Mt. Davidson

Very cute and short hike to the top, expect a 20 minute round trip, but you could extend it to over an hour is you meander through all the side trails.

There is a massive cross at the top that I didn’t expect to see at the top, it is a monument to the Armenian genocide. A placard sits at the base that informs of the monuments history.

Mt Davidson is a scenic and quaint getaway from the buzzing streets of SF. Located close enough to Twin Peaks to almost offer the same views, it brings the advantage of being less crowded, so overall a good time.

Reasons you should visit:

1. Dramatic panoramic views in every direction. On a clear day, you can see far the hills of the faraway south bay and diablo area.

2. Tree cover for most of the climb up to the summit, which is unique for an SF park. This is made even better on rainy and foggy days, as the park develops a mystic charm.

3. Surrounded by residential neighborhoods, so there's very little noise pollution from traffic and most foot traffic is friendly.

Highly recommend adding to your SF bucket list if you haven't seen it already!

Mount Davidson is a nice smaller park to go hiking at with a few trails, a giant hidden cross, and some nice views of San Francisco. It wasn't to busy on the middle of a weekday and likely a little less popular due to its location in the southern part of the city. The trees and landscape make for a unique natural experience.

Smells a bit like urine everywhere, but other than that it’s great. Remote, densely wooded, quiet, with great views and a huge hidden cross. Didn’t know it was the cities highest peak, but that’s pretty neat!

Let everyone else flock to Twin Peaks, I will always prefer Mt. Davidson. Fairly unobstructed 360 views of everything except the Golden Gate. Next to Corona Heights park, best of SF downtown. It's a nice, short jaunt from various entry points in the surrounding neighborhoods. Trails are a bit narrow, but plenty of space to spread out at the top. During the golden hour, nothing beats seeing the cross lit up by that orange sunlight.