Sutro Baths
 |
The Sutro Baths were an aquatic recreation complex until it burned down and got overgrown with vines and iceplant. Right now it is a park on the ocean adjacent to the famous Cliff House. In fact, the lot above the Baths is probably the most convenient place to park for the Cliff House (and the Baths).
From the road one walks down a paved walk to numerous pools fed by rainwater and sea spray. For the more adventurous there is a knot of paths zig-zagging down between the lush vegetation. If one steps off the paths onto the calve-high foliage it is like walking on a giant sponge. By the water there is a man-made cave that used to provide water to the pools, but now just provides a path to a nice view on the other side of the ‘cliff.’ One can also walk back out and around to the top of the ‘cliff’ and get a better view of the seal rocks and even the Golden Gate Bridge, weather permitting.
This is one of my favorite spots in San Francisco. I always try to bring my out-of-towners here when they visit.
| Nearest Airport | SFO |
| Street Address | Point Lobos Avenue |
| Cross-Street | Merrie Way |
| Secondary Cross-Street | Balboa Street |
| Neighborhood | Outer Richmond / Vista del Mar |
| City | San Francisco |
| County, Parish, or Township | San Francisco county |
| State, Province, or Region | CA |
| Country | USA |
| ZIP or Postal Code | 94121 |
| Latitude | 37.78055 degrees |
| Longitude | -122.51401 degrees |
| Public Transit Information | SF Muni bus #18 |
| Parking | free lots on Merrie and across Point Lobos and also street parking |
| Contact E-mail Address | |
| Contact Telephone | 1-415-239-2366 |
| Contact Fax | 1-415-561-4750 |
| Official Website | http://www.nps.gov/goga/clho/suba/index.htm |
| Related Website | |
| Admission Price | free |
| Hours | always open |
| Vegan Dining Options | No food at site |
| Wheelchair Access | There is a main trail that, while a bit steep, provides a fair amount of access. The cave floor is sandy, and not advised unless you have strong arms. |
| Potential Hazards | Falling. Also be careful when on the break wall as it is possible to get knocked in by a large wave. |
| Special Events at Attraction | None known |
| Best Thing to See or Do Here | Watching the waves come up the tunnels inside the cave. |
| Last Visited | September 2005 |
November 21st, 2005 at 09:56:57 -0500
[…] Apparently some human bones were found Saturday afternoon on a cliff near the Sutro Baths. This area isn’t your typical dumping ground, though it is rather picturesque, so it may be some sort of Big Lebowski mishap. […]
November 22nd, 2005 at 00:12:42 -0500
[…] Today is the day for news on the Sutro Baths. This is a little more warm-fuzzy than the last one in that some local volunteer groups cleaned up a lot of the trails there. They mention removing a lot of invasive plants, which probably means iceplant, which is a large part of the flora there. I’ll have to get out there to see if it looks patchy or anything. […]
November 26th, 2005 at 05:26:56 -0500
[…] Yesterday I went to Sutro Baths. The only bare spot was along the repaired stairway from the Merrie way parking lot. Nothing but large stretches of sand left there. Our invasive friends the iceplants were still around in other parts of the ruins. They did finally get rid of the neon orange fencing and put real fencing along the borders. So yea, it still looks nice. No word on the origin of the previously-mentioned skulls though. […]
January 21st, 2006 at 07:11:26 -0500
[…] This odd contraption is a national historic building, number 01000522. It is something of a gussied up pinhole camera, which offers a rotating view of the beach, the Seal Rocks, and even a bit of the Sutro Baths. It located right behind the Cliff House. […]