Mount Olympus-Monument Way Stairs
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Mount Olympus: 433 Upper Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Monument Way Stairs base noted in maps as 349 Monument Way, San Francisco, but not clearly marked on street)
Starting Point: Monument Way Stairs: Monument Way Stairs start near northeast corner of 17th Street near Clayton St.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (We do our best to update links but web addresses are sometimes changed without notice.)
History of Mount Olympus info link (FoundSF):
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Mt._Olympus
History of Mount Olympus info link (OpenSFHistory):
https://opensfhistory.org/news/2020/11/22/the-triumph-of-light-a-closer-look/
Distance:
Walking around Mount Olympus itself does not cover any considerable distance since it is just a small hill with a monument. It is only about 0.1 miles from the base of the Monument Way stairs to Mount Olympus, but you get the stair workout up and back. Visitors could add a walk at nearby Tank Hill, Twin Peaks, Mount Sutro, or Corona Heights if looking for more of a walk in this part of San Francisco.
Considerations:
• The stairs and monument area are in a residential area with houses and apartments, so be considerate of neighborhood residents.
• Monument Way Stairs on not clearly marked, but there is a blue Ridge Trail sign at the base of the stairs.
• There are no public toilet facilities available for this walk.
• Pay attention to parking rule signs if parking in the neighborhood. Don’t leave belongings in view in parked vehicles.
The trail:
It is possible to simply park near Mount Olympus and walk up the short stairs and around the stone monument to check out the views. That would make for very little walking. We decided to take the Monument Way Stairs from 17th Street and Monument Way near Clayton St. to get a little exercise on our way to see Mount Olympus.
San Francisco has many interesting stair walks, some less well known than others. On the northeast corner of 17th Street and Clayton, look for a stairway marked by a blue Ridge Trail sign to start up the stairs. The Monument Way Stairs don’t cover a long distance, but they do ascend along what was once an empty hill with no houses. The view is still open on one side, with Sutro Tower on Mount Sutro in view looking back in the descending direction.
Once at the top of the stairs, walkers will connect with Upper Terrace. On our visit, there was a blue Ridge Trail sign with an arrow pointing left toward Mount Olympus on the wooden fence at the top of the stairs. We walked up the incline of Upper Terrace until we saw the Mount Olympus monument area encircled by Upper Terrace.
There are houses and trees surrounding the monument area, and on the monument garden area itself, which means that views are partially blocked by trees and buildings. It is still possible to see the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and structures like the Golden Gate Bridge with the towers of St. Ignatius Church in the foreground.
Mount Olympus is the geographic center of San Francisco, and what is now just the monument base once held a statue called “The Triumph of Light,” dedicated by noted San Francisco historic figure Adolph Sutro in a ceremony in 1887. Check out the history links above to see photos of Mount Olympus when the statue was still in place, and when this hill offered 360-degree views free of obstacles.
We enjoyed checking out this lesser-known bit of San Francisco and climbing one of the many scenic stairways the city has to offer.
(Mount Olympus-Monument Way Stairs Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Views Old and New” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Mount Olympus: 433 Upper Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Monument Way Stairs base noted in maps as 349 Monument Way, San Francisco, but not clearly marked on street)
Starting Point: Monument Way Stairs: Monument Way Stairs start near northeast corner of 17th Street near Clayton St.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (We do our best to update links but web addresses are sometimes changed without notice.)
History of Mount Olympus info link (FoundSF):
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Mt._Olympus
History of Mount Olympus info link (OpenSFHistory):
https://opensfhistory.org/news/2020/11/22/the-triumph-of-light-a-closer-look/
Distance:
Walking around Mount Olympus itself does not cover any considerable distance since it is just a small hill with a monument. It is only about 0.1 miles from the base of the Monument Way stairs to Mount Olympus, but you get the stair workout up and back. Visitors could add a walk at nearby Tank Hill, Twin Peaks, Mount Sutro, or Corona Heights if looking for more of a walk in this part of San Francisco.
Considerations:
• The stairs and monument area are in a residential area with houses and apartments, so be considerate of neighborhood residents.
• Monument Way Stairs on not clearly marked, but there is a blue Ridge Trail sign at the base of the stairs.
• There are no public toilet facilities available for this walk.
• Pay attention to parking rule signs if parking in the neighborhood. Don’t leave belongings in view in parked vehicles.
The trail:
It is possible to simply park near Mount Olympus and walk up the short stairs and around the stone monument to check out the views. That would make for very little walking. We decided to take the Monument Way Stairs from 17th Street and Monument Way near Clayton St. to get a little exercise on our way to see Mount Olympus.
San Francisco has many interesting stair walks, some less well known than others. On the northeast corner of 17th Street and Clayton, look for a stairway marked by a blue Ridge Trail sign to start up the stairs. The Monument Way Stairs don’t cover a long distance, but they do ascend along what was once an empty hill with no houses. The view is still open on one side, with Sutro Tower on Mount Sutro in view looking back in the descending direction.
Once at the top of the stairs, walkers will connect with Upper Terrace. On our visit, there was a blue Ridge Trail sign with an arrow pointing left toward Mount Olympus on the wooden fence at the top of the stairs. We walked up the incline of Upper Terrace until we saw the Mount Olympus monument area encircled by Upper Terrace.
There are houses and trees surrounding the monument area, and on the monument garden area itself, which means that views are partially blocked by trees and buildings. It is still possible to see the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and structures like the Golden Gate Bridge with the towers of St. Ignatius Church in the foreground.
Mount Olympus is the geographic center of San Francisco, and what is now just the monument base once held a statue called “The Triumph of Light,” dedicated by noted San Francisco historic figure Adolph Sutro in a ceremony in 1887. Check out the history links above to see photos of Mount Olympus when the statue was still in place, and when this hill offered 360-degree views free of obstacles.
We enjoyed checking out this lesser-known bit of San Francisco and climbing one of the many scenic stairways the city has to offer.
(Mount Olympus-Monument Way Stairs Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Views Old and New” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, Twitter at @HikingAutism, Instagram at lisalouis777, and Bluesky @hikingautism.bsky.social
