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Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park
Highest point
Elevation	404 ft (123 m) NAVD 88
Coordinates	37°46′07″N 122°28′32″W / 37.7685412°N 122.4755271°W / 37.7685412; -122.4755271
Geography
Strawberry HillLocation in San Francisco
Location	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Topo map	USGS San Francisco North

Strawberry Hill is a hill in San Francisco, California, near the center of Golden Gate Park. The hill occupies an entire island in the park's man-made Blue Heron Lake, and is connected by two bridges to the mainland of the park.

The island is covered with a variety of trees and shrubbery and contains several trails and dirt steps that encircle and lead to the top of the hill.

Huntington Falls

Strawberry hill contains Huntington Falls, the 110 foot tall, first artificial waterfall installed in Golden Gate Park that leads into the lake. The waterfall was named after railroad baron Collis Potter Huntington, who donated $25,000 to its construction.

Golden Gate Pavilion

The Golden Gate Pavilion is a Chinese peace pagoda near the shore of Blue Heron Lake. It was given to San Francisco by Taipei, its sister city, in 1976.

Sweeney Observatory

The top of the hill is a quiet and peaceful open space with panoramic views of San Francisco although the view is slightly obscured by trees. In the center of the open area are the ruined foundations of the Sweeny Observatory, built in 1891 as a public viewpoint and destroyed by the 1906 earthquake.

Paths are closed to vehicle traffic. The hill is a popular destination for joggers and dog-walkers, especially on the weekends. Local high school track and cross country teams are frequently seen practicing running up and around the hill for resistance training.

• Golden Gate Pavilion
• Sweeny Observatory Ruins after the 1906 earthquake

In popular culture

In 2024, the hill was discussed during an episode of The Metallica Report, as Ron Quintana shared memories of first meeting drummer Lars Ulrich there.

Slowcore band Red House Painters composed a song named after the hill for their 1993 album Red House Painters (Rollercoaster).

References

1. "Strawberry Hill". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
2. "Strawberry Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
3. "The Waterfalls of Golden Gate Park". Archived from the original on 2017-10-21.
4. "Stow Lake". Archived from the original on 2013-08-18.
5. "Sweeney Observatory". Retrieved 2009-03-17.
6. Chirazi, Steffan; Richardson, Renee (January 17, 2024). "Old School Memories with KJ Doughton, Brian Lew, and Ron Quintana". The Metallica Report (Episode 25 ed.).

v t e Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Geographical features Hippie Hill Lloyd Lake Panhandle Spreckels Lake Strawberry Hill
Sculptures and public art Bust of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Bust of Ulysses S. Grant The Cider Press The Doughboy Garfield Monument Giuseppe Verdi Monument Goethe–Schiller Monument Statue of Junípero Serra Statue of Francis Scott Key Lion Ludwig van Beethoven Miguel de Cervantes Memorial Pioneer Mother Le Poème de la Vigne Prayer Book Cross Roald Amundsen Memorial Robert Emmet Roman Gladiator Statue of John J. Pershing Statue of John McLaren Statue of Robert Burns Statue of Thomas Starr King Statue of William D. McKinnon
Other features AIDS Memorial Grove Alvord Lake Bridge Beach Chalet California Academy of Sciences Conservatory of Flowers De Young Museum Japanese Tea Garden Kezar Pavilion Kezar Stadium Murphy Windmill Music Concourse Polo Fields San Francisco Botanical Garden Spreckels Temple of Music Stow Lake Boathouse
Events Midwinter International Exposition Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Human Be-In Outside Lands
Transport Border roads Fulton Street Great Highway Golden Gate Park Stanyan Street Lincoln Way Metro stations Carl and Stanyan Carl and Hillway UCSF Parnassus Irving and 5th Avenue Irving and 8th Avenue 9th Avenue 12th Avenue Funston 15th Avenue 19th Avenue 22nd Avenue 25th Avenue 28th Avenue 31st Avenue 34th Avenue Sunset 40th Avenue 43rd Avenue 46th Avenue La Playa
Notable figures Makoto Hagiwara John McLaren William Hammond Hall
Notable animals Claude Bison of Golden Gate Park
Miscellaneous 49-Mile Scenic Drive Park Presidio Boulevard
See also: San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department

• Landmarks in San Francisco
• Golden Gate Park
• Hills of San Francisco