Elevator down/Escalator up

Lyon steps and view north

Every morning fitness enthusiasts run up and down the Lyon steps. The steps do offer excellent cardiac opportunities, but I prefer the views. Combine the steps with a tour through the Presidio's southeast corner and you have an alternative to an hour at the gym (or running up and down steps).

Streets: West Pacific Avenue, Lyon Street, Lyon steps, Lombard Street, Presidio Boulevard, Sumner Street, Liggett Avenue, and Lovers' Lane
Neighborhoods: Presidio, Lower Pacific Heights, and Cow Hollow
Length: entire loop is 1.65 miles
Character: residential and woods
Starting coordinates:  37.792143° -122.448686°

Walk it:
Begin from a small parking pullout along West Pacific Avenue (alternate parking usually available along the street further west as well, or on the surrounding city streets). Walk uphill toward Presidio Boulevard, pausing to note the end (or beginning) of Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line, on the left. At the stop sign, cross to the other side of West Pacific, then cross Presidio Boulevard at the crosswalk. Turn left onto Broadway (not signed as such here). This paved "road" heads uphill -- good views to the left are somewhat screened by eucalyptus. At the gate, turn left onto Lyon, then immediately begin to descend. Ah, the views! The Palace of Fine Arts, the bay, and Angel Island shine in the morning sunlight. At the bottom of the first set of steps note the gorgeous little garden and stately manor on the right. Descend to cross Vallejo Street and drop down the second set of steps, which are steeper and can be slippery when wet. Straight ahead is a curious site -- a small grove of tall redwoods. At the base of the steps you'll be back on Lyon Street proper. Now you'll pass those redwoods, some of the tallest native trees in the city. Once past six houses on the left the Presidio wall picks up. When I last walked here I heard and saw some of our "city parrots" in the trees along the street. When you get to the Lombard gate, turn left. The Letterman complex is off to the right (good exploring if you want to stretch the walk). Switch to the opposite side of the street at the crosswalk and continue on Lombard to the intersection with Presidio Boulevard. Turn left and cross to the far side of the street. An easy climb past pretty houses brings you to Sumner Street. Turn right and almost immediately, turn left onto Liggett Avenue. There's no sidewalk here so stay as far off the pavement as you can manage. Before Liggett meets Clark Street, turn left onto a wide paved sidewalk, Lovers' Lane. This sidewalk is one of San Francisco's oldest streets -- soldiers in the Presidio used it to walk into "town," hence the name. Almost immediately, turn left into the eucalyptus forest and look for the other end of Wood Line. Follow the sinuous line of eucalyptus trunks uphill (gets a bit steeper and more sandy at the end). When you see the end of the line, turn right to Lovers' Lane, left to West Pacific, and right to return to your car.

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line

Tanks a lot

Downtown San Francisco view from Tank Hill

Folks who live in Cole Valley often shake their heads at the tourists who flock to the city overlook at Twin Peaks. Why fight for a parking space (and risk a broken window) when you could enjoy a nearly identical view from Tank Hill? The rock-studded knoll juts up from the edge of the Clarendon Heights neighborhood; access from unsigned steps on Clarendon Avenue and/or Belgrave Avenue. The vista isn't quite as stunning as Twin Peaks (which boasts 360 degree views), but it's a lovely place to visit and far less crowded than Twin Peaks.

Streets: Belgrave Avenue, Stanyan Street, and Clarendon Avenue
Neighborhoods: Clarendon Heights, Forest Knolls, and Parnassus
Length: entire walk is 1.6 mile loop
Character: residential
Starting coordinates:  37.761291°N -122.452012°W

Walk it:
Begin on Stanyan Street near the intersection with 17th Street. Look for steps (signed Interior Greenbelt) leading into Sutro Forest on the west side of the street. Walk up the steps and start hiking on a path initially squeezed between two houses. Historic Trail begins climbing through eucalyptus woods. Woodland Creek is shown on the map running downhill to the right; the creekbed is not visible from the trail. Ivy is very common and has choked away potential native plants, but volunteers are attempting to restore the woods with shrubs that might have thrived here before Adolf Sutro planted his forest. Historic Trail climbs steadily to a signed junction with Edgewood Trail at 0.43 mile. Turn left onto Fairy Gates Trail.

