Barbary Coast Trail

The Barbary Coast Trail is a marked trail that connects a series of historic sites and several local history museums in San Francisco, California. Approximately 180 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk mark the 3.8-mile (6.1 km) trail.

Barbary Coast Trail
Special markers implanted in the sidewalk trace the path of the trail
Length3.8 mi (6.1 km)
LocationSan Francisco, California
Established2000
TrailheadsOld Mint to Fisherman's Wharf
UseWalking, History
Hiking details
Trail difficultyEasy
Sights20 historical sites
SurfaceConcrete
Websitebarbarycoasttrail.org

The historic sites of the Barbary Coast Trail relate primarily to the period from the California Gold Rush of 1849 to the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, a period when San Francisco grew from a small village to an important shipping port.

Sites along the trail include the Old Mint, a national historic landmark; Union Square; Maiden Lane; Old St. Mary's Cathedral, first Catholic cathedral West of the Rockies; T'ien Hou temple, one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States;[1] Wells Fargo History Museum; Pony Express headquarters site; Jackson Square Historic District, which contains the last cluster of Gold Rush and Barbary Coast-era buildings in San Francisco; Old Ship Saloon, once a shanghaiing den;[2] Coit Tower; Fisherman's Wharf; SF Maritime National Historical Park, which maintains a large collection of historic ships; and Ghirardelli Square.

Each end of the Barbary Coast Trail is connected by the Hyde-Powell cable car line, itself a national historic landmark.[3]

History

The Barbary Coast Trail was founded by historian Daniel Bacon in collaboration with the San Francisco Historical Society. The trail was inaugurated in May 1998 and was originally marked with painted images as trail markers. The images were replaced over time with bronze medallions designed by Daniel Bacon and Illustrator, Jim Blair. By the year 2015, approximately 180 medallions had been placed in total.[4][5]

Major trail sites[6]

Major Trail Sites are listed in their order of appearance on the trail when starting at the southern end

  1. San Francisco Mint
  2. Market Street
  3. Union Square
  4. Maiden Lane
  5. The Dragon Gate
  6. Waverly Place
  7. Tin How Temple
  8. Chinese Telephone Exchange
  9. Wells Fargo History Museum
  10. Belli Building
  11. Hotaling Building
  12. Bella Union
  13. Vesuvio Cafe
  14. City Lights Bookstore
  15. Washington Square
  16. Coit Tower
  17. Fisherman’s Wharf
  18. Hyde Street Pier
  19. Buena Vista Cafe
  20. San Francisco cable car system

See also

References
  1. Lorentzen, Lois Ann; Gonzalez, Joaquin Jay; Chun, Kevin M.; Do, Hien Duc (2010-07-01). Religion at the Corner of Bliss and Nirvana: Politics, Identity, and Faith in New Migrant Communities. Duke University Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0822391166.
  2. Garcia, Ken (21 December 2001). "Gold Rush era anchored in saloon". SFGate.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. "Search Properties Listed in the National Register of Historic Places". nps.gov. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  4. Hall, Christopher (3 May 1998). "TRAVEL ADVISORY; The Gold Rush Becomes a Walk in San Francisco". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. Koeppel, Geri (4 September 2015). "Barbary Coast Trail Founder Daniel Bacon On The Trail's History And Future". Hoodline.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  6. Bacon, Daniel (2013). Walking San Francisco on the Barbary Coast Trail. Quicksilver Press. ISBN 978-0-9646804-1-8.
  7. "Barbary Coast Trail". openroad.tv. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 3 March 2016.


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