Adventure Tour in San Francisco, California: SF Geology Walking Tour

San Francisco’s hilly terrain comes with benefits - the endless great views, the hairpin turns on twisty-curvy Lombard Street, the option of rolling to work when you can’t be bothered to walk - but few understand how the city’s landscape evolved. As a science writer, broadcaster and educator, Robin rocks when it comes to explaining how the Bay Area’s troublesome tectonics literally shaped the city. With the aid of photos, props and snacks (yes, snacks), she makes geology come to life.

San Francisco's tenuous tectonic situation gave rise to its famous hills, which lend the city its character and breathtaking views. Explore the unique qualities that shaped San Francisco's distinctive terrain, while munching through edible seismic activities and getting up close and personal with the local geology. Visit stellar rock formations that draw geologists from around the world, and gain a new appreciation for the city's legendary landscape.

2.5 miles, moderate climbing, 2.5 hours

Tour with tour guide, snacks and edible activities along the way.

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$45

per person

for 3 hours

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Robin M.

Robin's reputation as an explorer began when she was a baby, crawling her way into crevices that sometimes gave her parents a fright. As a child, she preferred biology and astronomy books to fairy tales and barbies. She fashioned her own experiments with plastic, ice, wax, and matches and nearly set the house on fire. In college, she became a biochemist, but found the practice of science somewhat stoic. When her first published paper came back from peer review with the commentary “too creative,” she took it as a sign she should get out of the lab. She has since worked for many years as a writer and reporter, and spent a decade at the Exploratorium, where she had the honor of working with and learning from some of the best science teachers in the world. Robin still gets her geek on by writing for high school science textbooks and editing podcasts for the National Academies of Science, and she is also the current president of the Northern California Science Writers’ Association. Full profile

19 Reviews

Pioja M.

I absolutely loved this earthquake-themed walking tour of San Francisco! If you want to know this city at the deepest possible level, this is the tour for you. About a dozen people, in ages ranging from their twenties to their sixties, meandered through the Mission, Castro, and lower Twin Peaks neighborhoods, up side streets and to overlooks that visitors rarely stumble upon -- and that even residents may have missed. We met at Dolores Park, and Robin, our tour guide, introduced us to the earth forces that have shaped this city. She was obviously very knowledgeable and yet knew how to convey scientific information in a lively, memorable way. Out of her backpack (aka mobile classroom) she pulled props -- like a nerf-style earth that came apart and showed the various layers that make up the earth -- and snacks, like a gourmet cheese ball that was not only delicious but also demonstrated the consistency of the earth's core and mantle. Later in the tour, other delicious tidbits were brought out to demonstrate other principles of earthquake science. Yum! She also had historic photos that allowed us to compare the present-day view with what we would have seen during the 1906 quake, and I especially enjoyed Robin's stories of that disaster, how the city handled it, and what earthquake scientists learned from it. I found myself repeating those anecdotes at a dinner with friends that evening, and everyone was as rapt as I had been. As befits an earthquake-themed tour, we also paid close attention to outcroppings of rock, and Robin again brought out props -- this time a tupperware container filled with different rock samples -- as she explained the geology of various kinds of bedrock. One of the great things about this tour was that is seemed to attract very interesting people, and the questions put to Robin were at quite a high level. Tour participants also shared knowledge of the city and of science with each other, so the experience felt less like a teacher leading us along and more like a group of curious individuals exploring in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Robin knows her stuff, and she is fun and personable. I also love that she follows up with an email giving links to more of the information we touched on during the walk. Very highly recommended!

June L.

We had a great time on the geology tour! Robin was super knowledgeable about different types of rocks, plate tectonics, and all the places you can go to see great formations throughout the Bay Area. She provided edible displays that really solidified our understanding of all the concepts she explained on the tour. There are lots of gneiss photo opportunities for rocks and views, and you can even collect samples for your home geology display along the way. We were all denizens of the city and learned how San Francisco evolved into what it is today over millions of years. Don't take those views for granite! (all spelling mistakes are on purpose).

Jesse F.

Robin's tour is great. Several friends were sure I had left SF for the day when they saw me posting the photos on Facebook. You'll get to see parts of San Francisco you didn't know existed. And some parts you did, but never paid attention to. Also, bonus: using Oreo cookies to illustrate siliceous ooze.

Kaitlyn T.

Robin is a warm, creative, and knowledgable tour guide. She illustrated complex geological phenomena using Oreos, frosting, graham crackers, and cheese balls. The tour took us through lots of lovely San Francisco neighborhoods, so Robin supplemented the geology info with stories of local personalities and cool architectural details.

Matej S.

Robin led us on a pleasant walk in San Francisco, exploring less-touristed areas and giving clear, concise explanations of the geology of the area. I especially liked that she referenced other relevant areas of the California coastline and sent wonderful follow-up information after the tour so we could investigate more. Great trip!

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