Several years ago the uppermost Interior Greenbelt Trail into Mount Sutro Forest was a tad more challenging, when I'd pull myself up along the side of a building just before exiting at the Aldea residential area.
This trail's at the top dead-end of Stanyan, a short distance above the Stanyan trailhead for the lower Historic Trail. Upper Stanyan's steep, with sidewalk steps on both sides (pics 1 through 4).
Turning right at Belgrave & Stanyan will take you to a trailhead with old wood posts and a few steps into the forest (pic 5); no trailmarkers at either end. It's steep; you don't want "challenging," bypass this one. Last time I was there, a guy was walking his bike up.
Another trail can be seen here, an offshoot from this one, that veers to the right just behind upper Stanyan homes but then climbs so you're not overly close to their backyards. This was recommended by a fellow hiker a while back and twice trekked by me. But this is rougher than the main one and difficult to follow at times. It does, however, exit partway along the lower Historic Trail. Might this be a possible future trail extension to connect with the LH from the Belgrave trailhead?
But I digress. Partway up the main one, a treelimb across the trail is perfect as a bench. Climb over and continue up, eucalyptus aromatherapy, birdsong, and unspoiled forest surrounding you (pic 6). It zigs by the foot of a residence (pic 7) and comes out (more easily these days) at Behr & Johnstone, with a trailhead-with-marker for the delightful Fairy Gates Trail (pics 8, 9, 10) nearby. Slightly uphill from here is the Aldea Center (11th pic) and trailhead for the East Ridge Trail.
Back down to Clarendon and a block or so to the west to enter the Forest Knolls 'hood at the foot of Christopher, then onto Crestmont. Winding past Devonshire and the "Not a Through Street" signs, to descend the 355 Oakhurst Lane steps (pics 12, 13, 14, 15) to Warren, onto Locksley, and into Garden for the Environment via the short rope-railed garden stairway here. Last pic: west side of Forest Knolls and Sutro Forest.
This trail's at the top dead-end of Stanyan, a short distance above the Stanyan trailhead for the lower Historic Trail. Upper Stanyan's steep, with sidewalk steps on both sides (pics 1 through 4).
Turning right at Belgrave & Stanyan will take you to a trailhead with old wood posts and a few steps into the forest (pic 5); no trailmarkers at either end. It's steep; you don't want "challenging," bypass this one. Last time I was there, a guy was walking his bike up.
Another trail can be seen here, an offshoot from this one, that veers to the right just behind upper Stanyan homes but then climbs so you're not overly close to their backyards. This was recommended by a fellow hiker a while back and twice trekked by me. But this is rougher than the main one and difficult to follow at times. It does, however, exit partway along the lower Historic Trail. Might this be a possible future trail extension to connect with the LH from the Belgrave trailhead?
But I digress. Partway up the main one, a treelimb across the trail is perfect as a bench. Climb over and continue up, eucalyptus aromatherapy, birdsong, and unspoiled forest surrounding you (pic 6). It zigs by the foot of a residence (pic 7) and comes out (more easily these days) at Behr & Johnstone, with a trailhead-with-marker for the delightful Fairy Gates Trail (pics 8, 9, 10) nearby. Slightly uphill from here is the Aldea Center (11th pic) and trailhead for the East Ridge Trail.
Back down to Clarendon and a block or so to the west to enter the Forest Knolls 'hood at the foot of Christopher, then onto Crestmont. Winding past Devonshire and the "Not a Through Street" signs, to descend the 355 Oakhurst Lane steps (pics 12, 13, 14, 15) to Warren, onto Locksley, and into Garden for the Environment via the short rope-railed garden stairway here. Last pic: west side of Forest Knolls and Sutro Forest.
1. Stanyan sidewalk steps up to Belgrave
2. Stanyan sidewalk steps up to Belgrave
3. Upper Stanyan sidewalk steps
4. Upper Stanyan sidewalk steps, east side
5. Interior Greenbelt trail at Belgrave, top of Stanyan
6. Interior Greenbelt trail sun-dappled forest
7. Upper Interior Greenbelt trail zigs around and continues up
8. Fairy Gates Trail
9. Fairy Gates Trail
10. Fairy Gates Trail out at Medical Center Way
11. Aldea Center on Mount Sutro
12. Top of Oakhurst steps at Crestmont, Forest Knolls neighborhood
13. Near top of Oakhurst stairway at Crestmont, Forest Knolls
14. Oakhurst Lane, Forest Knolls
15. Oakhurst stairway down to Warren
16. West side of Mount Sutro Forest and Forest Knolls 'hood
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