Actually this Mount Sutro Forest hike started at Warren and 7th Avenue from the crosstown #43’s Lawton stop. Warren’s a good uphill trek by itself in the Forest Knolls 'hood.
Partway up curvy Warren you’ll see the foot of the set-back green Oakhurst stairs to your left: 354 steps, first two pix.
Oakhurst ascends past Oak Park’s dead-end. Keep going to the top at Crestmont, a couple blocks’ worth of stairs: 3 thru 8.
At Crestmont, turn left and curve round to where the unmarked West Ridge Trail starts steeply up from the street. There are a couple of old wood steps at the foot. You can see this trailhead on Google Maps (Maps). The West Ridge continues to the Historic Trail where there’s a trailmarker: 9, 10, 11.
This time instead of meandering round on the Historic to the summit, continued my steepish up-scramble on the West Ridge above the Historic that leads directly to the summit. Pic 12.
Love where on the upper West Ridge you climb up alongside an old log and between rocks (13, 14). No one has messed with it and I’m truly grateful it hasn’t been “improved.” Continuing up: 15, 16, 17.
Summit-time: The benches, pic 18.
All the mountain’s trails and stairways are very well marked on Google Maps.
From the summit, down the North Ridge: 19 thru 24.
Medical Center Way winds around: 25.
Crossing the road, step over the guardrail where the marker says Fairy Gates Trail. The beautiful Fairy Gates continues to the east; this time descended to where the Edgewood begins.
Edgewood Trail out to Edgewood Avenue (26, 27) at the south end of the redbricked street, then north a few blocks to the top of the Farnsworth stairs (149 steps, last pic) that descend to Willard, just above Parnassus. There’s a #43 stop at Parnassus and Willard too.
… And also a stop at Parnassus and Stanyan if you don’t mind uphilling a few on Stanyan to the trailhead for the lower Historic, yet another delightful way into the forest.
Partway up curvy Warren you’ll see the foot of the set-back green Oakhurst stairs to your left: 354 steps, first two pix.
Oakhurst ascends past Oak Park’s dead-end. Keep going to the top at Crestmont, a couple blocks’ worth of stairs: 3 thru 8.
At Crestmont, turn left and curve round to where the unmarked West Ridge Trail starts steeply up from the street. There are a couple of old wood steps at the foot. You can see this trailhead on Google Maps (Maps). The West Ridge continues to the Historic Trail where there’s a trailmarker: 9, 10, 11.
This time instead of meandering round on the Historic to the summit, continued my steepish up-scramble on the West Ridge above the Historic that leads directly to the summit. Pic 12.
Love where on the upper West Ridge you climb up alongside an old log and between rocks (13, 14). No one has messed with it and I’m truly grateful it hasn’t been “improved.” Continuing up: 15, 16, 17.
Summit-time: The benches, pic 18.
All the mountain’s trails and stairways are very well marked on Google Maps.
From the summit, down the North Ridge: 19 thru 24.
Medical Center Way winds around: 25.
Crossing the road, step over the guardrail where the marker says Fairy Gates Trail. The beautiful Fairy Gates continues to the east; this time descended to where the Edgewood begins.
Edgewood Trail out to Edgewood Avenue (26, 27) at the south end of the redbricked street, then north a few blocks to the top of the Farnsworth stairs (149 steps, last pic) that descend to Willard, just above Parnassus. There’s a #43 stop at Parnassus and Willard too.
… And also a stop at Parnassus and Stanyan if you don’t mind uphilling a few on Stanyan to the trailhead for the lower Historic, yet another delightful way into the forest.
1. Warren at Oakhurst
2. Starting up the Oakhurst Lane steps from Warren
3. Oak Park Dr. to left. Grandview Park in distance, center
4. Oak Park's dead-end to right. Continue up.
5. Sutro Forest at the top
6. Looking back down
7. Up to Crestmont, Forest Knolls
8. Looking down from Crestmont: 354 steps
9. Up the West Ridge to the Historic
10. Historic Trail up ahead
11. Trailmarker at the Historic Trail
12. Now continuing on the upper West Ridge with tree roots for steps.
13. Alongside a mossy log
14. Up past these rocks
15. A few stepovers
16. And out to the summit on the West Ridge
17. It's summit-time
18. Summit benches
19. Starting down the North Ridge Trail
20. Touchable trees as I continue on the North Ridge
21. North Ridge Trail
22. Medical Center Way curves around below
23. Treehugger Heaven
24. Nearing the foot of the North Ridge
25. Fairy Gates Trail below to right
26. The switchbacky Edgewood Trail
27. A new resident, the Edgewood Bear
28. Farnsworth's Foot up to Edgewood Ave. from Willard
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