From the Forest Hill metro station, up the 15 steps (first pic) behind the building for the Forest Hill neighborhood. The tall hill itself is called Forest Hill, but the neighborhood by the same name is on the lower part. The Inner Sunset’s Golden Gate Heights ‘hood is on the upper part.
So heading towards the west edge of the Forest Hill neighborhood, passing the foot of the Pacheco stairway on the way (pic 2).
The three-block-long Montalvo stairway starts up at Castenada: 62 steps for the first block to Santa Rita/San Marcos: 3, 4.
San Marcos is the lower part, with its name on the stairway wall. Counting the divider steps in as well, 85 just before starting the second block: 5, 6, 7.
206 steps to the top of the second block at Ninth Avenue: 8, 9.
Around the median/fence of the divided street to the east to continue up the stairs. Total for the continuing stairway: 306 at the top of the third block: 10, 11, 12, 13.
The whole stairway is accurately shown on Google Maps.
Now at 10th Ave & Mendosa near Gateview. The west end of Mendosa is a dead-end, so down steep 10th Ave. to Quintara. Now in Golden Gate Heights, west on Quintara (14, 15), passing Cragmont, 12th Avenue, and Funston, nearly to the top of the Quintara stairway.
A right turn on 14th Ave. for Golden Gate Heights Park, up Radio Terrace (pic 16) that merges into Rockridge. Trails are not indicated on Google Maps for this park.
At the west edge of the park, a steepish thick-sand trail beckoned me to climb it. Some years ago had taken a pic of a rustic wood stairway in this area. It may be buried under the sandy traIl I trekked up. Or was it removed by the park people? At the top of the sandy part are some rocks to scramble up to enter the park from this west end: 18, 19, 20.
Around the park’s east side, onto Cragmont (pic 21), circling back to Quintara and 10th, this time to Quintara’s east dead-end for vehicles and a very short “gate” (22) that takes the walker from the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood into the Forest Hill 'hood, onto Mendosa. This passageway is shown on Google Maps. You immediately know you’re back in Forest Hill.
Winding leisurely back down to Laguna Honda, including some gorgeous views of Mount Sutro (last pic), where directly across from the Forest Hill station is a stop for the #43, the last streets at the foot of the hill Magellan and Plaza.
So heading towards the west edge of the Forest Hill neighborhood, passing the foot of the Pacheco stairway on the way (pic 2).
The three-block-long Montalvo stairway starts up at Castenada: 62 steps for the first block to Santa Rita/San Marcos: 3, 4.
San Marcos is the lower part, with its name on the stairway wall. Counting the divider steps in as well, 85 just before starting the second block: 5, 6, 7.
206 steps to the top of the second block at Ninth Avenue: 8, 9.
Around the median/fence of the divided street to the east to continue up the stairs. Total for the continuing stairway: 306 at the top of the third block: 10, 11, 12, 13.
The whole stairway is accurately shown on Google Maps.
Now at 10th Ave & Mendosa near Gateview. The west end of Mendosa is a dead-end, so down steep 10th Ave. to Quintara. Now in Golden Gate Heights, west on Quintara (14, 15), passing Cragmont, 12th Avenue, and Funston, nearly to the top of the Quintara stairway.
A right turn on 14th Ave. for Golden Gate Heights Park, up Radio Terrace (pic 16) that merges into Rockridge. Trails are not indicated on Google Maps for this park.
At the west edge of the park, a steepish thick-sand trail beckoned me to climb it. Some years ago had taken a pic of a rustic wood stairway in this area. It may be buried under the sandy traIl I trekked up. Or was it removed by the park people? At the top of the sandy part are some rocks to scramble up to enter the park from this west end: 18, 19, 20.
Around the park’s east side, onto Cragmont (pic 21), circling back to Quintara and 10th, this time to Quintara’s east dead-end for vehicles and a very short “gate” (22) that takes the walker from the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood into the Forest Hill 'hood, onto Mendosa. This passageway is shown on Google Maps. You immediately know you’re back in Forest Hill.
Winding leisurely back down to Laguna Honda, including some gorgeous views of Mount Sutro (last pic), where directly across from the Forest Hill station is a stop for the #43, the last streets at the foot of the hill Magellan and Plaza.
1. Behind the Forest Hill metro station
2. Pacheco steps, foot
3. Montalvo up from Castenada
4. Between Castenada & Ninth Ave.
5. Lower street is San Marcos
6. San Marcos to Santa Rita continuing up Montalvo
7. Divider steps
8. Starting up the second block
9. Santa Rita to Ninth Ave.
10. Ninth Ave. upper and lower
11. Up to 10th Ave. & Mendosa
12. Top of the third block of the Montalvo stairs
13. View down from 10th and Mendosa: 306 steps
14. Quintara & Cragmont mural can still be seen
15. Quintara St.
16. Radio Terr. onto Rockridge, across from the park
18. Is the old wood stairway buried under this thick-sand trail?
19. Scrambling up the rocks at the west edge of Golden Gate Heights Park
20. Into the park
21. House on Cragmont
22. East end of Quintara, back to the Forest Hill 'hood
23. Mount Sutro from Magellan
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