Whodathunkit?! Two concrete slides tucked away in a rather random place in SF, but I loved it. Went here with my wife and two kids and we ALL had a ton of fun. We stayed for about an hour or so and hung out with the other families that were there. Everybody was nice and everybody took their turn. I'd plan for an hour if you have any young kids. BRING A CARDBOARD BOX FOR YOUR SLED. Also, no bathrooms on site. Pro Tip: Put wax paper on the bottom if you are fancy. We were there and a kid had done this and his slide was significantly faster than everybody else's cardboard sleds. Also worth noting that you should be good to the neighbors, as these slides are in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Price: FREE Hours: 6am to 10pm Address: 30 Seward St San Francisco, CA 94114 Accessibility: Limited Wheelchair Access Parking: No Restrooms: No From the website: Two long, steep concrete slides are the main attraction at this hidden gem. They're not for tiny tots, nor for the faint of heart! If you decide to slide, please remember that the park closes at sunset and adults must be accompanied by children. Bring a piece of cardboard and wear sturdy pants! Built in 1973 on a plot slated for development, the mini-park also has a community garden and a nice collection of native plants. The slide was designed by 14-year-old Kim Clark, who won a competition put on by sculptor Ruth Asawa. read more

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A word to the wise Don't wear khakis while going down the slide a day after a rain storm http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jsZQijuwRzy1oJN0jTmqaw?select=ZdHpwuhuuaGMjYUJIGQy6Q If you can locate these slides you're sure to have a blast. read more

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Once again, San Francisco shows what an awesome place it is, and how there are untold surprises lurking all over to be found. A few months after I moved here, I heard the rumors... There's a giant slide hidden around The City. Giant Slide, ya say? Huh? Sounds cool. I stumbled upon the slides over on the West-side of Bernal Heights. Ehh... Nothing special. So, I thought I solved the mystery, and I moved on. Now, I probably could have Googled "Giant Slide in SF". I didn't. So it wasn't until I saw a Yelper check-in that I realized I still hadn't found these guys. I had to go see these ASAP. Now, if you didn't know where these slides are located, I doubt that you'd find it. They are tucked way up on the top of the hill on Douglass Street looking over Eureka Valley. It was a good thing I had Yelp with me, because I could have walked right by. As a thirty-something guy, I really shouldn't be afraid to go on a slide. Let's just say that when you sit at the top, they're a little daunting. This is no joke. And, from what I gather, if you are light and get a good amount of speed going, you can get some serious air on the mid-section. You do want to sit on cardboard, which was plentiful on the day I went. If you soup it up and use glossy cardboard, and then lay down a little sand, you can really get going. I wouldn't recommend wearing your nicest clothes since the slide is a bit dirty. The ride is fun. It seemed like the rides really varied from person to person - and again, the smaller/lighter, the faster the speed. Hours are limited, and they put up gates when the slides aren't open. I wouldn't mess around with trying to go down with the gates in place. read more

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This place can be hard to find since its in the middle of a residential area. We came around 5:10pm on a Saturday and they were already closed!! Someone puts gates up at the top, middle and bottom of the slide so you really can't ride it all the way. We still climbed in and rode it from the middle to the bottom, but I'm sure it's not as fun as riding it from the top. Will come again next time I'm in SF! read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I went here with my friend during my birthday just to check out and unfortunately, the slides were closed... Even though I didn't get the full experience, it was interesting seeing this park in the middle of this neighborhood. The houses were beautiful. The place was quiet. I'd love to come back here again! read more

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This is hands down the best/most thrilling FREE attraction in all of SF. It's a true hidden gem, as you have to hike up a steep hill to get here, but it's SO worth it. Grab yourself a piece of cardboard (highly recommended unless you don't care about ruining your pants) and race your friend down, side by side. Pro tip: Hang onto the cardboard with at least one hand, but keep your knuckles and elbows close to your body so that you don't scrape them against the hard concrete. Or, just wear long sleeves. Part of the fun is testing different cardboard types (not all are created equal!) and seeing how fast you can go. I'm not even an adrenaline junkie, but sliding down this concrete structure was so exhilarating. For just an afternoon, you can feel like you're five years old again. Thank you SF parks & rec for keeping this gem open! read more

Seward Mini Park - Wheeee ... going down!! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Bar-kuh at-tah Adonia el-lo-hey-nu me-lkeh ha-'o-lam a-sher kid-de-sha-nu be-mits-vo-tav le-hadlik ner shell Seward Street Slides. Blessed are you Lord Our God king of the Universe who sanctified with his commandments and commanded us to go down the Seward Street Slides. God we thank you for this blessing. read more

