Disembarked the crosstown #29 (taken from the stop at the Balboa Park BART) at the top end of Visitacion Ave. and divided Mansell near the Overlook parking lot (first pic), and thru the picnic area to descend the first stairway. At the top of it are viewbenches and a couple of “musing stations,” part of the Philosopher’s Way 2.7-mile trailwalk: 2, 3, 4, 5.
The 56 stairs are only at the top part; you then continue down a winding openspace paved walkers’ trail to the top of Ervine & Wilde in Vis Valley.
Over to Delta from Wilde to the roughly paved skinny walkway. The pedestrian pothole got filled up with rocks since my last visit, but this steep, narrow pathway could seriously use a stairway here, more than the seven or so at the foot: 6 thru 10.
When I reached the foot of the long stairway at the top/dead-end of Campbell, noticed a sign advising of construction starting here on April 24. There are some orange flexifences here now. Be nice if parks’ websites could give us an artist’s rendering of changes planned so we’d have an idea of what planned construction is supposed to produce: 11 thru 21.
From the top of the steps, up steep Visitacion to cross Mansell into the northeast side of the park where this third favorite trail now has one of those new green park-rules signs at its upper trailhead: 22 thru 32.
At the foot, at McNab Lake, hung out a short time watching some ducks (pix 33, 34, 35), then started back up again to Mansell, trekking a steeper trail this time partway up: 36 thru 40.
Lake McNab and this trail are near the Portola neighborhood's west edge, with a delightful view of Bernal Heights’ southside.
Just below Mansell and the tennis courts: 41, 42.