North Beach Hidden Courtyard Garden: Free Filbert Steps

North Beach's best hidden courtyard garden is not in a courtyard at all. It hangs off the east face of Telegraph Hill, along the wooden Filbert Steps between Sansome Street and Montgomery Street. The Grace Marchant Garden costs nothing, needs no ticket and is reached only on foot. Most visitors arrive from Coit Tower and walk down, but climbing up from Sansome gives you the garden slowly, one terrace at a time, while the bay opens behind you.

Grace Marchant moved to the corner of Napier Lane and Filbert Street in 1949. At the time, the Filbert Steps passed through what was essentially an informal garbage dump. Over roughly three decades she hauled away abandoned furniture and cast-off stoves and replaced them with pink roses, purple delphiniums, banana plants and bright red flowers. She kept gardening into old age and died in December 1982 at 96, leaving the hill one of the most beloved green spaces in the city.

Her work almost disappeared thirty years later, when property overlooking the garden was sold. The Telegraph Hill Dwellers neighborhood group, City Hall and the Trust for Public Land stepped in, and the garden was preserved. Caretaking has passed through dedicated hands since then. After longtime caretaker Gary Kray died in 2012, Paula McCabe took on the role, supported by the Friends of the Garden nonprofit. Knowing this, it is easy to see why locals guard the place so carefully.

Halfway up, a narrow wooden boardwalk called Napier Lane branches off the steps. It is lined with small cottages, potted plants and climbing vines, and it is one of the last plank-paved lanes in San Francisco. The lane is public, but the homes are private, so walk quietly and do not lean into gardens or windows. Residents leave chairs and planters along the boards, and the feel is closer to a shared courtyard than a street.

Watch and listen for the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, a flock of cherry-headed conures that roams the hill and is often heard before it is seen. Their loud chatter cutting through the quiet garden is part of the experience. You will also notice neighborhood cats on sunny steps. The unspoken rule here is simple: these are residents' doorsteps, so photos are welcome, but loud groups, drones and picnics on private stairs are not.

Start at the bottom, near Levi's Plaza on Sansome Street, where Filbert Street meets the cliff. Climb the concrete section first, then the wooden steps through the Grace Marchant Garden, detour along Napier Lane, and continue to Montgomery Street. From there you can finish the climb to Pioneer Park and Coit Tower for the view. Return down the parallel Greenwich Steps, which have their own tangle of gardens, to make a loop of about forty-five minutes.

Going downhill only is the honest choice if your knees object. In that case take a bus or walk up Telegraph Hill Boulevard to Coit Tower, then descend the Filbert Steps. You lose the slow reveal of the garden but save several hundred steps. Avoid the climb right after heavy rain, as the wooden treads get slippery. Avoid weekend midday, when tour groups stack up on the narrowest sections and the quiet you came for is gone.

Once you are back on level ground, walk west to Washington Square, the green heart of North Beach facing the twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church. It is a public park, not a hidden one, but its benches and lawn give your legs a rest after the stairs. From there Columbus Avenue and Grant Avenue are close for coffee, focaccia or a long Italian lunch, which turns a short garden climb into a complete half day.

A different pairing for a calmer day: stay on the bay side and stroll along the Embarcadero after the steps. The waterfront is flat, the views of the Bay Bridge are open, and you can return to the Ferry Building on foot in about twenty minutes. This works well when the North Beach cafes are packed on a sunny Saturday and you would rather keep the mood of the garden for a little longer.

Expect a mix of local stair climbers doing laps for exercise, photographers waiting for light to hit the roses, and walking-tour groups who stop to tell Grace Marchant's story. Hill residents carry groceries up the steps every day because there is no road to their homes, which is worth remembering when you pause in the middle of a narrow stretch. Step aside, let them pass, and say good morning. That small courtesy is the true admission price here.

Tell the Karpo APP that you want a quiet garden climb in North Beach, how much stair climbing you are comfortable with, and when you want to eat. Karpo will help you decide between the uphill and downhill version, fit in Coit Tower or Washington Square, and suggest a lunch stop that suits your plans. It helps you plan and compare options. For garden volunteering, the Telegraph Hill Dwellers are the group to contact.

Transit: the 39 Coit bus runs up to Coit Tower, and several lines serve the Embarcadero below. Footwear: wear shoes with grip, as some wooden treads are uneven. Water: carry some, because there are no shops on the steps. Etiquette: these are residential stairs, so keep voices low, keep dogs leashed, and never pick flowers. Strollers and wheelchairs cannot use the steps at all. A first visit at a relaxed pace takes about an hour including Napier Lane and the Greenwich Steps.

Photography: the east-facing slope catches morning sun, so the roses and bay views glow early, while late afternoon puts the garden in shade. Weather: Telegraph Hill is often sunnier than western neighborhoods, but wind can be strong at the top near Coit Tower, so bring a layer. Families: older kids love the parrots and the boardwalk, but toddlers need a carrier. Respect: Grace Marchant spent decades building this place, so leave it exactly as you found it.