One of my favorite trails in the city! It took about 1.5 hrs to complete the out and back and…read morethere's a good balance of shade/exposure. It's low intensity for the most part with some stairs at twin peaks. My group came on MLK in the morning around 10:30am and it was a super clear day so we could see 360 views at the top!

I used to always go to either Twin Peaks or Glen Canyon before I realized it was a good idea to do…read moreboth since they are next to each other. Both hikes aren't that long so together this one is a little under 4 miles. I like how you get two totally different experiences. Glen Canyon is rustic and shaded while Twin Peaks has views of the city and beyond the bay. Glen Canyon has a few different paths so you can mix it up. It's one of those places where you really feel like you are in wilderness, yet you are still in the middle of the city. There are a lot of birds chirping and sometimes you can hear coyotes. There is a trail up to Safeway where you can get snacks or trek down to nearby cute Glen Park to have lunch. Twin Peaks is known for its views but I'd say it's very foggy more than half the time which is disappointing if it's the first time you've been there. To make this hike even longer I add on nearby Sutro Tower or Mt. Sutro.

To get to the Dogpatch Miller Memorial Garden take the staircase at the corner of Brewster St. and…read moreRutledge St. until you reach the community garden on the left. Take a right and walk maybe ten feet and you've reached one of San Francisco's most magical gardens. The 8,750-square-foot spot is one of the 35 city-owned community gardens that's overseen by San Francisco Parks and Rec. Department. But it's run by a group of volunteers who meet regularly to maintain the 20 plots in the terraced gardens. Unlike alot of community gardens, this one is open to the public. Great variety of plants and lots of them. Smells good. Also known as the Miller Memorial Grove, the Dogpatch Community Garden is located on a terraced hillside between Franconia Street and Brewster Street in Bernal Heights. Great spot to sunbathe, picnic or just relax. Reminds me of a Hippie Park from the 60s. Park has a nice rustic feel to it. Some parts of the park have nice views too.

Originally did this Double Cross Trail in March before then hiking the original Crosstown Trail in…read moreOctober. I did enjoy the Double Cross but can now say I do love the views and route of the original more. I do think the Double Cross was a great inclusive hike for a friend group. I felt like it was very urban and that I have walked these routes prior on my own just living in the city. For some reason, I didn't being much water or food but was fine - especially since there are many convenient stops along the way. Entire hike spanned 9am-5pm!

This is a really great trail with some wonderful views and relatively easy. It's great to take your…read moredog or a couple of friends and have a picnic. When the weather is really nice, it's very green and there are lots of blooms. I look forward to visiting and bringing some friends next time.

Not that many people have heard of Forest Hill in San Francisco besides the Muni Station. It's a…read morecute hillside neighborhood with really nice houses that feels removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are many staircases in the neighborhood to make it about a one hour 1.5 mile walk. It's best to start at the Pacheco Stairs (121 steps) about a 5-minute walk from the Muni station. These stairs are the most grandiose and look very inviting to the neighborhood with wide space and planters and benches placed at the entrance. From here you can find your way through the neighborhood meandering around different stairs from the stairs off Castenada (300 steps separated on 3 different legs) Quintana (path between 2 streets), Oriole Way (86 steps with views of Mt. Sutro), 8th Ave (30 steps), Ventura Ave (25 steps), Sotelo Ave (90 steps), Castenada Ave (76 steps). An app like All Trails can guide you on where the stairs are. For a longer hike I'd recommend adding the trails at Laguna Honda which is across from the Station. For a list of more SF hikes and walks: https://bit.ly/43PhQtL

I am adding this review of the Forest Hill Stairway Walk(s) because they are a popular tourist…read moreattraction for folks who are into urban hikes. (They are listed on other sites and there is a whole book, an old school paperback, dedicated to these excursions.) I see people walking around the neighborhood looking for the many steps to traipse up and down (some carrying that book). The address I have listed is for the association clubhouse, a rental venue so an altogether different subject with its own Yelp entry, but it is the best specific location to list, and from there you are 30 seconds away from the "Grand" staircase on Pacheco, which lives up to its name -- and also overlooks the largest planter for flowers I have ever seen in a private residential area. It happens my wife lives here. (I live in Queens, New York City. That's just modern life for you.) We walk along these sidewalks regularly, with our little dog. I go up and down the stairs often, and I've probably experienced every one of them several dozen times, and those closest to the house more than a hundred times. This is exactly what you think it is: stairways in a neighborhood. Forest Hill has pillars marking the entrances, not gates; the very wide streets were once private and they curve around deliberately not corresponding to the city grid; and the residences are unique, not just the same model repeated again and again and again. The Grand staircase is a sight. There are many others, some more obvious than others. It's not in our interest to tell lots of folks to come into a quiet part of town to traipse around. But it is not likely that this review will have that result since this specific attraction has a specialized following. You have to want exercise. It's also a pleasure which would have been wasted on me earlier in life; it's a contemplative stroll if you are by yourself or sociable saunter in the company of those who share the interest. It's not an activity, however, that most people are likely to rank at the top of their list if they are coming to the Bay Area. The MUNI runs to a station which leads right to stairs, and a climb up those will persuade you this isn't as casual as it might seem because most of these are steep rises (or descents). Parking is not difficult but requires a residential permit for more than two hours. This activity, the totality of it, could be completed in an hour. You could try to get to every single set of stairs. Others have generated lists and posted them to the web (not all are complete). If you do this, you may wish to check out nearby Golden Gate Heights, which sits above Forest Hill, and while not as fancy has its own additional stairs culminating in a little park. Or if you want a long outing, head to Forest Knolls -- that is a walk I have done only a couple of times, because now you are talking many miles -- and onto Mt. Sutro or over to Twin Peaks; put together with Forest Hill, you could easily do a half dozen miles or more with impressive vertical gain, which would take hours. For stairs in particular, don't miss Grand View Park, which is nearby and lives up to the name, with epic stairs (if you can run up these non stop without losing your breath you are quite an athlete; I can walk up without pause, trailing the dog, but I can't run these); and the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps. An alternative is to come up from Golden Gate Park, a mile north, but be warned that that is a trudge I have done many times telling myself I am a better person for it, because it is a full mile of a steady slope upward with approximately 500 feet of gain. If you put together all of these pieces, you could create a route of ten miles, easy, and spend the better part of the day.

