{{Short description|Marked trail in San Francisco, US}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox hiking trail | name = Barbary Coast Trail | embed = | cellstyle = | title = | photo = Barbary Coast Trail marker - San Francisco, CA - DSC02051.jpg | caption = Special markers implanted in the sidewalk trace the path of the trail | location = [[San Francisco, California]] | designation = | established = 2000 | length_mi=3.8 | trailheads = [[San Francisco Mint#History|Old Mint]] to [[Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco|Fisherman's Wharf]] | use = Walking, History | elev_gain_and_loss = | elev_change = <!-- Use ElevGainAndLoss if the gain and/or loss is known. Use this field when only the change is known. --> | highest = | lowest = | grade = | difficulty = Easy | season = | months = | sights = 20 historical sites | hazards = | surface = Concrete | ROW = | website = {{URL|https:/barbarycoasttrail.org/}} }}
'''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.
The historic sites of the Barbary Coast Trail relate primarily to the period from the [[California Gold Rush]] of 1849 to the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|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 [[San Francisco Mint#History|Old Mint]], a national historic landmark; [[Union Square, San Francisco|Union Square]]; [[Maiden Lane (San Francisco)|Maiden Lane]]; [[Old St. Mary's Cathedral]], first Catholic cathedral West of the Rockies; [[Tin How Temple|T'ien Hou temple]], one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States;<ref name=TinHow/> [[Wells Fargo History Museum]]; [[Pony Express]] headquarters site; [[Jackson Square, San Francisco|Jackson Square Historic District]], which contains the last cluster of Gold Rush and Barbary Coast-era buildings in San Francisco; [[Old Ship Saloon|The Old Ship Saloon]], once a [[shanghaiing]] den;<ref name=OldShip/> [[Coit Tower]]; [[Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California|Fisherman's Wharf]]; [[San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park|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 [[San Francisco cable car system|cable car]] line, itself a national historic landmark.<ref name=nrhs/>
== History == The Barbary Coast Trail was founded by historian Daniel Bacon in collaboration with the [[San Francisco Museum and Historical Society|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.<ref name=inauguration/><ref name=BaconInterview/>
==Major trail sites== Major Trail Sites are listed in their order of appearance on the trail when starting at the southern end
# [[San Francisco Mint]] # [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street]] # [[Union Square, San Francisco|Union Square]] # [[Maiden Lane (San Francisco)|Maiden Lane]] # [[Dragon Gate (San Francisco)|The Dragon Gate]] # Waverly Place # [[Tin How Temple]] # Chinese Telephone Exchange # [[Wells Fargo History Museum]] # Belli Building # [[Hotaling Building]] # Bella Union # [[Vesuvio Cafe]] # [[City Lights Bookstore]] # [[Washington Square (San Francisco)|Washington Square]] # [[Coit Tower]] # [[Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco|Fisherman's Wharf]] # [[Hyde Street Pier]] # [[Buena Vista Cafe]] # [[San Francisco cable car system]] <ref name=WalkingSF/>
== See also == {{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}} *[[Barbary Coast, San Francisco]] * [[49-Mile Scenic Drive]] * [[Chinatown, San Francisco, California|Chinatown]] * [[Hallidie Plaza]] * [[International Settlement (San Francisco)]] * [[Nob Hill, San Francisco, California|Nob Hill]] * [[Portsmouth Square]] * [[The Embarcadero (San Francisco)|The Embarcadero]]
== References == <references>
<ref name=WalkingSF>{{Cite book |url=http://www.barbarycoasttrail.org |title=Walking San Francisco on the Barbary Coast Trail |last1=Bacon |first1=Daniel |date=2013 |publisher=Quicksilver Press |isbn=978-0-9646804-1-8 |language=en}} </ref>
<ref name=TinHow>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rPGtIVIERA4C&q=%22The%20First%20Tianhou%20Temple%22&pg=PA171|title=Religion at the Corner of Bliss and Nirvana: Politics, Identity, and Faith in New Migrant Communities|last1=Lorentzen|first1=Lois Ann|last2=Gonzalez|first2=Joaquin Jay|last3=Chun|first3=Kevin M.|last4=Do|first4=Hien Duc|date=2010-07-01|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0822391166|pages=169|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=inauguration>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/03/travel/travel-advisory-the-gold-rush-becomes-a-walk-in-san-francisco.html |title=TRAVEL ADVISORY; The Gold Rush Becomes a Walk in San Francisco |last=Hall |first=Christopher |date=3 May 1998 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=24 September 2020}} </ref>
<ref name=BaconInterview>{{cite web |url=https://hoodline.com/2015/09/daniel-bacon-talks-about-building-the-barbary-coast-trail |title=Barbary Coast Trail Founder Daniel Bacon On The Trail's History And Future |last=Koeppel |first=Geri |date=4 September 2015 |website=Hoodline.com |access-date=24 September 2020}} </ref>
<ref name=OldShip>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Gold-Rush-era-anchored-in-saloon-2836444.php |title=Gold Rush era anchored in saloon |last=Garcia |first=Ken |date=21 December 2001 |website=SFGate.com |access-date=24 September 2020}} </ref>
<ref name=nrhs>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm#table |title=Search Properties Listed in the National Register of Historic Places |website=nps.gov |access-date=25 September 2020}} </ref>
</references>
== External links == * {{official website|http://www.barbarycoasttrail.org/}}
{{San Francisco|state=autocollapse}} {{California hiking trails}} {{coord|37|47|58|N|122|24|32|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=title}}
[[Category:1998 establishments in California]] [[Category:Historic trails and roads in California]] [[Category:History of San Francisco]] [[Category:Landmarks in San Francisco]] [[Category:Trails in the San Francisco Bay Area]] [[Category:Nob Hill, San Francisco]] [[Category:Chinatown, San Francisco]] [[Category:Russian Hill, San Francisco]] [[Category:North Beach, San Francisco]] [[Category:Financial District, San Francisco]] [[Category:Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco]] [[Category:California Gold Rush]] [[Category:South of Market, San Francisco]] [[Category:Barbary Coast, San Francisco]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in San Francisco]] [[Category:Gold rush trails and roads]]