We all love Golden Gate Park and Dolores Park, but did you know San Francisco has over 220 parks and open spaces? Curbed SF wants to bring fame and glory to some of the smaller, lesser-known parks, and we're doing so with our series Park Life. Each week we'll spotlight a different San Francisco park or open space, and bring you all the details you need to plan a visit.

Located near the southern end of Glen Canyon Park in the Sunnyside neighborhood, Dorothy Erskine Park is a small hilltop outcrop. Named after Bay Area environmentalist Dorothy Erskine, founder of the Greenbelt Alliance and one of the founders of SPUR, the park's name honors a woman who worked to support housing for the poor, promote urban and regional planning, preserve farmland, and create parks and open space. Today the park offers a quiet spot high above residential neighborhoods.

Where it's located: The park is accessible from two points - the intersection of
Baden Street and Martha Avenue, or on the others side at Baden Street and Mangels Ave.

What it features: The park is really a hilltop, with a somewhat unmaintained trail that leads around the perimeter. The trail isn't very obvious, especially when there's lots of leaves on the ground, but it snakes along the fence. Unfortunately there aren't any benches to sit on, but it offers some spectacular views of the city. There are also lots of wildflowers and bird species.

How to get there: No MUNI line will take you directly there, but you can get pretty close by taking the 44 bus to Bosworth and Elk Street and walk a few blocks. You can also take the 23 bus to Monterey Blvd and Congo Street and walk uphill a few blocks.

Dogs allowed?: Yes, most neighborhood locals use the spot to walk their dogs.

Don't Miss: SPUR has an amazing interview from 1971 with the park's namesake Dorothy Erskine, where she talks about open space preservation, saving the bay, and urban rebuilding and densification, starting with her work in San Francisco in the 1930s and 40s.
· An Interview with Dorothy Erskine [SPUR]

Below, a map of parks featured in Curbed SF's Park Life series.