If I were to create a. Plan for the perfect San Francisco date, it would include these slides. It was so much fun! Not just for our son, but mom and dad too! read more

Seward Mini Park - 46 years old, or 7, this slide is fun! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

This itty-bitty park is a ginormous amount fun... just beware of the crazy aproned wicked witch of the west! She comes out and tries to shame you our of their 'community' park and then if that doesn't work, threatens to call the cops. This is total b.s.. It's a public park and our tax monies support it. We are welcome there, as is anyone else before dark, as the sign says. **Warning: You may catch air and be prepared for a fast landing!** We went on a weekend afternoon but there was only 2 families with 3-4 kids there. We only did the slides for @ 20 minutes but it was fun to watch the kids and enjoy the amazing view on the hill top above the park (definitely worth the hike up there). We were gonna stay longer, just to smit the wicked witch but then figured she wasn't worth our energy... we had a good day and went on to our next stop. It's funny, I think she thought we were a buncha hooligans but we were 2 computer engineers, 1 elementary teacher, 1 media HR director, and another couple of semi-professionals. She was rude and we were polite and that made her mad... I'd definitely do back, just don't go expecting a park with swings and such, it's only a narrow park between housing complexs... slides only. See ya there! :) read more

You dummies... the damn slide is made of concrete... if you get scraped, burnt, or scabbed... its your own damn fault and go play on a plastic slide. Oh wait... maybe not since you might get shocked. I found and heard of this place via Yelp coincidentally. I took my friend the next day and it was what we expected. A slide made of concrete. As people have mentioned, there are cardboards laying around but not many. We were the only ones there so we didnt have to fight off little brats for it. I can just say.. the damn slide is steep. On cardboard alone you fly down the thing. For whatever reason, once I hit the steep part... my body would spin.. and i would end up on my side. Yes i scraped my arm but I was aware something would happen... i aint dumb! lol This is a great place for cheap thrills. I was only able to slide twice because 1.) the hill/steps are a bitch to climb... and 2.) i didnt wanna hurt my self any more. lol but its really fun. read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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So fun! Manned with some cardboard the hubs and I were ready to slide!! Unfortunately, for some reason the slides were closed. However, the hubby and I rode the half that was open and that was fun! I can't imagine how much more fun it would be with the whole slide open. I googled and googled hoping to give a good tip to yelpers about how to find out the current status of the slides to no avail. The only way to find out would to call someone nearby to check for you which of course is nearly impossible. Warning: watch your footstep- My hubby stepped on poop while we were there. Seriously, pick up your doggies poop please???!! read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I discovered the slides online yesterday looking for fun free stuff to do in San Francisco lol We're broke college kids and wanted to have a good time. My best friend and I got some pizza boxes and my boyfriend got some McDonald's trays. [don't go down without something under you lol too slow and not fun] It was so much fun! I went down with the cardboard first and that was ok but as others have said, I definitely recommend grabbing yourself a plastic tray from McDonalds or something. It's soo much better! It seems kinda scary the first time but trust me, totally worth it and pretty safe for the most part just be sure to put your hands up! =) Another great thing is once it got dark, we got bored and wondered around a bit. We turned a few streets and ended up on Castro St. A fun little end to the day. Words of advice: -Bring a plastic fast food tray, if you can't get one then cardboard is ok. -Wear long pants. -Put your arms up. -Try the left slide first, it seems funner/faster then the right. Definitely recommend going here for some simple free fun if you're in the area. =) read more

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#childhood This place looks underwhelming when you walk up to it - two slides that go up maybe 15ft? I was hoping for a slide that took me down to Pier 39! But low and behold, the slides are AWESOME and actually extremely dangerous! For sure wear long sleeves because if you don't, you have the chance of ripping the skin off your elbows. You don't need to bring your own cardboard because there's usually a lot just scattered around. *If you have shiny cardboard.. you go WAY too fast! I got a ton of air half way down, thunked back down and flew off at the bottom. It was exhilarating but quite dangerous! read more

FEAR NOT, FUN FOLK! We visited today specifically to confirm whether or not the "fun has been destroyed" rumors were true and found no evidence that the slides had been sanded. If the "dreamkillers" had visited, magic elves have since worked their charms because the slides were fine today. They did seem a slight bit slower, but it rained last night and residual drops from the overhanging branches were causing the cardboard to bind. Still tops in my book! read more

