Sutro Heights Park

This park that sits "hidden" across the road from, and above, the Cliff House is one of San Francisco's nicest small green areas. Adolph Sutro built a large Victorian here and landscaped the gardens with exotic plants. He also built a conservatory. The grounds have numerous pieces of sculpture--you can still see the lions that guard the gate. He opened the grounds to the public even while he lived there. Sutro's heirs gave the grounds to San Francisco in 1920. The grounds had fallen into disrepair, and eventually the house was demolished. The grounds are now landscaped in a more simple fashion. The park is often enshrouded in fog, giving it a distinctly mysterious air. On a clear day the views down Ocean Beach and out onto the ocean are beautiful.