Twin Peaks

The Twin Peaks are two prominent hills with an elevation of about 925 feet located near the geographic center of San Francisco, California. Only 928 foot Mount Davidson is higher within the city.

Location and climate

The North and South Twin Peaks, also known as "Eureka" and "Noe" respectively, are about 660 ft (200 m) apart. The peaks form a divide for the summer coastal fog pushed in from the Pacific Ocean. Their west-facing slopes often get fog and strong winds, while the east-facing slopes receive more sun and warmth.[3] Elevation at each summit is just over 900 feet (270 m). Thin, sandy soil is commonplace on Twin Peaks, making them susceptible to erosion.[3] On some rare occasions, Twin Peaks has been able to get a dusting of snow especially on February 5, 1976, when it got several inches of snow. Most recently on February 26, 2011, and February 5, 2019, Twin Peaks got a few flurries of snowflakes.

History

Early history
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the native Ohlone people may have used Twin Peaks as a lookout or hunting ground.[4] The ecological diversity of Twin Peaks provided medicinal or ceremonial plants, grains and berries.

18th and 19th centuries
When the Spanish conquistadors and settlers arrived at the beginning of the 18th century, they called the area "Los Pechos de la Chola" or "Breasts of the Indian Maiden" and devoted the area to ranching.[4] When San Francisco passed under American control during the 19th century, it was renamed "Twin Peaks".

21st century
In 2016 the SFMTA introduced a traffic calming pilot to reduce the amount of space allocated to cars and make the summit area more inviting to a wider range of travel modes. The "figure of 8" roadway around the two peaks was reduced to a two-way road on the western side of the peaks, with the east side designated for pedestrians and bikes only.

Address: 501 Twin Peaks Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States
Elevation: 281 m
Area: 14 ha
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 5AM
Topo map: USGS San Francisco North