Grandview Park

This Sunset district park may be relatively tiny—it measures roughly the size of a city block—but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in height. Known as Turtle Hill by locals, the knoll reaches 666 feet. It's made of a 140-million year old rock formation called Franciscan chert, which originally formed as part of the ancient sea floor. The park is crossed by a small network of trails; it's a short trek to the top, but the best route upward starts at 16th Street and Moraga, where a 163-step staircase is covered in a colorful, mirrored mosaic. The windblown peak reveals views of Point Reyes, Lake Merced, Sutro Tower, the Pacific and downtown San Francisco and is and topped by cypress trees and native plants like beach strawberry, bush monkey flower and Franciscan wallflower.