From the #24 bus stop at Noe & Valley, headed west on Valley on the north sidewalk just past Castro that turns into a sidewalk stairway on the upper side of the divided westernmost dead-end of Valley. The first set of stairs (52) is shady, alongside homes. At the top of the steps, continued on the sidewalk a few yards to the main Valley stairway (69 steps) for a total of 121 steps for Valley between Castro & Diamond. First pic: Top of the main Valley stairway at Diamond St.
28th St. uphill from Diamond is a supersteep block, but this was the quickest way to the Safeway.
At the top of 28th is the south dead-end of Douglass. Just below that is a short enclosed walkway with a few steps that leads to Diamond Heights Blvd./Gold Mine across from the Diamond Heights Shopping Center (the #52 Excelsior bus stops here).
After the Safeway it was up Gold Mine at the corner to Topaz. The stairway just behind the shopping center also goes up to Gold Mine: second pic.
Such a view from Topaz along a fence between homes. This highspot is the top layer of Diamond Heights homes.
Continued on curvy Topaz to just past Ora Way where the long Onique stairway starts its descent to Gold Mine (108 steps: first flight); to Berkeley Way (122: second flight); and again to Berkeley Way (116: third flight), for a total of 346 steps for Onique, coming out at the top of Glen Canyon.
Turned right, trudging uphill on Berkeley Way to Crags Court, past the huge rocks at the Canyontop and to the dead-end of Crags where the community garden is.
The gate has always been unlocked when I've been here so I could walk around in the garden. This is a gorgeous place with a jawdropping view thru the trees to the Canyon below.
At the garden's north end there's another gate, and next to it 31 old wooden steps (next two pix) that descend into the Canyon a short distance. When you get to the foot, you have a choice of skinny dirt trails south, north, or down.
I chose south and up a very steep trail that took me right back to the rocks area where Berkeley Way meets Crags Court.
From here it was down Diamond Heights Blvd. on the Canyon side of the guardrail (fifth pic) to just past the top of the Elk stairway (sixth pic). At Elk, turned east into the Glen Park 'hood. Every street down from here is steep. Chose Lippard down to Chenery.
The next pic shows the Canyon on the left side along Elk, up past the stairway to where Diamond Heights Blvd. begins, taken from Bosworth and Elk. The last pic shows Onique stairway's foot at lower Berkeley Way (right side). Taken from the rocks openspace just below Marietta on Mount Davidson across the Canyon.
28th St. uphill from Diamond is a supersteep block, but this was the quickest way to the Safeway.
At the top of 28th is the south dead-end of Douglass. Just below that is a short enclosed walkway with a few steps that leads to Diamond Heights Blvd./Gold Mine across from the Diamond Heights Shopping Center (the #52 Excelsior bus stops here).
After the Safeway it was up Gold Mine at the corner to Topaz. The stairway just behind the shopping center also goes up to Gold Mine: second pic.
Such a view from Topaz along a fence between homes. This highspot is the top layer of Diamond Heights homes.
Continued on curvy Topaz to just past Ora Way where the long Onique stairway starts its descent to Gold Mine (108 steps: first flight); to Berkeley Way (122: second flight); and again to Berkeley Way (116: third flight), for a total of 346 steps for Onique, coming out at the top of Glen Canyon.
Turned right, trudging uphill on Berkeley Way to Crags Court, past the huge rocks at the Canyontop and to the dead-end of Crags where the community garden is.
The gate has always been unlocked when I've been here so I could walk around in the garden. This is a gorgeous place with a jawdropping view thru the trees to the Canyon below.
At the garden's north end there's another gate, and next to it 31 old wooden steps (next two pix) that descend into the Canyon a short distance. When you get to the foot, you have a choice of skinny dirt trails south, north, or down.
I chose south and up a very steep trail that took me right back to the rocks area where Berkeley Way meets Crags Court.
From here it was down Diamond Heights Blvd. on the Canyon side of the guardrail (fifth pic) to just past the top of the Elk stairway (sixth pic). At Elk, turned east into the Glen Park 'hood. Every street down from here is steep. Chose Lippard down to Chenery.
The next pic shows the Canyon on the left side along Elk, up past the stairway to where Diamond Heights Blvd. begins, taken from Bosworth and Elk. The last pic shows Onique stairway's foot at lower Berkeley Way (right side). Taken from the rocks openspace just below Marietta on Mount Davidson across the Canyon.
Top of main Valley stairway at Diamond
Behind the Safeway up to Gold Mine
Down from Crags Court Garden
Up to Crags Court Garden in Diamond Heights
Mt. Davidson across the Canyon
Elk into the Canyon
Elk merges into Diamond Hts. Blvd. near the curve
Onique's foot at Berkeley from Mt. Davidson
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