Bay Area Wilds: Grand View Park

Grand View Park in the Sunset earns its name. From the park's peak, you have a sweeping view of San Francisco in any direction. The only catch is . . . stairs. It's easy enough to drive through Golden Gate Heights, but if you haven't done the hike from Kirkham to the top, it's worth the pain -- or exhilaration (depending on your climbing aptitude).

Wildflowers are in bloom, and some of our migratory birds are still hopping around in the scrub before heading to Seattle and Anchorage. The mosaic stairway on the west side of the hill is a visual bonus.

Special note: Grand View Park is a fragile habitat with endangered plant species so tread lightly and only on the marked paths.

Take a photo tour of the walk to Grand View park.

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}