Brooks Falls is very seasonal. In fact I still haven't seen it in its so-called full splendor…read morewhich is likely in the middle of the wet weather season. However, the hike to get to the viewpoint is very nice. I enjoy hiking on the Brooks Fall Trail going up from the parking area (though sections are narrow with a cliff on one side which can at times cause nervousness). A loop hike that I now very much enjoy consists of going up the Brooks Fall Trail and returning by going down the Montara Mountain Trail. The latter provides spots with nice views of the Pacific Ocean in the near distance.

This was a pretty descent little hike of course there is no water in the fall so I almost walked…read morepast it But the views of the valley were amazing. When you get up finally to the north access road the view of Pacifica is amazing. There's a little bench to sit and just look. I would do this little hike again

Pretty nice and unexpected view from this trail…read more Sure it is a dirt path but it's a very very short trail. You can walk it in 5 mins. Some benches and tree stumps to sit down on and enjoy a quiet moment Best when the sun is out , enjoy the colors of the flowers! You have to park further away in the residential areas and walk into there

Edgehill Mountain Park (well, technically an "Open Space"--I wonder what the difference is) is a…read morebeautiful slice of forested hillside on the southwest slope of Laguna Honda hill. There is basically just one trail running across it from Knockash to Edgehill streets, and a couple of benches. The views are limited a bit due to the trees, but it is still a very pretty place to walk through, especially at sunset. In fact, the entirety of Laguna Honda Hill is very scenic, and I highly recommend walking up to the top while you're here. Also, what is with those crazy shingled castle-mansions? Someday I gotta get me one of those. It seems that there is a very active volunteer group that works in Edgehill Park doing habitat restoration and I've also seen proposals for a staircase down to Kensington Way, which would be awesome! You can check out their website here: http://www.edgehill.net/Edgehill-Mountain.htm

Nice viewing area that's often overlooked. It's in a lesser known part of the Presidio with hiking…read moretrails leading to other parts of the Presidio. On a clear day, you can see the rooftops of the outer Richmond and the ocean from the overlook. Like others have mentioned, this may not be the most amazing or impressive overlook area in SF as the city has quite a lot of them, but it does have a nice view nonetheless. Make sure to bring water with you when hiking.

A small little spot where you get a bit of a natury view with some houses in the background. Maybe…read morea good place to stop by if you're in the area hiking. There's parking nearby and 2 benches where the overlook area is. Other than that, you probably won't spend too much time here.

Still on a major health and fitness kick (I am looking good!!!) and decided to take a nice long…read morewalk along the bay in Tiburon today. Now I've know for years that there's a path that runs parallel to Tiburon Blvd next to the bay since I've sped by it in my car for years, but this was the first time I've ever taken the time to walk it and I'm really glad I did. From the convenient free parking at Blackie's pasture to the path's end upon arriving at the edge of downtown Tiburon, the path is beautifully paved and much of it looks like it has received considerable new landscaping and an abundance of nice benches to rest on. There are cute little romantic spots just off the path with a lone bench facing the water and even a hidden spot with a nice little gazebo with an inscription on the floor blessing all those who discover it. So peaceful...so serene...as you hear the water gently lapping at the shore. Along the water, you can see all kinds of nature and wildlife and the scenery is downright gorgeous. There are even fenced off areas for use as a natural reserve/animal habitat. During the scenic walk, there are very few places where you actually have to cross the street in front of cars and since it's Tiburon, there are no crazies or homeless to worry about as you walk around enjoying nature. The bronze statue of the horse "Blackie" at the very beginning was a really nice touch too. Apparently, he was quite a beloved landmark who could always be seen there for forty years until he passed away. Upon arriving in downtown Tiburon, we looked around all the little shops and even did some wine tasting before turning around and walking allllllll the way back. Hadn't realized how long the walk would be as it took about four hours total (roundtrip) including an hour in Tiburon. If you walk from one end to the other like we did, be aware that it will take some time as the distance is considerably longer than it seems. Next time, I'll park at the halfway point instead of the far end. As I mentioned earlier, there were tons of benches to sit on along the way. Sadly, there was only one bathroom along the entire multi-use path that I could find. I just couldn't believe it. As such, I couldn't give five stars, but it's still a great place for a nice walk, especially on a weekday when you can avoid all the crowds.