Ina Coolbrith Park

Hidden gem and a must-​visit! The view of downtown San Francisco is up-​close and gorgeous. You can see the entire stretch from Coit Tower to Transamerica just from one angle. It is less of a park and more of a tiny oasis in Russian Hill. It would be a great workout hiking uphill to reach this place. Make sure to wear shoes with traction so you don’t slip going back downhill!
Almost every angle of Ina Coolbrith Park is a great photo op, especially on a clear day. There are several benches available for you to sit and take in this breathless view. I would frequent this place if it were more accessible. I didn’t drive here on this occasion, but saw some street parking available. If you’re comfortable driving and parking on a nearly 90 degree incline, go ahead and drive up here. Otherwise, don’t.
TLDR; Best view of downtown San Francisco available if you want those postcard images!

Great park with awesome views! It’s on a big hill so be prepare to walk a lot of stairs.

Jem of a park with great views and a few benches perfect for reading or eating lunch. Lovely date spot and on a clear day, it arguably has the best views in the City (Coit Tower, downtown, Alcatraz, etc.). The park is on a hill so there isn’t really space or grass to spread out or picnic – various tiers of stairs – but that’s totally fine given the views and quiet/​quaintness of the park.

I was so pleasantly surprised to run into this place! I was just walking to my place in Russian Hill and ran into this on accident from Chinatown. AMAZING view with a few little benches. Definitely my new picnic spot!

My neighborhood park. Great views of the Transamerica Pyramid, Bay Bridge and Coit Tower. It’s usually pretty empty and the benches are an excellent place to rest for a few minutes and take in the awesome view.

Most amazing hidden jewel in the Russian Hill neighborhood! I enjoy it almost daily with my miniature Doberman! I love showing «My back yard» off to friends, family & other K9 companions! Great at anytime of the day or year! Paradise views! Great energy! Private, quiet, clean… great energy! Please do enjoy this amazing spot! Please help us keep it clean & safe as it currently it! Definitely a prime destination to show to family/​friends visiting! The K9s LOVE it!!! You’ll definitely want a camera!

Another kinda shabby park with great views. Located in the middle of the Vallejo St steps it has benches and views from the Bay Bridge, Coit Tower and across the bay.

This is a nice park to get your exercise in running the stairs leading up to the top (4 stars… minus 1 star cause I’m bitching underneath my breath all the way up) or just to take in the views (4 stars — minus 1 star cause besides a couple of patches with awesome views, some of the taller trees block the rest)
MINUS 1 Star cause the pathway REALLY needs to be redone as there are potholes, major cracks and tree root overgrowth making it very dangerous to walk if you are not paying attention or elderly.

Discovering hidden gems in SF makes me feel blessed to live here.
Located in Russian Hill on Taylor and Vallejo streets, you can easily drive your car and swoop down and raise your hands in the air (wave ‘em like you just don’t care!) or do it my way: walk it up, then run down while feeling the cool breeze on your face. Stick your tongue out for maximum enjoyment.
People ask me why I don’t have a gym membership. Parks like this is one of the reasons why. You just need to lace up your running shoes and GO. Nothing beats the endorphin high after.
If the hills don’t take your breath away, the stunning views will.

My friends and I actually stopped here on a whim while hiking from Union Square to Russian Hill to go eat dinner. Super steep hill to hike up before getting to the park. Beautiful view but the park does seem a bit small. I rode a electric bike up here the next morning to take some photos of it and see the views. This part of town was so much less busy in the morning. You can then stroll around the church and some other park which is across the street from it. I maybe should have spent more time walking within it with all the steps and such. I’ll be off to discover more stuff next weekend in another part of town for sure.

