• Tips for Visitors
• Nature

Former San Francisco mayor Adolph Sutro, who made his fortune by designing a tunnel that drained and ventilated silver mines in Nevada's Comstock Lode, once owned one-twelfth of the land in the City and County of San Francisco. He built the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Gardens, and Ferries and Cliff House Railroad at the city's northwestern tip, an area of rugged coastal geography that now shares his name.

San Franciscans have long sipped champagne and admired ocean views from the dining rooms of three successive Cliff Houses since 1863: the first was an exclusive casino; the second, a Victorian palace built by millionaire Adolph Sutro; and the third, a neoclassical structure built by Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt after her father's Victorian palace burned to the ground in 1907.

From the Cliff House walkways and overlooks, you can see the ruins of Sutro Baths, which was a lavish 25,000-person swimming facility and museum built in the 19th century by Adolph Sutro. The facility's six saltwater swimming tanks (ingeniously flushed by the tides), 517 private dressing rooms, restaurants, and arcades were enclosed by 100,000 square feet of glass. Patrons could rent bathing suits and soak in a pool surrounded by rare tropical plants and foreign antiquities. Though the grand structure was destroyed by fire in 1966, the foundations are still visible on the rocks north of the Cliff House. Trails lead down to the ruins from the Merrie Way parking area.

Adolph Sutro created Sutro Heights Garden in the 1880s for his own pleasure, and invited the public to walk freely among its exotic tree species, stone satyrs, and delicate flower beds. Though long years of neglect prior to federal acquisition took a heavy toll, the garden's quiet lawns and regal trees make it a pleasant picnic and rest stop, particularly for hikers and bicyclists using the Coastal Trail. The garden's main entrance is at 48th and Point Lobos avenues.

Tips for Visitors

• Meander up to the Sutro Baths site and imagine a three-acre glass bathhouse rising up from the ruins.
• Cross Point Lobos Avenue and stroll the ghostly green vale of Sutro Heights Park.
• Bring binoculars for close-up views of the marine mammals and birds.
• Park rangers and docents lead special walks for those interested in the natural and cultural history of the Cliff House area; check the listings in Park Adventures, a quarterly events calendar published by the Parks Conservancy and the NPS that is available at park headquarters, in park visitor centers, and online.

The Dune Tansy
Between June and September, the golden-yellow, button-shaped flowers of the dune tansy (Tanacetum camphoratum) brighten the cliffs around Sutro Baths. Even prettier than its blossoms are this native plant's delicate, feathery leaves, which are thick with soft silvery hairs. People once made an herbal remedy of tansy tea to cure colds, expel worms, treat hysteria, strengthen the kidneys, and ease other ailments.