Our day trips to SF always include lots of eating while visiting friends and relatives. So I try to balance our caloric intake with some scenic incline hikes. Today we did a 1 mile out-and-back hike at Corona Heights. Park on Ord Street Go up Vulcan Stairway Left on Levant Street Right on Lower Terrace Right on Michael Sullivan Steps Left on Clifford Terrace Left on Upper Terrace Right on Mt Olympus Stairs Sit and rest on a cement bench under the obelisk to enjoy views from the center of San Francisco. Then reverse back the path. read more

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I really liked viewing the backyards of houses on Vulcan Stairway. It was rustic and backyards. It's hard to find and somebody led a hike and we took the stairway towards Corona Heights park after Mt. Sutro. It's a fun adventure. Hadn't done it in all this time. read more

Vulcan Stairway - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of my favorite stairways in San Francisco! My favorite experience about this walk/climb is seeing the houses on Vulcan Steps. We started from the top on Levant Street and worked our way down, the cute and quirky architecture homes were the first thing I noticed (aside from the view down the steps which is almost two blocks in length). The houses are unique and reflect the eclectic tastes of people who live on the steps. What's crazy is that nearly all of the houses are accessible only by foot. The front of the homes are facing the steps and the mailboxes are there in front of each home. Food, supplies and furniture must all be carried in by hand. Isn't that crazy? Homeowners get a good workout here everyday for sure! As I mentioned earlier the stairway is nearly two blocks long and are carefully tended by the people who live along them. The stairways itself isn't fancy, not tiled or decorated by mosaic artwork like other steps in SF. The garden has no flowers in bloom at the time we were there but I'm sure come spring time it will look colorful and magnificent. Right now some parts resemble a jungle. We reached the street below. Ord Street is the end of the hike and it was time to contemplate the steep walk back up the steps. Gahhh! I'm so out of shape. Not even halfway up the steps and I was panting and out of breath having to stop often at the landings in which I took the opportunity to admire the home on it. The trail/steps are accessible year-round. Review #1680 read more

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Vulcan Steps is a 0.2 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near San Francisco, California that offers scenic views and is good for all skill levels. The stairs run from Ord St. on the east side to Levant St. on the west side, and there are several stairs along the Vulcan Street stairs with houses facing the stairs (meaning that the houses have no street access for a car). read more

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The Vulcan stairs are a good starting point for an urban hike. There are 209 steps so it's a pretty good workout. The Saturn Stairs (114 steps) are on the same block (Ord st) so you can do a loop of both on repeat or go out and about in the neighborhood which is hilly and has a few other streets with mini staircases (Levant Street, Douglas, Clifford). I like to do a loop around the area going up to Mt Olympus and Tank Hill which makes it about a 1.5 hike or for something longer I add Corona Heights or Buena Vista Park. What's unique to the Vulcan stairs unlike the flashier Tiled Steps or Garden Steps is that there are numerous houses located on the path only accessible by the stairs. I always thought it would be so cool to live in one of those clandestine houses but I'm sure it's annoying to haul groceries up and delivery people probably hate them. read more

Quite a boring and mundane stairway. I was Yelping, after doing the Hidden Garden, and found this one. Meh. I guess I should be happy I knocked out another SF stairway. It wasn't crowded -- so there's a plus? Don't waste your time here unless you're on a mission to complete every SF stairway. No views, the houses are okay, no mosaics. Just nothing that makes this a necessary stairway. read more

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Clandestine... hidden... so 'local'... did this and Saturn on one semi-rainy day... It's wonderful to climb and appreciate the secret spaces of this special City, offering something for anyone. Bit steep? yes... Bit narrow? oh yes.... bit rustic and out of the way? But of course yes! and it's all worth it too... check out that great website a kind lady put together of all the stairways of SF... ticking them off.. .slowly! read more

We were on a day of SF exploring and for some reason, my friend really wanted to come here. It's literally a bunch of stairs in between a row of houses. I do admit that it's pretty serene since there's pretty much no one there and it's surrounded by a lot of greens and pretty flowers. It's pretty nice to just walk up the steps and check out people's homes and gardens. Overall, it's really a bunch of stair, but it's a really quiet place and it does have nice plants/gardens surrounding it. read more

