Jack Early Park

Walking down Grant Ave towards Francisco Street, it’s easy to miss on your right the stairs going up to this two-person park. This land was owned by the city until 1962, when Jack Early decided to plant eucalyptus and Monterey cypress to turn this undeveloped rocky slope into his own personal park. 

He added steps (using donated railroad ties) and put a bench (maximum occupancy: two) on top of the hill where you get get a great Bay Area view, from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge. The sea lions from Fisherman’s Wharf can even be heard from there. 

In 1987, after 25 years of painstaking work, the city of San Francisco made Jack Early Park official and its creator climbed his last stairways 10 years later, aged 82.