Strawberry Hill, Summit in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, United States.
Strawberry Hill is a hill in Golden Gate Park that occupies an entire island in the park's man-made Blue Heron Lake, connected to the mainland by two bridges. Its slopes are covered with pines and other trees, and trails and dirt steps encircle the hill and lead to the top. Huntington Falls, a 110-foot artificial waterfall, drops from the hill into the lake.
An observatory stood at the top from 1891 until the 1906 earthquake brought it down. The hill was repaired after that and has remained a visited spot within the park ever since.
The Chinese Peace Pavilion near the base of the hill was a gift from Taipei in 1976 and features traditional East Asian architecture. It stands close to the water's edge of Stow Lake and is easy to spot from the surrounding path.
The hill is reached by crossing one of two stone bridges off Stow Lake Drive, where parking is available close by. The climb to the top is short but fairly steep, so sturdy footwear makes the walk more comfortable.
Huntington Falls, the waterfall that flows down the side of the hill, is entirely artificial and was funded by railroad businessman Collis Potter Huntington. Most people who walk past it assume it is a natural feature, not knowing it was built and paid for by a private donor.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,485 contributors worldwide.