Mt. Sutro's Forgotten Trail Discovered

By Jonathan Farrell

Mount Sutro is a significant open space located at the center of San Francisco's urban landscape. Adjacent to the landmark Sutro Tower, Mt. Sutro was named in honor of former San Francisco mayor and entrepreneur Adolf Sutro.

The Inner Sunset, Cole Valley and Forest Knolls neighborhoods benefit from the 63-acre open space, located above the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) campus.

With the formation of Mt. Sutro Stewards two-and-a-half years ago, much work has been done to maintain and restore the area. During the steward's efforts, a surprising discovery was made. While surveying an area on the western slope they stumbled upon a previously unknown trail buried under layers of blackberry bushes 12 to 15 feet deep. The long-forgotten trail's origination can be traced back to the late 1800s.

"Initially, we were unable to find any record of this trail's existence," said organizer Craig Dawson. "The discovery of substantially built drywalls supporting the trail indicated that its construction was a major undertaking."

As a local merchant and community activist, Dawson's leadership has been instrumental in the restoration effort. The University of California, San Francisco owns the land. In 2000, UCSF committed the funding and resources to create a long-term management plan for the 63-acre space. There is a portion of the open space adjacent to the UCSF property that is called the interior greenbelt. This is owned by the City and managed by the SF Recreation and Park Department's Natural Areas Program.

When a management plan was adopted in 2001 UCSF committed $300,000 over five years for Mt. Sutro projects. In addition, a $100,000 grant from the San Francisco Rotary Club allowed for the first-major-habitat restoration site at the summit. Limited funding for continued improvements spurred the founding of Mount Sutro Stewards and its volunteer efforts.

On the first Saturday of each month, the stewards organize into two crews that focus on habitat work and trail construction. The aim of the habitat crew is to restore native plants by removing invasive blackberry and ivy.

Dawson explained that back in the 1870s settlers were encouraged to plant trees, especially the rapidly growing eucalyptus.

"At the time it was thought that the harvested eucalyptus would be profitable," Dawson said.

But, eucalyptus wood proved to be inferior for building.

"It warps and cracks easily," said Dawson. "By the time settlers recognized this eucalyptus had spread deeply into the landscape."

Sutro oversaw the planting of eucalyptus, along with pine and cypress trees, beginning in the late 1870s. The Prussian engineer, who made his fortune supplying the miners at the Comstock Load, invested in San Francisco real estate, making the City his home. Sutro bought the San Miguel Ranchero land that had once been part of an early Spanish California land grant.

"It took us over a year and nearly 5,000 volunteer hours to restore the old forgotten trail," said Dawson.

Further detailed archive investigation of old maps and records by steward member Dan Schneider revealed that Sutro's daughter Emma officially closed the trail in 1901 because of concerns about homeless encampments, potential fires and vandalism.

"It was closed for the same reasons and concerns that residents today have about open space," said Dawson.

The stewards current efforts focus on the restoration of the "other half" of the historic trail, which originates on Stanyan Street in Cole Valley. That segment of the long-lost trail runs through the Rec. and Park property into the UCSF open space, connecting it to the already restored trail system.

Getting the Recreation and Park Department and UCSF to consider working together has taken a lot of oversight and diplomacy, Dawson noted. He is grateful that the two organizations have been cooperative in their willingness to preserve the open space and to consider fully restoring public access to its wild beauty and native habitat.

As a native and someone who grew up literally on the edge of Sutro Forest, Dawson still runs and hikes there. He remains passionate about Mt. Sutro's preservation and restoration despite the extensive amount of personal time required to ensure the process continues to move forward.

"UCSF is happy to support this grass-roots effort. It's an example of a winning situation in which a public-private partnership has been very effective," said Orlando Elizondo, community relations rep. for UCSF.

On Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m., Dawson will be the guest speaker at the Randall Museum Theatre presenting an illustrated lecture on the"Past, Present and Future of Mt. Sutro." For more information about the efforts to restore Mt. Sutro, visit the Nature in the City Web site at www.natureinthecity.org/mtsutro.