Passing on recent pix (1 through 8) of a McLaren Park stairway that some SF stairway walkers may not be familiar with. The longest in the park with 195 steps, it starts up at the dead-end of Campbell Ave. in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. It's set back a bit from the street, thus slightly “hidden.”
It climbs past Visitacion Valley Middle School and up to Visitacion Ave. When you reach the top, continue up steep Visitacion to divided Mansell.
South of Mansell is the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. North of Mansell, to the east of the park, is the Portola ‘hood.
From the foot of the stairs, this time downhilled on Campbell a couple of streets to Delta. Left on Delta to the next street up, Tucker, and onto the skinny, steep, rough concrete walk (seven steps to start), pix 9, 10, 11.
At the top of this pathway, the next cross-street up is Tioga, then Wilde. Turn left on Wilde to Ervine for a steep curving trail into the park, the old observation tower above. You can’t see the stairs until you’re partway up (about 56, pix 12, 13, 14), at the top of which are a couple of Philosopher’s Way musing stations and viewbenches: 15, 16.
Pic 17: Seriously steep trail off the stairway, also up to the viewbenches.
Especially love the south, openspace part of McLaren with big sis San Bruno Mountain across, everything green and wildflowery now at both parks (pic 18).
What is this flower (pic 19) seen south of Mansell?
Unfortunately one of the nearby musing station plaques had been graffitied-upon; hope there are ways to remove the paint from the artwork.
Check out these daisies all over the place, just north of the tennis courts: pic 20, Bernal Hill in distance.
Pic 21: Another of the musing stations.
A favorite trail descends to Lake McNab that starts a short distance below the tennis courts, north of Mansell. It’s steep, switchbacked, hard-packed dirt: 22 thru 26.
Critters seen: a squirrel (too far away), a lizard (too fast), and this guy: last two pix.
McLaren is around 318 acres and the third largest park within SF city limits. However, since the Presidio’s a national park, some people don’t include it when talking about acreage, even though it’s larger than Golden Gate Park. So one is likely to hear city park McLaren still spoken of as being the second largest SF park.
It climbs past Visitacion Valley Middle School and up to Visitacion Ave. When you reach the top, continue up steep Visitacion to divided Mansell.
South of Mansell is the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. North of Mansell, to the east of the park, is the Portola ‘hood.
From the foot of the stairs, this time downhilled on Campbell a couple of streets to Delta. Left on Delta to the next street up, Tucker, and onto the skinny, steep, rough concrete walk (seven steps to start), pix 9, 10, 11.
At the top of this pathway, the next cross-street up is Tioga, then Wilde. Turn left on Wilde to Ervine for a steep curving trail into the park, the old observation tower above. You can’t see the stairs until you’re partway up (about 56, pix 12, 13, 14), at the top of which are a couple of Philosopher’s Way musing stations and viewbenches: 15, 16.
Pic 17: Seriously steep trail off the stairway, also up to the viewbenches.
Especially love the south, openspace part of McLaren with big sis San Bruno Mountain across, everything green and wildflowery now at both parks (pic 18).
What is this flower (pic 19) seen south of Mansell?
Unfortunately one of the nearby musing station plaques had been graffitied-upon; hope there are ways to remove the paint from the artwork.
Check out these daisies all over the place, just north of the tennis courts: pic 20, Bernal Hill in distance.
Pic 21: Another of the musing stations.
A favorite trail descends to Lake McNab that starts a short distance below the tennis courts, north of Mansell. It’s steep, switchbacked, hard-packed dirt: 22 thru 26.
Critters seen: a squirrel (too far away), a lizard (too fast), and this guy: last two pix.
McLaren is around 318 acres and the third largest park within SF city limits. However, since the Presidio’s a national park, some people don’t include it when talking about acreage, even though it’s larger than Golden Gate Park. So one is likely to hear city park McLaren still spoken of as being the second largest SF park.
1. Stairway starts down from Visitacion Ave. San Bruno Mountain in distance.
2. Down from Visitacion Ave.
3. Visitacion Ave. down to Campbell
4. 195 steps
5. Continuing down
6. Down into the Visitacion Valley neighborhood
7. Alongside the school and out to Campbell Ave.
8. "Hidden" stairs at dead-end of Campbell
9. Delta pathway, Tucker to Tioga
10. Rough spot
11. Up to Tioga
12. Stairs ahead. Trail up from Wilde into the park.
13. 56 steps up to benches, musing stations, and picnic tables
14. Visitacion Valley below
15. One of the musing stations with top of stairway just behind
16. Viewbenches south of Mansell
17. Steep trail up from the stairway
18. San Bruno Mountain in distance with Vis Valley below.
19. What is this flower? Seen only in McLaren.
20. Daisies on the lawn. Bernal Hill in distance.
21. Another musing station
22. Trail down to Lake McNab
23. Bernal Hill in distance, upper left corner
24. A favorite trail
25. Switchbacked trail down to Lake McNab
26. Trailsign climbing back up
27. Looking for lunch
28. Long-legged beauty
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