San Francisco is known for its many parks, famously Golden Gate and Mission Dolores, which draw huge crowds on a sunny day. The oldest park in San Francisco isn’t either of the highly-frequented, famous parks; it’s actually Buena Vista Park, tucked away in the Haight.
The park encompasses a steep hill filled with trees and a winding walking path up to the top. From there, you can see spectacular views of San Francisco, making the steep climb worth the work. The secluded park is perfect if you want to feel like you left the city; a few steps into the climb, you’re surrounded by trees. The park covers one of SF’s largest hills, reaching over 500 feet tall. The park also boasts a grove of coastal oaks, a rarity in SF these days.
The park was established in 1867, aptly called Hill Park, and was later renamed Buena Vista Park. While the views are enough to make the park worth a visit, it also has some interesting history. In the early 1900s San Francisco was rapidly expanding. In response to the growing city with limited space, the city removed all cemeteries except for SF National Cemetery and Mission Dolores beginning in 1914. While the city relocated the buried bodies to Colma, some remnants of the cemeteries remained. Unclaimed headstones were used for public works projects, including lining Buena Vista Park’s gutters along the winding trails. You’ll still be able to see the pieces of old headstones lining the paths today as you make your way to the park’s peak.
While Buena Vista Park will remind of SF’s early days, the surrounding neighborhood is most known for it’s more recent history. The park is only few blocks from the many vibrant shops and restaurants in Haight-Ashbury, which is most known for being a scene for 1960’s counterculture.
Buena Vista Park is located at the corner of Buena Vista & Haight Street.