Address: 37.800480, -122.409282
Parking: Park near Washington Square Park. Close parking is all metered, but free on Sundays.
Type: Hike (moderate)
Regulations: Dogs allowed on-leash
Best time to visit: Anytime
Description: We went on an urban hike in SF, which took us through several parks, some hidden stairwells of the city, and even onto the famous Lombard Street. I definitely consider this a hike, because it took us up some very steep streets and it was a great workout. Ina Coolbrith Park has incredible views of the bay bridge, downtown SF, Alcatraz, and the bay. Finding the hidden stairwells and beautifully decorated alleyways was a lot of fun. Walking down Lombard Street was pretty cool, and so much more enjoyable than driving. We even ended with a picnic in the sun at a dog-friendly park.
Directions (follow along with map below): Start your hike at Washington Square Park. You and your dog can relax on the lawn, and there's a water fountain here to fill up your water. Head down Columbus Ave and then make a right on Vallejo Street. This will run into Ina Coolbrith Park. Walk up two sets of very steep stairs, and turn right on the paved path for a gorgeous lookout spot with views of the Bay Bridge and downtown SF. Continue up another staircase and you'll have views of the Bay and Alcatraz. Continue on the paved path, cross Taylor St (careful here, there is no crosswalk), and walk up the stairs in front of you. When you are almost at the top you will see a small set of stairs to your right, which will lead you to a small grassy area. There are incredible views of SF here, and we saw several dogs stopping here to play. Continue down, Cross over Green St, and down a steep set of stairs. Continue up Taylor Street, and you'll soon see a steep wooden stairwell heading up to your left. The stairs are unmarked and would appear to go to someone's house, but it's actually a public stairwell which will lead you into a beautiful alleyway. Look for the "Macondray Lane" street sign, adjacent to the stairs, to make sure you're taking the right stairwell. Head up the stairs, through the alleyway, and you'll exit on Leavenworth St. Contiue up, over Union Street, and up Hyde Street until you reach a park on your left. Cross through it, past the basketball tennis courts, and down through George Sterling Memorial Park. You'll exit on Lombard Street, and after walking a block up, you'll be at the famous windy section of Lombard Street. There are always traffic jams here and people directing traffic, but you can enjoy the views as you walk down on foot. You'll even be able to take pictures at the bottom, when the person directing traffic gives the OK for everyone to stand in the middle of the street while he or she directs cross-traffic. After this, head up Leavenworth Street, over Chestnut, and down Jones St. Take Greenwich Street past the library until you reach a park, called Joe DiMaggio Playground. Dogs are allowed to pass through here on leash, and if you're with a group your kids can stop to play on a huge playground, and there are even bocce ball, tennis and basketball courts. This park has clean restrooms with flushing toilets. After crossing through the park, head up Mason St, over Lombard, and down Powell Street. This will lead you back to Washington Square Park, which is a great place to take a break on the sunny lawn with your dog and enjoy a picnic lunch.
Parking: Park near Washington Square Park. Close parking is all metered, but free on Sundays.
Type: Hike (moderate)
Regulations: Dogs allowed on-leash
Best time to visit: Anytime
Description: We went on an urban hike in SF, which took us through several parks, some hidden stairwells of the city, and even onto the famous Lombard Street. I definitely consider this a hike, because it took us up some very steep streets and it was a great workout. Ina Coolbrith Park has incredible views of the bay bridge, downtown SF, Alcatraz, and the bay. Finding the hidden stairwells and beautifully decorated alleyways was a lot of fun. Walking down Lombard Street was pretty cool, and so much more enjoyable than driving. We even ended with a picnic in the sun at a dog-friendly park.
Directions (follow along with map below): Start your hike at Washington Square Park. You and your dog can relax on the lawn, and there's a water fountain here to fill up your water. Head down Columbus Ave and then make a right on Vallejo Street. This will run into Ina Coolbrith Park. Walk up two sets of very steep stairs, and turn right on the paved path for a gorgeous lookout spot with views of the Bay Bridge and downtown SF. Continue up another staircase and you'll have views of the Bay and Alcatraz. Continue on the paved path, cross Taylor St (careful here, there is no crosswalk), and walk up the stairs in front of you. When you are almost at the top you will see a small set of stairs to your right, which will lead you to a small grassy area. There are incredible views of SF here, and we saw several dogs stopping here to play. Continue down, Cross over Green St, and down a steep set of stairs. Continue up Taylor Street, and you'll soon see a steep wooden stairwell heading up to your left. The stairs are unmarked and would appear to go to someone's house, but it's actually a public stairwell which will lead you into a beautiful alleyway. Look for the "Macondray Lane" street sign, adjacent to the stairs, to make sure you're taking the right stairwell. Head up the stairs, through the alleyway, and you'll exit on Leavenworth St. Contiue up, over Union Street, and up Hyde Street until you reach a park on your left. Cross through it, past the basketball tennis courts, and down through George Sterling Memorial Park. You'll exit on Lombard Street, and after walking a block up, you'll be at the famous windy section of Lombard Street. There are always traffic jams here and people directing traffic, but you can enjoy the views as you walk down on foot. You'll even be able to take pictures at the bottom, when the person directing traffic gives the OK for everyone to stand in the middle of the street while he or she directs cross-traffic. After this, head up Leavenworth Street, over Chestnut, and down Jones St. Take Greenwich Street past the library until you reach a park, called Joe DiMaggio Playground. Dogs are allowed to pass through here on leash, and if you're with a group your kids can stop to play on a huge playground, and there are even bocce ball, tennis and basketball courts. This park has clean restrooms with flushing toilets. After crossing through the park, head up Mason St, over Lombard, and down Powell Street. This will lead you back to Washington Square Park, which is a great place to take a break on the sunny lawn with your dog and enjoy a picnic lunch.
My custom map of our hike (click to enlarge):
Pictures:
