Started up into Sutro Forest via the 135 Medical Center Way steps (pics 1, 2). This is an attractive public stairway hikers can ascend to the Surge parking lot and from there to the forest's trails. Medical Center Way is the curving road that winds 'round the mountain; the stairway starts at its foot, "hidden" behind hospital buildings. The parking lot at the top of it, however, is permits only and not for public use.
Partway up the steps is an old offshoot wood stairway (15 steps: pic 3) that will take you to a trail behind homes on Edgewood Way. You can follow this all the way to the parking lot (south), but I came out this time near the top of the 149 Farnsworth steps on Edgewood Ave.
Continued to the south dead-end (for cars) of the redbricked street (a couple of blocks) to access the gorgeous Edgewood Trail. Now there's one of those colorful trailsigns I've been seeing lately here too: "Interior Greenbelt Park" (east side of Sutro Forest), with the trail to come noted as "Challenging" (pics 4, 5). This switchbacked beauty is a favorite (pics 6, 7, 8, 9) as is the lower Historic Trail that can be seen below it.
Climbed the Edgewood nearly all the way, changing near the top to the Fairy Gates Trail and onto the guardrailed walkway over to the trailhead for the East Ridge Trail taken to the summit. Pic 10: summit benches. Noticed plenty of bees around here; let's keep it that way. Poison oak warning signs have recently been added to trailmarker posts.
Out to the Historic from the South Ridge, then down the West Ridge Trail (pic 11). The West Ridge is a steep-slidey trail (reminds me of treks up here years ago before serious trailwork was commenced) that could really use a stairway (between the Historic Trail and Crestmont in Forest Knolls). So how 'bout some steps for easier access from Crestmont into the forest as a neighborhood convenience? Same with the roughish trail up from Christopher & Crestmont. Both these trails have trailmarkers starting down from the forest, but not at Crestmont.
Another couple of things to love about trees: They're good to grab hold of when edging down a slippery slope, and exposed roots can be used as stairsteps. It's appreciated that someone has tied a rope to a tree to help one down, but some steps would work better (pic 12: West Ridge Trail down to Crestmont). As in just zig some wood steps in between the trees…
Wandered over to the area at the end of Crestmont where many neighbors would prefer there not be new apartment building construction (pix 13, 14, 15), then down the Oakhurst stairway, 355 or so steps to Warren from Crestmont (pic 16). From the foot of Oakhurst at Warren down to Garden for the Environment between Locksley and Seventh Ave. is a few steep blocks (last pic).
Partway up the steps is an old offshoot wood stairway (15 steps: pic 3) that will take you to a trail behind homes on Edgewood Way. You can follow this all the way to the parking lot (south), but I came out this time near the top of the 149 Farnsworth steps on Edgewood Ave.
Continued to the south dead-end (for cars) of the redbricked street (a couple of blocks) to access the gorgeous Edgewood Trail. Now there's one of those colorful trailsigns I've been seeing lately here too: "Interior Greenbelt Park" (east side of Sutro Forest), with the trail to come noted as "Challenging" (pics 4, 5). This switchbacked beauty is a favorite (pics 6, 7, 8, 9) as is the lower Historic Trail that can be seen below it.
Climbed the Edgewood nearly all the way, changing near the top to the Fairy Gates Trail and onto the guardrailed walkway over to the trailhead for the East Ridge Trail taken to the summit. Pic 10: summit benches. Noticed plenty of bees around here; let's keep it that way. Poison oak warning signs have recently been added to trailmarker posts.
Out to the Historic from the South Ridge, then down the West Ridge Trail (pic 11). The West Ridge is a steep-slidey trail (reminds me of treks up here years ago before serious trailwork was commenced) that could really use a stairway (between the Historic Trail and Crestmont in Forest Knolls). So how 'bout some steps for easier access from Crestmont into the forest as a neighborhood convenience? Same with the roughish trail up from Christopher & Crestmont. Both these trails have trailmarkers starting down from the forest, but not at Crestmont.
Another couple of things to love about trees: They're good to grab hold of when edging down a slippery slope, and exposed roots can be used as stairsteps. It's appreciated that someone has tied a rope to a tree to help one down, but some steps would work better (pic 12: West Ridge Trail down to Crestmont). As in just zig some wood steps in between the trees…
Wandered over to the area at the end of Crestmont where many neighbors would prefer there not be new apartment building construction (pix 13, 14, 15), then down the Oakhurst stairway, 355 or so steps to Warren from Crestmont (pic 16). From the foot of Oakhurst at Warren down to Garden for the Environment between Locksley and Seventh Ave. is a few steep blocks (last pic).
1. Stairway behind hospital buildings starts up from Medical Center Way
2. Partway up the northside stairway
3. Offshoot stairway to a trail behind homes on Edgewod Ave.
4. Interior Greenbelt Park infosign at Edgewood trailhead
5. Infosign for Edgewood Trail
6. Edgewood Trail
7. Edgewood Trail
8. Edgewood Trail
9. Edgewood Trail
10. Summit benches
11. West Ridge Trail. Looking up at Historic Trail.
12. West Ridge Trail up from Crestmont in Forest Knolls 'hood
13. Dead-end of Crestmont, Forest Knolls neighborhood
14. Gardenwall on Crestmont near dead-end
15. Gardenwall on Crestmont near dead-end
16. Top of longest stairway on Mount Sutro, Oakhurst Lane: Crestmont to Warren
17. Warren, Forest Knolls neighborhood
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