Twin Peaks, San Francisco, California
Encyclopedia
The Twin Peaks are two hills with an elevation
of about 922 feet (281 m) near the geographic center of San Francisco, California
. Except for Mount Davidson, they are the highest points in the city.
. Their west-facing slopes often get fog and strong winds, while the east-facing slopes receive more sun and warmth. Elevation at each summit is just over 900 feet (274.3 m). Thin, sandy soil is commonplace on Twin Peaks, making them susceptible to erosion.
people may have used Twin Peaks
as a lookout or hunting ground. The ecological diversity of Twin Peaks provided medicinal or ceremonial plants, grains and berries. 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. When San Francisco passed under American control during the 19th century, it was renamed "Twin Peaks".
.
To the north sits one of the city's many reservoirs. It is owned by the San Francisco Fire Department
, and supplies water to the Fire Department's independent HPFS water system
for fighting fires, established after the 1906 earthquake
and fire.
The summit of Twin Peaks remain mostly undeveloped. They were designated as part of the 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) Twin Peaks Natural Area, managed and owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. These preserved areas are home to many natural resources and wildlife. As part of the Mission blue butterfly
habitat conservation
, Twin Peaks is one the few remaining habitats for this endangered species. A wide variety of bird species, insects and vegetation also thrive in these areas.
The Muni Metro
Twin Peaks Tunnel
runs beneath the Twin Peaks, linking Downtown San Francisco with West Portal
and the southwestern part of the city. There is no public transportation service directly to the summit of the Peaks, but the 37 Corbett Muni
line stops near a path that runs up the hills on Crestline Drive.
The San Francisco Police Department
Academy is located at the base of the mountain range.
The name 'Twin Peaks' is also applied to the surrounding neighborhood.
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of about 922 feet (281 m) near the geographic center of San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Except for Mount Davidson, they are the highest points in the city.
Location and climate
The North and South Twin Peaks are about 200 meters apart; Twin Peaks Boulevard runs a figure eight around them. The peaks form a divide for the summer coastal fog pushed in from the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Their west-facing slopes often get fog and strong winds, while the east-facing slopes receive more sun and warmth. Elevation at each summit is just over 900 feet (274.3 m). Thin, sandy soil is commonplace on Twin Peaks, making them susceptible to erosion.
History
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the native OhloneOhlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
people may have used Twin Peaks
as a lookout or hunting ground. The ecological diversity of Twin Peaks provided medicinal or ceremonial plants, grains and berries. When the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
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. When San Francisco passed under American control during the 19th century, it was renamed "Twin Peaks".
Attractions and characteristics
The peaks each have their own names: Eureka Peak/North Peak and Noe Peak/South Peak. 100 ft below the Eureka/North Peak is the popular vista point known locally as 'Christmas Tree Point', which offers unobstructed views of most San Francisco and the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
To the north sits one of the city's many reservoirs. It is owned by the San Francisco Fire Department
San Francisco Fire Department
The San Francisco Fire Department provides fire and emergency services to the City and County of San Francisco, California.The San Francisco Fire Department, along with the San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Sheriff's Department, serves an estimated population of 1.4 million people...
, and supplies water to the Fire Department's independent HPFS water system
San Francisco Fire Department Auxiliary Water Supply System
The Auxiliary Water Supply System is a high pressure water supply network built for the city of San Francisco in response to the failure of the existing emergency water system during the 1906 earthquake. It was originally proposed by Dennis T. Sullivan in 1903 with construction beginning in 1909...
for fighting fires, established after the 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
and fire.
The summit of Twin Peaks remain mostly undeveloped. They were designated as part of the 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) Twin Peaks Natural Area, managed and owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. These preserved areas are home to many natural resources and wildlife. As part of the Mission blue butterfly
Mission blue butterfly
The Mission Blue is a blue or lycaenid butterfly subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US Federal Government. It is a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue .- Description :The endangered Mission Blue has a wingspan of...
habitat conservation
Mission blue butterfly habitat conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a number of programs aimed at Mission blue butterfly habitat conservation, which include lands traditionally inhabited by the mission blue butterfly, an endangered species. A recovery plan, drawn up by the U.S...
, Twin Peaks is one the few remaining habitats for this endangered species. A wide variety of bird species, insects and vegetation also thrive in these areas.
The Muni Metro
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
Twin Peaks Tunnel
Twin Peaks Tunnel
The Twin Peaks Tunnel is a long light rail transit/streetcar tunnel in San Francisco, California, United States, running under Twin Peaks. When it was opened on February 3, 1918, it was one of the longest railway tunnels in the world . It was the longest U.S...
runs beneath the Twin Peaks, linking Downtown San Francisco with West Portal
West Portal, San Francisco, California
West Portal is a small neighborhood in San Francisco, California. Like adjacent Forest Hill and St. Francis Wood, West Portal is an affluent, primarily residential area of the City...
and the southwestern part of the city. There is no public transportation service directly to the summit of the Peaks, but the 37 Corbett Muni
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
line stops near a path that runs up the hills on Crestline Drive.
The San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
Academy is located at the base of the mountain range.
The name 'Twin Peaks' is also applied to the surrounding neighborhood.