Historic Trail in Sutro Forest

A bit more climbing brings you to another signed junction at 0.5 mile. Turn left and remain on Fairy Gates Trail. The narrow path runs downslope from a private street on the right which accesses the UCSF Medical Center. In late winter, look for native osoberry here. Poison oak is also common, on and around the rock outcrops along the trail. Watch out for cyclists, as there is limited sight distance. At 0.66 mile, Fairy Gates Trail ends near the Chancellor's House, on the left. What a job perk -- that's some place! Turn left and walk on the sidewalk downhill to the intersection with Clarendon Avenue, at 0.76 mile. Turn left. A few big houses hang off the side of the hill at the edge of the forest on the left. Check out the house on the right side of Clarendon (oddly, with a Stanyan Street address) that was built in 2013 without a garage or driveway (google 1410 Stanyan if you're interested in the details). On the left side of Clarendon, pause at the gated and locked Stanyan Steps. The caption on the gate proclaims these dead-end steps a cul de sac. The steps access a handful of houses; are these the only locked "public" steps in the City? Continuing down Clarendon, enjoy the breaks in between houses that permit sneak views north. Better views to come! Just past the intersection with Twin Peaks Boulevard, turn left onto an unmarked set of wood steps. At the top, welcome to Tank Hill! A flat plateau, shaded by eucalyptus, leads to a bare rocky hillside with those promised awesome views. From the Golden Gate to San Bruno Mountain, it's a lovely panorama. The name refers to a water tank that once sat on this hill. When ready, look for a rough and rocky path descending from the northwest corner of the hill. Head down off Tank Hill to the end of Belgrave Avenue. Many big lovely homes here. Pass Shrader Street and continue on Belgrave to Stanyan (a path heads into Sutro Forest at the end of Belgrave but it deadends into poison oak). Turn right on Stanyan and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Rock steady

Rocky Outcrop Park on 14th Avenue

The western side of the City was known as the great sand waste. Even today there are still small steep hillsides inches deep in sand (Hawk Hill above Hoover Middle School as an example). But there are no hills without rock, and the neighborhoods that overlook the Sunset are built on solid ground. With dense development rock formations are often obliterated or hard to spot; Rocky Outcrop Park on 14th Avenue is an exception.

View to the ocean from Funston Avenue

Street: 14th Avenue
Neighborhood: Golden Gate Heights
Length: 0.18 mile -- entire walk is a 0.26 mile loop
From: Pacheco to Ortega
Character: residential
Starting coordinates for walk:  37.752762°"N -122.467775°"W



Walk it:
Park near the intersection of 11th Avenue and Ortega. Begin walking uphill on Ortega (on the upper side of this split street). Turn left onto Aerial Way. These wide concrete steps are unremarkable, but the view back to the east is not -- sweeping vistas of Twin Peaks, Mount Sutro, and the East Bay are marred only by a utility pole and attendant lines. At the top of Aerial, turn right onto Pacheco. From here, one of the highest residential streets in the City, the views are outstanding. Where Pacheco sweeps back to the left, look for a small octagon-shaped house adjacent to Cascade Walk. From the top of these steps views north include the Golden Gate Bridge towers and Marin Headlands. Here Pacheco ends and Funston Avenue takes over. As you walk south on Funston, a generous empty sidelot permits an exceptional view west to the ocean. On a windy day prepare for strong gusts at this spot. Look for the continuation of Aerial Way on the right, and descend on these steep concrete steps. At their base, turn right on 14th Avenue. After a few houses on the right you'll reach the edge of Rocky Outcrop Park. This massive Franciscan chert outcrop stretches more than a tenth of a mile; native plants here host endangered butterflies. Look up at the houses on Pacheco perched above the outcrop and envy their views. At the corner of Ortega and 14th Avenue, pause to savor a view of Grand View Park, to the north, and a castle-like house on Ortega just above the outcrop. Turn right onto Ortega. You'll be back on this split street again, and either leg of the street is fine for walking. The initial upper stretch lacks a sidewalk but there is one further along. Enjoy more stupendous views north and east as you continue back to the starting point of Ortega at 11th.