The 20 Most Amazing Peaks in San Francisco

Cannon Hill, 375 feet, was designated on maps as early as 1854. The hill bookends Pacific Heights along with the hill that is Lafayette Heights.

475 feet (145 m) Bernal Hill provides visitors with a breathtaking 360-degree panorama and clear views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown, San Bruno Mountain, and the hills of the East Bay. These windswept slopes are still sunny when Twin Peaks is shrouded in afternoon fog. As one of the few remaining natural refuges in San Francisco, Bernal Hill has many wildlife inhabitants. A paved limited-access road and a network of well-defined dirt trails wind around the hill’s flanks and provide access to the summit. Bernal Hill was originally part of a 4,446-acre land grant awarded to José Cornelio de Bernal, a soldier in Juan Bautista de Anza’s 1776 expedition. The grant extended south from current-day Cesar Chavez Street to Daly City. The Bernal region became a squatter’s paradise over the next several decades, until the Van Ness Ordinance of 1855 decreed that these illegitimate tenants were in fact bona fide landowners and citizens of the city. In the mid-1800s, as San Francisco began to outgrow the downtown district, the Bernal Heights neighborhood emerged. The streets were laid out and many small - to moderate-sized homes were built. A tight-knit community, including Irish, Scots, and Scandinavians, took up residence in the shadow of the hill, which residents used extensively for cattle and dairy ranching. In May of 1876, the Bernal Heights community caught the California gold rush fever after Frenchman Victor Resayre announced his discovery of gold on the Bernal summit, ore that he claimed would fetch $1 million per ton. Extensive mining began, until it was revealed that the original discovery consisted of the considerably less valuable quartz. During the 1906 earthquake, because of the hill’s stable rock, few homes here were damaged, compared to those on landfill or former sand dunes. Bernal Hill’s steep slopes support a thriving grassland community, how much of the northern San Francisco peninsula might have looked 250 years ago. In the summer and fall its grasslands are dry and parched, and Bernal appears from a distance to be a tawny, uninhabitable monolith. The native grasses and wildflowers have dropped their seeds, for the winter rains to awaken them. By early February, the hill is transformed into a palette of brilliant colors as a multitude of native wildflowers bloom, including footsteps of spring, sun cup, blue-eyed grass, checkerbloom, and shooting star. Native purple needlegrass and red fescue blow in waves from the almost constant ocean breeze. https://sfrecpark.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Bernal-Heights-Park-151

The city of San Francisco sprawls out before you to the north, offering an epic panoramic view of the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and all of San Fran's iconic landmarks. The overlook gets its name from 100+ foot tall Christmas trees that were erected here in the late 1920s, before a living tree elsewhere in the city was chosen as the holiday's mascot.

Christmas Tree Point sits at the northeast end of Twin Peaks. It has a stunning view of San Francisco's skyline and is the second highest point in the city, standing at over 900 feet above sea level. Visitors get an unobstructed 360° panorama view of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Angel Island. It was named during a 1927 promotional campaign by the San Francisco Examine; this point continues to be a beloved destination for both locals and tourists.

lbeautiful view of the island and the Bay Bridge

Bernal Heights is often the best place in the city for panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Twin Peaks, and the more westerly hills, can been covered in fog while Bernal Heights is still sunny and warm.

At 911 feet Mount Sutro is the second highest point in the city. However due to it's dense forest many find the views to be underwhelming compared to Twin Peaks. However, if you are a fan of spotting wildlife, especially birds, this is the place to go in San Francisco. One observer noted over 30 different bird species in a single morning!

Not only the highest point in the city but also its geographic center, Mount Davidson is the perfect spot to go for a short walk with a huge payoffs. Stunning views of the city are paired with heavily forested trails and an abundance of bird life.