It'd been about a year since I visited Strawberry Hill/Stow Lake, my favorite part of Golden Gate Park and the park's highest elevation. This area is a little way into the park from 19th Ave. and Lincoln. The hilly island that's Strawberry Hill has three stairways in the Huntington Falls area.
I like it that I can see more birds, gulls, ducks, lots of geese (LOVE geese), and squirrels closer-up than in other parks. Love the many, many meandering forest trails.
What I really don't care for is the traffic on so many streets in this park. I'd like to see a lot more pedestrian overpasses on streets that allow vehicles. There are crosswalks but far too many cars that go too fast inside the park's boundaries. Even better, I'd like to see all cars banned from the park except maybe on just one or two important streets, and those with the aforementioned walkers' bridges added.
One can get turned around easily in this park, especially on the wilder west side, as there are so many surrounding trees that it's difficult to see landmarks. So more infosigns would be appreciated: like the Presidio's.
From the 19th Ave. & Lincoln entrance, a short walk to the north, then over the 1893 stone Roman bridge (first pic), and up a few steps to ascend Strawberry Hill's east side (second pic).
Thirteen old wood steps from the top of the hill (south side, third pic) near the reservoir descend to the highest of the three footbridges over Huntington Falls (fourth pic).
On the north side of the falls/footbridge are 21 wood steps down from the summit, these with a green railing.
Continuing, there are 90 wood and concrete steps with curvy green rails alongside sweet-smelling flowers (fifth and sixth pix) down to the east side of the lake, where you'll find benches, a picnic table, and the Chinese Pavilion (seventh pic). You can walk all the way around the lake on this lower trail.
From the steppingstones at the foot of the falls, 39 steps climb up on the south side of the falls to the first footbridge. On the other side of the scenic footbridge, the steps that continue up from here are the same ones descended earlier. There are 104 steps to the highest footbridge. If you add the 21 formerly counted down from the summit reservoir area: 125 total for the longest set of continuing steps.
At the north side a third stairway, this one down to the other Stow Lake footbridge, starts off as 23 ordinary concrete steps, then a short trail, with the rest wood and wide-spaced, for a total of 61 steps. The boathouse is on this side of the hill.
Since I was now on the north side, curved around on some trails to soon find myself on a trail at the side of busy Crossover & Park Presidio Bypass. The #29 bus goes through the park here S-N but doesn't stop in the park. Had to circle all the way back around again to Lincoln & 19th to the bus stop just out of the park.
I like it that I can see more birds, gulls, ducks, lots of geese (LOVE geese), and squirrels closer-up than in other parks. Love the many, many meandering forest trails.
What I really don't care for is the traffic on so many streets in this park. I'd like to see a lot more pedestrian overpasses on streets that allow vehicles. There are crosswalks but far too many cars that go too fast inside the park's boundaries. Even better, I'd like to see all cars banned from the park except maybe on just one or two important streets, and those with the aforementioned walkers' bridges added.
One can get turned around easily in this park, especially on the wilder west side, as there are so many surrounding trees that it's difficult to see landmarks. So more infosigns would be appreciated: like the Presidio's.
From the 19th Ave. & Lincoln entrance, a short walk to the north, then over the 1893 stone Roman bridge (first pic), and up a few steps to ascend Strawberry Hill's east side (second pic).
Thirteen old wood steps from the top of the hill (south side, third pic) near the reservoir descend to the highest of the three footbridges over Huntington Falls (fourth pic).
On the north side of the falls/footbridge are 21 wood steps down from the summit, these with a green railing.
Continuing, there are 90 wood and concrete steps with curvy green rails alongside sweet-smelling flowers (fifth and sixth pix) down to the east side of the lake, where you'll find benches, a picnic table, and the Chinese Pavilion (seventh pic). You can walk all the way around the lake on this lower trail.
From the steppingstones at the foot of the falls, 39 steps climb up on the south side of the falls to the first footbridge. On the other side of the scenic footbridge, the steps that continue up from here are the same ones descended earlier. There are 104 steps to the highest footbridge. If you add the 21 formerly counted down from the summit reservoir area: 125 total for the longest set of continuing steps.
At the north side a third stairway, this one down to the other Stow Lake footbridge, starts off as 23 ordinary concrete steps, then a short trail, with the rest wood and wide-spaced, for a total of 61 steps. The boathouse is on this side of the hill.
Since I was now on the north side, curved around on some trails to soon find myself on a trail at the side of busy Crossover & Park Presidio Bypass. The #29 bus goes through the park here S-N but doesn't stop in the park. Had to circle all the way back around again to Lincoln & 19th to the bus stop just out of the park.
East on Strawberry Hill Trail
13 steps down from the Summit to start
Huntington Falls
Alongside the Falls
Steep steps down to the Lake
Chinese Pavilion Footbridge
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