San Francisco Guide to Sightseeing
Name: Twin Peaks Lookout
Address: Twin Peaks Boulevard

While San Francisco is not well known for open spaces with views of the city, save for Coit Tower and the Marin Headlands—Twin Peaks is your best bet for finding that perfect panorama of the city. Officially the highest point in San Francisco at 922 feet above sea level, the view And what’s best: You don’t have to escape the city to go there—it’s right in the heart of the Mission district.

While you won’t get much else than a view of the city up at the top—there aren’t any other places to go or enjoy, save for the occasional snack truck that jingles by—the view is, indeed, spectacular. There are a few hiking trails that overlook a reservoir if you are feeling the need to stretch your legs, but the real attraction is the panoramic sight of the city, the San Francisco Bay, and Oakland on the other side.

Twin Peaks, located on Twin Peaks Boulevard near the Mission, is a stop on the 49-mile Scenic Drive, and for good reason: at the summit, you can see nearly every other San Francisco landmark, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Transamerica Pyramid. Twin Peaks is a great place to catch Fourth of July fireworks or the fog blanketing the Golden Gate Bridge, and is the perfect location for a look at the beauty of the city as a whole.