Pack 345 San Francisco Join us
Pack families on a ridge trail with the ocean behind them

We love adventures

Hikes & the outdoors

We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Getting outdoors is in the DNA of this region — waterfalls, rivers, lakes, steep mountains and green valleys, most of it within an hour of West Portal.

Roughly once a month the pack has an outing of some kind — a hike, a campout, or a daytime activity. Each one is designed to move scouts along their rank requirements while reinforcing what’s in the Scout Oath, Law and Motto.

We write a detailed description for every outing: where to meet, what to bring, what to expect. Check the calendar for what’s next.

Fifty miles earns a hiking stick

Pack 345 has a tradition. Once a cub has hiked 50 “Pack Miles” — hiking miles achieved on a pack-organized hike — they are awarded a Pack 345 hiking stick.

They’re great mementos of the miles already walked, and a good reminder of the miles ahead.

Where we go

This year’s summer hikes took us to Mori Point in Pacifica, Sibley Volcanic Regional Reserve, and Angel Island by ferry, with two more pack hikes in October and March. See the dates →

Over the years the pack has also walked Lands End to Mile Rock Beach, the Presidio to Fort Point, Stow Lake and Golden Gate Park, Mount Sutro and Twin Peaks, Stern Grove at night, Rodeo Lagoon out to Point Bonita Lighthouse, Tennessee Valley, Bear Valley to Arch Rock at Point Reyes, and San Bruno Mountain. Three peaks in San Francisco in a single February.

Self-guided routes you can walk any weekend

The Essential Six

Every scout brings these on every hike:

  1. First-aid kit — adhesive bandages, moleskin, gauze, antibiotic ointment.
  2. Water bottle — filled, and large enough to last until it can be refilled.
  3. Flashlight — for emergency use.
  4. Trail food — snacks, trail mix.
  5. Sun protection — sunscreen and a hat.
  6. Whistle — for emergency use.

And a day pack to carry it all in.

The Ten Essentials

Older scouts work up to the full list: the six above plus a pocketknife (a scout must be at least a Bear and have earned their Whittling Chip to carry one), rain gear, a map and compass (one per group), and a watch (one per group, to pace your travels and get home when expected).

Logging miles

Hiking miles get recorded in ScoutBook. If your scout walks one of our self-guided routes on their own, email pack345sf@gmail.com with the scout’s name, the hike name and the number of miles, and we’ll record it for you.