Quintessential San Francisco | Discover America

The Bay

It doesn't matter how long you've lived in the city: catching sight of sunlight dancing on the bay as you crest the hill or the Golden Gate Bridge vanishing and reemerging through the summer fog can still make a San Franciscan's heart swell. If nothing else, the bay provides a stunning backdrop to a visit here, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it the way the locals do. San Franciscans often gravitate toward spaces with views of the water, especially the shoreline promenades of the Embarcadero and Marina, lounges like the Top of the Mark, and parks that cling precariously to the hillsides. On the bay itself, many boat operators cater to visitors, from bay tours and dinner cruises to manned-sailboat rentals. On a sunny day, though, simply hopping the ferry to Oakland or Sausalito and enjoying a beer among commuters is an inexpensive but exquisite pleasure.

The Hills

Driving the hills in San Francisco is like riding a roller coaster, as you creep up on the crest of a hill where you can't see the street coming up to greet your front tires until the very last second. For the largest number of steep hills, head to Russian Hill. Filbert Street is one of the city's steepest; the drop east from Hyde Street has a great view of Coit Tower. From Green and Jones streets, head north on Jones for a gravity-defying two-block drop and a view of Alcatraz framed between the high rises. If the gradient of streets on Russian Hill, Nob Hill, and Potrero Hill intimidates you, let someone else do the driving -- a cab ride down California Street and a cable car ride down Hyde Street can be just as hair-raising, and you'll be free to enjoy those dazzling bay views to boot.

Hidden Lanes & Stairways

Nothing will make you feel more like a true insider than turning the corner of a perfectly average street and finding yourself in a hidden garden lane. San Francisco is full of these lanes and alleyways, as well as stairways that trace the hills between rows of homes. Some of these you might stumble upon, such as the well-marked steps up to Coit Tower and Maiden Lane near Union Square. Macondray Lane, on Russian Hill, is a gem worth seeking out for its lovely gardens. Also on Russian Hill, the Vallejo Steps stretch two taxing blocks from Jones Street to Mason Street. In the middle cascades Ina Coolbrith Park, whose out-of-the-way location and wide-open views make this one of the most popular stairway walks in the city.

Green Spaces

With its hills and fresh air, its myriad parks and waterfront promenades, San Francisco is an outdoor-person's dream. Golden Gate Park, with more than 1,000 acres of trails and fields, is especially popular with cyclists and inline skaters. Less famous but equally accessible is the Presidio, with almost 1,500 acres of hilly, wooded trails and breathtaking views of the bay and the Pacific. This former military base at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge is the city's secret forest, the easiest place in San Francisco to forget you're in a big city. Within the Presidio, Crissy Field is a 2-plus-mi swath of recently restored marshlands. Dog owners and families with small children love its easy paths and access to the sandy shore of the bay, and everyone appreciates the splendor of the Golden Gate Bridge up close and personal.

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