Uphilling a few blox on Warren in Mount Sutro’s Forest Knolls neighborhood to the foot of the mighty green Oakhurst stairway (about 353 steps). There are 162 steps to the dead-end of Oak Park. Continue to the top at Crestmont, first 9 pix.
Turn left at the top of the stairs. A block or so to the north, curving round on Crestmont, is the foot of the elusive West Ridge Trail up into Sutro Forest. There’s no trailmarker for it on Crestmont, a couple of old steps to start, and It’s steep: 10 thru 14
The first part of the West Ridge climbs to the Historic Trail. You can continue up the West Ridge for a delightful summit shortcut.
This time winding to the left on the Historic. Disappointed to see so much clearing-and-chopping. They’ve apparently also eradicated the little patch of Miner’s Lettuce that used to grow in a certain place up here all year round (the plant is normally seasonal, showing up in the parks during winter and spring months). It’d been there since the beginning of time. Hopefully they didn’t get the roots and it’ll reappear with more rain.
Continuing on the Historic to a rock just offtrail where I like to stop for a bite to eat.
Soon seen below are the medical buildings and Medical Center Way.
The upper Historic: 15 thru 29
The end of the trail descends to the road where a short distance from here are trailheads for the North Ridge, Fairy Gates, and East Ridge: 30, 31, 32
From the Fairy Gates trailhead down to the Edgewood Trail and out to the south dead-end of Edgewood Ave. Pix 33 thru 39
Three or so blocks downhill on Edgewood (past the top of Belmont) to its north dead-end for vehicles and the 149 Farnsworth steps: pic 40
But instead of descending on Farnsworth, a few yards west from the top of the steps and the swing (pic 41), onto a trail just behind the homes on Edgewood Ave. Partway along is a trail downhill. A lot of hacking has been done in this area too: pic 42
Go down this and you’ll soon come to a very old wood stairway with 16 steps: 43 thru 47
This connects with the longer one (138 steps) that descends from the parking lot, the stairway I’m always going on about: 48 thru 52
Last pic: Aldea residential area netween Behr & Johnstone with steps between the two streets, the residences and the community center.
Turn left at the top of the stairs. A block or so to the north, curving round on Crestmont, is the foot of the elusive West Ridge Trail up into Sutro Forest. There’s no trailmarker for it on Crestmont, a couple of old steps to start, and It’s steep: 10 thru 14
The first part of the West Ridge climbs to the Historic Trail. You can continue up the West Ridge for a delightful summit shortcut.
This time winding to the left on the Historic. Disappointed to see so much clearing-and-chopping. They’ve apparently also eradicated the little patch of Miner’s Lettuce that used to grow in a certain place up here all year round (the plant is normally seasonal, showing up in the parks during winter and spring months). It’d been there since the beginning of time. Hopefully they didn’t get the roots and it’ll reappear with more rain.
Continuing on the Historic to a rock just offtrail where I like to stop for a bite to eat.
Soon seen below are the medical buildings and Medical Center Way.
The upper Historic: 15 thru 29
The end of the trail descends to the road where a short distance from here are trailheads for the North Ridge, Fairy Gates, and East Ridge: 30, 31, 32
From the Fairy Gates trailhead down to the Edgewood Trail and out to the south dead-end of Edgewood Ave. Pix 33 thru 39
Three or so blocks downhill on Edgewood (past the top of Belmont) to its north dead-end for vehicles and the 149 Farnsworth steps: pic 40
But instead of descending on Farnsworth, a few yards west from the top of the steps and the swing (pic 41), onto a trail just behind the homes on Edgewood Ave. Partway along is a trail downhill. A lot of hacking has been done in this area too: pic 42
Go down this and you’ll soon come to a very old wood stairway with 16 steps: 43 thru 47
This connects with the longer one (138 steps) that descends from the parking lot, the stairway I’m always going on about: 48 thru 52
Last pic: Aldea residential area netween Behr & Johnstone with steps between the two streets, the residences and the community center.
1. Foot of Oakhurst at Warren
2. Starting up
3. Warren to Crestmont
4. Looking down at rooftops on Warren
5. 162 steps up to the dead-end of Oak Park
6. Continuing up from the opening out to Oak Park Dr. (right)
7. About 353 steps
8. Sutro Forest above
9. Top of Oakhurst at Crestmont
10. Starting up from Crestmont, the West Ridge Trail has no trailmarker
11. View north from the West Ridge Trail
12. West Ridge Trail
13. West Ridge Trail
14. Steeply up ahead is the Historic Trail
15. West Ridge Trail down from the Historic
16. View north from the upper Historic Trail
17. Winding around
18. A log to sit on
19. Always be sure to look up
20. Just offtrail, a sittin' rock
21. View of the trail from the rock
22. Curving around
23. Medical Center Way below
24. Winding round the Magic Mountain
25. Road below to the right
26. Nice rocks!
27. More nice rocks
28, Historic Trail
29. Out to Medical Center Way
30. Up from the road, the North Ridge Trail climbs to the summit
31. Trails above and below
32. Medical Center Way winds around
33. Switchbackin' down to the Edgewood from the Fairy Gates Trail
34. Edgewood Trail
35. Love this trail!
36. View of part of the lower Historic Trail out to Stanyan
37. Looking up from Edgewood Trail
38. Edgewood Trail
39. Trailhead at Edgewood Ave.
40. Edgewood Ave. near top of Farnsworth stairs
41. The swing at the top of the Farnsworth steps
42. Trail behind homes on Edgewood Ave. South to the parking lot.
43 16 older steps
44. Connector steps
45. Down to the longer stairway
46. Short stairway to trail behind houses on Edgewood Ave.
47. Offshoot steps from the main Medical Center Way stairs
48. Stairs from the parking lot down to Medical Center Way
49. About 138 steps
50. At the foot of this stairway you will be behind the medical buildinga on Parnassus
51. Down to the foot at Medical Center Way
52. Looking back up
53. Steps and walkways connect residential streets Behr & Johnstone
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