Mount Sutro

Mount Sutro is a hilltop surmounted in the middle of San Francisco. It is one of the original seven hills of the city adorned with the enchanting presence of an adjoining dense forest- Sutro forest. It is owned and managed by the University of California, San Francisco and the Sutro Stewards respectively. Sutro forest, which is believed to have been over one hundred years old, is the result of Adolf Sutro’s commendable environmental efforts.

The cloud-forest is covered with patches of eucalyptus trees and non-native Himalayan Blackberry plants accommodating several species of birds including great horned owls and woodpeckers. Found at an elevation of 911 feet, the mount is nearby to the famous Twin Peaks with its woodland trails leading to the fog-enveloped Mount Sutro Summit. Preferred entry-points to the hilltop include the Stanyan, Christopher and Edgewood trailheads. The trails also hide a cavernous shrine- Ishi’s Shrine- in honour of Yahi Indians tribe of Northern California who led a hunter-gatherer lifestyle as well as unique rock structures at the Fairy Gates.