Stairways are Heaven
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Stairways are Heaven

Canyon Bottom to Top

6/12/2012

0 Comments

 

Off at the Glen Park BART station heading west to Glen Canyon (about six blocks), my first stairway was Burnside, Bosworth down to Paradise, 69 steps. Out to Elk, crossed over into the park at the foot of the Canyon, at the "Glen Park Recreation Center" sign. Followed the trail around to the right as the Canyon walls got steeper above me (first pic). 

Headed towards the tree-canopied foot of the Canyon. First you'll walk across a short boardwalk (second pic), then a little footbridge with Islais Creek flowing along below. 

If you like damselflies and lots of birdsong, the Canyon bottom is the place to go. 

When you get to a certain point on the trail, it's necessary to ascend to walk a little way on an upper trail if you want to continue north, Diamond Heights stilthouses towering above to the right. Soon there's a trail back down again. This starts the northernmost part of the trail that I hope someday will meander all the way out to Portola. When I last visited, found it had been extended. But it still ends at the end of a fenced playing field (there's a school here) where last time I saw a single sunflower. Today in the little clearing there were several old chairs, an old school desk and an upside-down metal garbage can. Homeless encampment or kids?

This trail is a kind of obstacle course with tree limbs to climb over and under and lots of blackberry branches reaching out to grab you as you pass. Don't wear shorts if you do this trail. 

Retraced my steps until reaching some wood steps (19) to start up, then a steep trail (third pic: one of the upper trails). A little snake zigged to the other side just in front of me. This trail was enclosed with tall grasses but I could see the stairway/trail I wanted to take just to my right, so continued up to where the trail I was on connected with this main one.

This is the longest of the Canyon stairways with 86 wood steps (next four pix) up to the bench that's just below Christopher Park and a short distance from the back of the Diamond Heights Safeway.

After leaving the Safeway, just beyond Diamond on Diamond Heights Blvd is Walter Haas Playground with 35 steps down (last pic): a small green-lawn-with-white-daisies openspace viewpark with a playground, dog run, and benches. 

Out of the park at Addison and Digby, on my steep route back down to Glen Park were gardens, decks, and sweet flower aromas. The winding street finally came out at the Bemis elevated sidewalk 

(14 steps down the west side).
Picture
Canyon Slope
Picture
The Boardwalk
Picture
An Upper Trail on the East Side
Picture
Eastside Trail, 86 steps
Picture
The trail as seen from O'Shaughnessy
Picture
Mt. Davidson's Miraloma Park 'hood across
Picture
Bench just below Christopher Park
Picture
Down from Diamond Hts. Blvd. to Walter Haas Park
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I like meandering around on San Francisco's park trails and public stairways, sometimes taking photos, and enjoying nature and the outdoors.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.