Twin Peaks

San Francisco's Best View

Twin Peaks has San Francisco's best, sweeping 360 degree views.

Why visit Twin Peaks? The view, the view, the view. Being almost at the geographical center of San Francisco there is no finer place to see the city than atop Twin Peaks. With it’s panoramic views, Twin Peaks should be a must-stop on every tourist’s list of places to go.

Named for it’s two virtually identical summits, Twin Peaks, stands at an elevation of about 922 feet, second highest in San Francisco. Though, best known for it’s viewpoint, Twin Peaks has practical uses as well. The lower portion of Twin Peaks has been developed into a residential community with colorful houses built into the hillside providing optimal views for their residents.

The top of the hill is littered with a handful of transmission towers, that may not look good from far away, but don’t worry, once you’re up on the summits, you will barely notice they are there. Twin Peaks also houses the Summit Reservoir, a 14 million gallon water hold. The reservoir was built in 1954, and provides drinking water to residents, water for local fire departments, and is a necessary water source to the birdlife in the area.

Twin Peaks Stunning Views

Aside from the transmission towers and the reservoir, the top of Twin Peaks has remained undeveloped. This undeveloped portion of Twin Peaks has been slated as a Natural Area, and is preserved by the Natural Areas Program (NAP), a division of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks department. This Natural Area acts as a preserve for native vegetation, allowing indigenous plant life to grow virtually untouched.

The area also acts as home to an array of natural wildlife, including raccoons, skunks, opossums, white crowned sparrows and redtail hawks. Most importantly, Twin Peaks is only one of three areas that provides a home to the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly. Most of the plant life the Mission Blue Butterfly needs to survive has been destroyed by development, but Twin Peaks has been able to restore and sustain much of this natural plant life, providing a safe place for the butterfly to survive.

Transportation to Twin Peaks:

The drive up to San Francisco's Twin Peaks can be stunning -- you might try a limousine or rental car to arrive in relaxation or save some money with public transit and BART.

By: Colleen Kelly - Copyright SFTRAVEL LLC

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Full size Twin Peaks photo gallery of San Francisco views.