Ashbury/Corona Heights

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Now: Two significant, nearly adjoining peaks connecting Haight Ashbury and Castro. Buena Vista Park is a thickly wooded park with twisty paths and front lawn emptying out to central Haight Street. Trees obscure views from all but a couple of vantage points. Corona Heights Park is a rocky outcropping with unobstructed views, and includes the Randall Museum (of natural history). Mansions around Buena Vista and Ashbury Heights are among the city's most elegant.

Then: Originally named Hill Park, Buena Vista was established in 1867 and is San Francisco's oldest officially designated park. Broken pieces of headstones from early San Francisco cemetaries are embedded in the park's stone walls.

How To Get There: From the Upper Haight, Masonic Avenue goes up several blocks and then splits at Upper Terrace. From here, you're a block away from the easiest entrance points to both Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights. Buena Vista Park can also be entered directly from Haight Street, and Corona Heights Park can be entered at Flint Street, at the west end of 16th Street, two blocks north of the Muni station at Castro and Market.

  • Intersection of Masonic Avenue and Upper Terrace - Buena Vista Park to the left, Corona Heights Park to the right

  • Southwest entrance to Buena Vista Park at Upper Terrace

  • Looking Down Buena Vista Avenue, at west edge of Buena Vista Park

  • Inside Buena Vista Park

  • Paths inside Buena Vista Park

  • City view, looking south from top of Buena Vista Park

  • City view from Buena Vista Park

  • West entrance to Randall Museum and Corona Heights Park, from Roosevelt Way

  • Path leading up west side of Corona Heights Park

  • Path up Corona Heights Park and view to the southwest

  • City view near the top of Corona Heights Park

  • Wildflowers on Corona Heights

  • Rocks at the top of Corona Heights Park

  • Rock formations (chert) at the top of Corona Heights

  • View to the east, and the bay, from Corona Heights

  • Downtown city view from Corona Heights Park

  • Monument Way Stairway leading to Upper Terrace from the north side of 17th Street, near Clayton Street

  • The Olympus Monument base and stairway at the center of the Upper Terrace loop

  • From the side of the Monument base, looking east

  • Stairway leading down from Upper Terrace and Monument

  • Vertical gardens at the edge of Upper Terrace hill

  • The top of Vulcan Stairway, at Levant Street

  • Looking down Vulcan Stairway, near the top at Levant Street

  • One of two sets of steps near the bottom of Vulcan Stairway

  • Garden near the bottom of Vulcan Stairway

  • The bottom of Vulcan Stairway, at Ord Street

  • Looking up from the bottom of the Saturn Street Stairway, at Ord Street

  • Looking up one side of the Saturn Street Stairway

  • Saturn Street Stairway, looking down

  • View near the top of the Saturn Street Stairway

  • Street sign at the top of the Saturn Street Stairway, at Lower Terrace

  • Entrance to Al's Park, on Corbett Avenue between Mars Street and Clayton Street

  • Inside Al's Park

  • The side of Al's Park, looking toward residential yards

  • Near the back of Al's Park, facing Market Street

  • Community Garden at the corner of Corbett Avenue and Clayton Street

  • Mini Park at 17th Street and Corbett Avenue

  • Corbin Stairway on 17th Street near Temple Street