On one side of Strawberry Hill inside Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake, is a 110 foot waterfall called Huntington Falls. The waterfall may be tough to spot if you’re not sure where to look for it. It’s tucked away in an area that’s not very visible from the outer shore of the Lake, and it’s set back from the lakeshore by a path of stepping stones. The best way to get a good view of Huntington Falls is from a boat on the lake, so there’s enough distance to see the whole waterfall, but the next best way to see it is from the island of Strawberry Hill.
Not far from the more visible Chinese Pavilion, the waterfall has a few drops, so the whole fall is not visible from the bottom or the top. However, alongside the waterfall, a scenic staircase offers a close-up view the whole way up. There are several spots for photo ops, or just to stop and look over the edge at the water rushing down.
The gorgeous landscaping along the way provides for a scenic climb, with tropical plants that will make you feel like you’re somewhere tropical, like Hawaii. Even the air feels different – cooler and fresher – along the lush shaded paths of the stairway. You’d never think that this whole park was once barren sand dunes.
You may be wondering how a waterfall could possibly exist on this small hill in the middle of San Francisco, with no mountains or rivers in sight. Of course, this isn’t a natural waterfall at all. A pump carries the water up to the top, where it’s stored in a reservoir (which you can see from the top of Strawberry Hill) before cascading down the hill. The fact that it’s a fake waterfall shouldn’t take away from its beauty (much) and the incredible scenery that surrounds it, although the rocks and landscaping are clearly well manicured and maintained.
The idea for the waterfall came from Golden Gate Park’s main planner and developer, superintendant John McLaren, with some inspiration from his friend John Muir, who took him to the natural waterfalls in the Sierras.. McLaren named the falls for one of the Big Four railroad tycoons, Collis P. Huntington, who was a donor for the construction of the falls. Huntington Falls is not the only waterfall in Golden Gate Park: the other one, located on JFK Drive, is called Rainbow Falls, but Huntington Falls is the only one that offers a route to the top. Whether it’s viewed from afar on a boat or up close by hiking up the side, Huntington Falls is an impressive feature of Golden Gate Park.