Ina Coolbrith Park is a small, steep terraced park climbing the eastern flank of Russian Hill at Vallejo and Taylor streets, reached by the Vallejo Street steps. The reward for the climb is one of the finest views in the neighbourhood — out over North Beach and the bay toward Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, and the East Bay beyond — framed by mature trees and tucked-away benches.
It is named for Ina Coolbrith, California's first poet laureate and a central figure in 19th-century literary San Francisco, who lived nearby and held a salon that drew the likes of Mark Twain and Bret Harte. The park is quiet, residential, and easy to miss, which is part of its charm. Combine it with a walk along the surrounding stairway streets and hidden lanes that make this side of Russian Hill so rewarding to explore on foot.