Bam! Only 34 Unilocal reviews of the Ina Coolbrith Park by the time of writing! This is some secret spot right here! Because of that I’m a little hesitant to add #35 to it, I don’t want anyone to know! Then again, sharing is caring, so here we go.
Ina Coolbrith was an American writer and poet in the 19^th century. She was one of the early San Francisco poets and very involved in the literature scene of the city. Hence we now have a park named after her!
– Hey Unilocal: I“m also very involved in the scene, namely the local scene, aka Unilocal scene. If you consider naming a park after me, you may do so.
–
On clear days you’ll get one of the best views of the city. The park is in Russian Hill on Taylor and if you look around you’ll also notice a couple of hidden steps across the steps. These will lead you through a wonderful garden, past huge and unreal houses, up to a small meadow. If you do a picnic here you’ll undoubtedly get the best views you’ll ever get with a picnic.
GET VIEWS OF:
— Transamerica Pyramid
— Alcatraz
— Coit Tower
— the Bay
PARK YOUR CAR:
— around Taylor/​Pacific in Nob Hill and walk up Taylor for about 5mins
DON’T:
— stop your car on top of Taylor to take pictures

One of the coolest lil parks in SF. Breathtaking views amidst one of SF’s classic neighborhoods. Le sigh.

I am lucky to live directly next to this park and use it as my backyard. It is simply lovely: there are flowering plants, beautiful trees, herbs and succulents throughout the little park that make the air smell intoxicating. The view is of the bay bridge, downtown and Coit from one part of the park and Alcatraz from the other.
There are benches all around where I love t sit, drink coffee, read or just look out onto the beautiful city. It is also amazingly quiet for being right in Russian Hill. Definitely one of my favorite places in SF.

A hidden neighborhood gem, Ina Coolbrith Park offers some quiet time paired with great views of the city. It’s totally worth the climb just for the view itself.
I’ve been up here just to chill on sunny days. Bring a book, grab some snacks in Chinatown on your way up, and take your time. There are quite a few benches offering views of the Fidi or Alcatraz to the left. It is a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city if only just for a little while.
It’s never been crowded when I’m there so it can feel like your own private park and when paired with these views, Ina Coolbrith Park truly is a hidden neighborhood gem.

My favorite quiet space/​lookout point in SF. Not much more to say than what other reviewers have already said. I’ve been hesitant to write about this park — afraid tourists would catch on and eventually flood it. It’s so tucked away and up a steep hill, not very many know about it, unless you live in the neighborhood. I hope it stays this way.

I name it the secret, getaway park that is very secluded from the norm of being a tourist attraction spot!
I love this mini park that is located on top of one of many San Francisco’s steep hills because one can simply take in the city’s landscape without a lot of people hovering in this area — attempting to look at the view as well.
It’s nice and quaint. I favor the city’s glowing lights at night rather than the natural beauty of day. Nonetheless, it’s calming and peaceful here — night or day.
One can really enjoy the surrounding and appreciate the beauty of what the city has to offer at this hidden park.

Instagram competitor.
On a sunny day with views of the Transamerica Pyramid, Bay Bridge and Coit Tower photos look brilliant without any special software. It’s that amazing.
There are benches if you need to sit down. You should. Plan to stay for a long while.
Instagram is pretty cool. But San Francisco needs no filter.

Quaint. Gorgeous. Serene. Hidden.
I discovered this park while wandering around Russian Hill. Hiking up all those steps was worth it because I was rewarded with a gorgeous view! In the middle of the row where there are a few green benches is an amazing view of the Transamerica building & neighboring buildings (must be gorgeous at night!) and to the left is the Bay Bridge. The greenery is relaxing & serene and a great place to take your siggy other or friends/​family. This place is pretty hidden, as I only discovered it trying to go back up to the hill where my car was parked. What a gem!

This park is a nice hidden oasis in the city with beautiful views of the city! It feels really secluded and tucked away. The park sits on a hill and at the climb to the top, you approach Russian Hill, and as you walk down, you’re in Chinatown. It’s a nice way to cross the city. There’s lot of trees, and at the very, very top, there’s a little dog park with view of Alcatraz.
In the middle of the park, it opens up and there’s a pathway with a row of benches that reveal a stunning skyline view. It’s a magical place to relax and take in the view.
It’s pitch black at night, so it can be a little scary. There were some dodgy people rustling around the bushes just a little above us on the hill that startled us. I wouldn’t walk here alone at night.

Love exploring SF on foot and decided to make a day of it around Russian Hill. After reading some info from SF Gate and piecing together where there are various parks in the area, I stumbled across this lovely place.
The views were fantastic and I was fortunate to be up here on a clear day. Love the various stairs and the foliage throughout. I can imagine this is a great place to see the fireworks. I would sit here and read all the time if this were my hood. Should have planned ahead and brought a picnic lunch.
Ahhh, nature…