Mount Sutro - Sutro Forest

Sutro Forest

Mount Sutro is covered by a dense forest, about 80% eucalyptus trees, planted in the late 19th century. The trees are now over 100 feet (30 m) tall. The mountain is within San Francisco's fog belt, receiving fog all through the summer. The tall trees precipitate the fog. This moisture is absorbed by the undergrowth and duff so the forest remains damp through the summer months. It receives some 30 to 40% of its moisture in this fashion. There is a dense understory of blackberry and other plants. The forest is habitat for a number of bird species including Great Horned Owls and various woodpeckers. Over thirty species were recorded in one morning of birding.

The UCSF-owned portion of the forest, 61 acres (25 ha), is contiguous with a 19-acre (7.7 ha) city-owned area of eucalyptus forest called the Interior Green Belt. The forest is bounded on the north by the UCSF Medical Center and the stem-cell research building; on the south, by the Forest Knolls neighborhood, built in the late 1950s on land carved from the forest; and on the east by Cole Valley and related neighborhoods.

At the summit is Rotary Meadow, a garden of native plants. It was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Rotary Club and its members in 2004. The garden is irrigated by UCSF, and maintained by dedicated volunteers. It is accessible by paved road from Clarendon Avenue through UCSF's Aldea San Miguel housing complex. (Cars are not generally permitted beyond the campus.) The garden, which is at its best in the spring, provides views of the forest, but has no view of the city as do nearby Twin Peaks and Tank Hill.

The forest is accessible by hiking trails, many of which are suitable for mountain bikes. Another access to the summit is Warren Drive from 7th Avenue on the west side of the mountain, climbing the 355-step public stairway from Warren Drive to Crestmont Drive (known as Oakhurst Way on the map), turning left at the top and entering the forest where Crestmont makes a sharp right.