The Hill is located on the corner of 30th and Laidley streets, near the outskirts of Noe Valley, where wooden stairs and a steep dirt path lead to lookout point of about 500 feet, which offers excellent views of the Bay Bridge and downtown San Francisco.[1]
Characteristics
The top of the rocky hill has two large old eucalyptus trees where a wooden rope swing once stood, but after recent renovations by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, the swing has been taken down. The $150,000 renovation project included the opening of Beacon Trail, a path connecting Billy Goat Hill to Walter Haas Playground, in July 2016.[2]
Billy Goat Hill is a destination for tourists and locals to take-in views of the city. There is an array of wildflowers and greenery, including California saxifrage, which can only be found in two other areas of San Francisco.[3]
History
The Hill is what remains of a quarry that was mined by the Gray Brothers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.[4] Once the Quarry closed, the Hill became a neighborhood common space, but also a dumping ground for locals. It was not until 1975 when it officially became a city park; only a mere 3.5 acres, the park also includes a small network of trails, which has now expanded to The Walter Haas Playground.[5]