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This stairway and numerous others in San Francisco are part of why the city is so charming. Beautifully maintained green landscaping keeps the trail cool in temperature, though I start to poor sweat halfway up! Surprising that so many people still don't know about this gorgeous street! read more

Want a good workout and a tour of SF's quirkiest charm? Leave behind the hordes at the Filbert Steps and head up from Castro Station to the Vulcan Stairway. Steep steps, beautiful gardens, and cozy Victorians so sweet they're bad for your teeth. When you get to the top, keep going uphill and see if you can find the mysterious Olympian monument at the top of Upper Terrace and the following other nearby stairs: Bottom of Saturn to Ord Top of Douglass to States Ord Court End of Museum to States or Flint Top of Flint De Forrest at Beaver Top of Henry Win a prize if you find them all! read more

It must have really sucked for the residents to get their couches up here. I'm sure it was worthwhile though, since this may be the most picturesque staircase I've ever had the pleasure of stumbling across. Fruiting blackberry bushes were a plus, although I can't say I feel great right now, post-ingestion. Could be from having jogged/slogged my way up this staircase though. To find it, simply get lost near Buena Vista park and then wander in desperate concentric circles while you attempt to find a street you've heard of. Worked for me. read more

As I was driving home one day, I saw two exhausted women at the top of the Vulcan Stairway who looked like they just got a good work out. So, I asked Ryry to show me the way since he used to walk these steps everyday after school. We walk around Lower Terrace, down a short flight of stairs, continued going down while passing by quiet houses. It's sunny, we're holding hands, enjoying the scenery and it's really nice. We walk along Ord Street which has some pretty sweet looking houses. Then... We come to the bottom of the Vulcan stairway. I didn't realize how ominous looking it was until I was peering up from below. But we attack the stairs, two at a time. We pass by beautiful gardens, walkways, and houses. I have to take a break midway because I am having slight bouts of invertigo. My Ryry takes my hand and helps me the rest of the way. =) In the end, I am completely out of breath. But am glad I had a nice walk with Ryry and finally got to experience what the people of Corona Heights have known about for ages. read more

I don't know if I'd ever want to live along the Vulcan Stairway--not being able to easily access my house could prove difficult--but this is about as charming as it gets. Cute little cottages run along the steps and the whole staircase is sheltered by beautiful trees and flowers and has an otherworldly feel that is hard to find in the City. The Vulcan Stairway is not the easiest to find or get to (part of it's charm), but it's well worth your time to wander around the planets (the streets named after them, that is) and see Vulcan and all of the other charming alleys and staircases the neighborhood has to offer. read more

Great set of stairs to truly start to see the type of hidden gems San Francisco has to offer. There are so many steps that it's easy to lose count as your engulfed with awesome architecture of hidden homes. Although it's a great little "shack" of houses to live in I would assume it's difficult, if not physically draining, to reach your home there. Check out the stairs. read more

Vulcan Stairway - Vulcan stairs - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This here is a more decorated version of the Saturn Street Stairways. Running parallel to the aforementioned, these neat steps are maintained and actually make it an experience walking through the "forest" that unfolds halfway through. This secret has been well-kept and hard to find. A great place to test your endurance. The stairs also serve as an entrance to adjacent homes so one can't be loud and disturb the peace. read more

Vulcan Stairway - Bottom of the Vulcan Stairs. - Local Flavor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A low key walk up stairs that takes you through a little slice of SF rez life. Quiet and full of flowers.

Fun little urban hike, if you do both the Vulcan Stairway and Buena Vista park, but not really worth a trip here just for the stairs. If you really want to do a fun stairs hike, try the Filbert Stairs up to Coit Tower. read more

I lived in the first house on the left (going up) for a bit in the mid-80s. A real PIA to move in to! And the cops back then didn't even know where the address was. Needless to say, neither did the cabbies. My roommates were monsters, but I stayed for the amazing views. And I loved telling people I lived on the Vulcan Steps. Really one of the most peaceful stairway walks in SF (I lived there for 25 yrs). And one of the safest in case of an earthquake; it is located in the Corona Heights 'hood of SF, which is bedrock. read more