Follow the trail of the 1st transcontinental highway

Once a cemetery but today a golf course and public park, Lincoln Park in San Francisco is the terminus of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America.

In 1928 Boy Scout troops placed thousands of concrete posts marking the route.

The hexagonal markers contained a bronze medallion with Lincoln’s bust, the Lincoln Highway insignia and a directional arrow.

Many of the markers have been lost over time; others are in private collections or in museums, but some are in their original locations — as you will see.

Begin your walk in Lincoln Park at the Legion of Honor museum, a gift of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, wife of sugar magnate Adolph B. Spreckels.

The building is a three-quarter replica of the Palais de la Légion de Honneur in Paris and a memorial to Californians who perished in World War I.

There’s the statue of “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin in front of the museum, the circular fountain, the “Holocaust” sculpture by George Segal and the large red geometric sculpture “Pax Jerusalem” by Mark di Suvero.

Look behind the bus stop for a marker of the “Western Terminus of the Lincoln Highway.”

At a “Y” intersection, turn right toward the ocean, and you will come to a trail sign for the Coastal Trail.

On the east side of 32nd Avenue (corner of El Camino del Mar), look for a Lincoln Highway marker somewhat hidden in the shrubs.

The beach offers amazing views, a picnic area, a sheltered deck for sunbathing and restrooms.

Gail Todd is the author of “Lunchtime Walks in Downtown San Francisco” and a tour leader for San Francisco City Guides.