Folks hoping to get outdoors for a hike with their four-legged companion at the Presidio may be in for disappointment. The Presidio Trust announced this week that some of its hiking trails in San Francisco will be closed to dogs until this fall due to the start of coyote pupping season.

The Park trail, from Mountain Lake to the Presidio Promenade, and the Bay Ridge trail, stretching from the Rob Hill campground to the Presidio Golf Course, closed Tuesday and will remain so through early September to all dogs, even those on leashes.

Coyotes are especially protective of their pups during pupping season and could exhibit aggressive behavior when encountering canines, according to a news release from the Presidio Trust.

Information about the Presidio’s coyote management program. (Presidio Trust/YouTube)

Each year the trails are closed to dogs during pupping season, but all 24 miles of trails in the Presidio will remain open to people.

The Presidio Trust said the public can take precautions such as never feeding coyotes or other wildlife, not leaving human or pet food outside, keeping dogs on a leash and reporting any unusual behavior to the coyote hotline at 415-561-4270.

Trail maps can be found on the Presidio website.

Victoria Franco is a Stockton-based reporter covering the diverse news around the Central Valley as part of the Report for America program. As a Stockton native, Franco is proud to cover stories within her community and report a variety of coverage. She is a San Jose State University alumna with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. In her collegiate years she was Managing Editor for the Spartan Daily. From her time at the Spartan Daily she helped lead her staff to California College Media Awards and a General Excellence first place. Victoria encourages readers to email her story tips and ideas at victoria.franco@baycitynews.com.