail is San Francisco’s official historic walking tour, c…

03/09/2023

Literary Walking Tour of the Barbary Coast Trail.

Lace up your walking shoes for a literary adventure through San Francisco past and present. On March 18th I'll be leading a tour along Gold Rush era streets and Chinatown alleys to sites where iconic writers drew inspiration. We’ll start with a cable car ride from Aquatic Park Cove to Powell and Market, then walk back to the starting point. Along the way, we’ll follow the footsteps of Mark Twain, Dashiell Hammett, Ina Coolbrith, Jack London, and a host of others.
To register: https://cwcmarin.com/

09/29/2022

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/best-cheap-dates-san-francisco-17470503.php

#1 - Barbary Coast Trail

From cheap love boats to even cheaper historic strolls.

09/20/2022

The Bay Area News Group, including the San Jose Mercury News, published an excellent article on the Barbary Coast Trail.

Yes, the rumors are real: “The bartender would whip out a little leather-covered club and hit him over the head, pull a lever, and drop him down onto a mattress in the basement.”

08/05/2019

Come see my slide presentation on the Barbary Coast Trail this Wednesday at the Mill Valley Historical Society. The trail is now 21 years old and still entertaining and informing visitors and residents alike about San Francisco's dynamic past and present.

https://www.mvhistory.org/event/august-first-wednesday-talk/

01/02/2019

Winter can be the best time to explore the Barbary Coast Trail. The skies are often crystal clear, making the islands in the bay look close enough to touch. There are few tourists, the wind is generally calm, and the fog has disappeared. Trail guides are available online or at the Visitor Information Center at Powell and Market streets.
Happy Trails!

www.barbarycoasttrail.org

06/04/2018

It's been 24 years since I conceived of a trail that would connect San Francisco's most important historic sites and 20 years since the Barbary Coast Trail was inaugurated. I still occasionally lead tours of the trail, but other than that I don't often receive feedback. So it was especially gratifying when the following email appeared in my inbox yesterday:
Dear Mr. Bacon,
I have been exploring the city and the Barbary Coast Trail and loving every minute. I have been using the map and the audio tour and they are wonderful. I have loved every minute of it. I am originally from New Hampshire and my parents are from Boston, and I have always loved the Freedom Trail, and this delights me in the same way. This is a great way to explore a city and keep the history of the city alive. I love all the anecdotes and just have nothing but the highest praise for you and your colleagues for guiding me through this great city and to all these historical gems!
Kerry O'Malley
www.barbarycoasttrail.org

12/14/2017

Came across this statue while jogging yesterday not far from the Barbary Coast Trail. I'll send a free copy of the Barbary Coast Trail Official Guide to the first person who can tell me where the statue is located, it's title, and who was the sculptor.

03/02/2017

SF History Days is this weekend at the Old Mint, 5th and Mission Streets. There will be dozens of history groups to learn about, from the Art Deco Society of California to Chinese Whispers. I'll be there too in the authors section on Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. Easily accessable by car or Muni or BART. Come on by!
http://sfhistorydays.org/

12/05/2016

I'm thrilled that Frisco just received a wonderful review in The Dispatcher, the ILWU monthly newspaper.

09/22/2016

TODAY at Book Passage in the SF Ferry Building at 6:00 p.m. I'll be serving free craft beers, from Prohibition Ale to Hell or High Watermelon beer, and reading from my historical novel FRISCO. Much of the story takes place near the Ferry Building, so it feels like coming full circle back to where the events of '34 took place.
Come join the fun.

06/07/2016

I'll be doing a reading from my new novel Frisco this week. Set in San Francisco in the 1930s, Frisco describes the third most important event in SF history (Gold Rush and 1906 earthquake being #1 & #2).
Love to see you there.
BOOKS INC. Laurel Village
3515 California Street
JUNE 9th; 7:00 p.m.