I found it! When I first read about it online, since it was listed as a "hidden gem"I thought it would be difficult to find. However, the slides are part of "Seward mini park" which was listed clearly on all GPS devices I used. The nice part is that it was on my way to Twin Peaks, so it was not a wasted trip at all! The slides were shorter than I thought, but very well constructed. They must be well-used because there was no build up of debris on them. I didn't have any cardboard with me (and ummm didn't have any kids with me either!) but I made sure to wear pants on this day. I love that there were two slides. I was alone and so I couldn't race anyone but I'm sure that must be a fun feature! I did remember someone said they "weren't for the faint of heart" so I wasn't expecting a kiddy experience, but I also wasn't expecting such a steep and fast descent! It probably only took about 10 seconds to go down them, but soooooo fun! I took a video while descending it and I know that I squealed as I went down because you almost feel like you're going to fly right off of it, you go so fast! However, they made the slide very safe (high sides) and so there really is no way you can fall out or off! My only mistake was that I kept my elbows too low on one of my trips and I got concrete burn on them! Hold your arms high! And yes, I did go down more than once! On my last trip down, I was caught by a couple coming into the park and I laughed at myself because they saw me giggling hysterically as I finished the ride. They looked at me a little funny and I was hoping they weren't going to bag me for not having a child with me. It turned out that they were visiting from North Caroline and had read about the slides as well. They said they had seen me walking up (and I mean UP... those hills are steep in San Francisco!) to the park ahead of them. I told them how much fun it was and said how I was traveling solo and was taking photos of me with everyone I was meeting. They were a friendly couple and we took a selfie! As I was about 100 yards away on my way to Twin Peaks I heard screams of joy and I'm sure it was the wife as she slid down the slide! read more

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There are often more adults here than kids which speaks to the Neverland reputation of San Francisco. A great place for locals and out of towners to feel like a kid. There is often abandoned cardboard at the bottom of the slides waiting for a second life. If you really want to catch some air bring a small saucer. Don't wear your good jeans because I've seen the demise of quite a few good pairs of pants here. Check the street cleaning signs before you park and slide. These concrete slides are tucked away in the middle of a street. Don't be too loud it is a neighborhood after all, save your screams for the roller coaster. read more

These slides are super fun and were pretty steep!! It took us a while to find them though. I think we only found them when we heard children screaming from the excitement. We had brought our own cardboard to go down the slides, but the children that were already there were sliding down the slides w/o any cardboard. I guess it just depends on how dirty you want your pants to be. The park doesnt have any set closure time but it does say that it is closed when the sun sets. When we arrived, the sun was setting, but had not set yet. However, the higher part of the slide had been closed off. Even though it was partially closed, I was still able to slide down from the mid-way point which was still just as thrilling and fun! read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A total death trap, but easily one of the most fun things I've done in the city. Ever. Despite the fact that the slide now owns a pretty good chunk of my skin, I'd do it again and again. The hike up the hill, the anticipation at the top, the sheer terror of flying down what's supposedly a slide for children (according to the rules posted, anyway), was all worth it. Word to the wise: the right hand slide (if you're at the top looking down) is much scarier than the left! Take that one :-) read more

Seward Mini Park - mach 5 - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Probably our favorite thing we did in San Francisco. We didn't even mind the smell of urine and dog crap. There were already nicely broken up cardboard boxes for us to slide down on the slides. Our two-year-old son loved it and soon wanted to go it alone, and without the cardboard. It's just nice to experience something the way the locals do for a change. After that we hit Hot Cookie and got a couple cookies and my baby daddy was groped by a harmless-looking spanish man. He has a shaved head -- what are you going to do? We got lucky because somebody sort of pointed us in the right direction. I had no idea what to expect, and I guess I was thinking it would be in a small park. Not so, it is tucked away between two homes. read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

What a great find totally hidden in a residential area! When you get there, the slides don't look like much, but when you grab a piece of cardboard (and I suggest you do) and slide down, it's actually really fun and you remember why you went to the park as a kid all the time. Protip: grab some sand with your cardboard, carry it up the slide, pour it on the slide, sit on your cardboard and you'll be sliding down super fast! If you're going super fast, jump off at the end otherwise you will end up with an awkward landing. Another protip: keep your elbows and arms close to your side. The slide is really narrow and made of concrete and you could scrap some skin off (take my word on this). Overall though, it's really fun! Definitely worth a stop when you get a chance! read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Another quaint and hidden find in the city! This place is fun for both children and adults with a sign even saying adults must be accompanied by children. :) Usually never crowded, the attraction of this mini park lies in the fast and steep cement slides which people come to ride by bringing scrap cardboard to sit on. After you walk up the side steps to get to the top, be ready for an exhilirating thrill going down this, because you slide FAST. Race a friend, bring your kids, and have a blast! Just be courteous to the residents living around this tucked away gem. :) read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

"Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Oh my god, make it stop!" Like a roller coaster without seat belts is the best way to describe the slides! After a nice sushi dinner, my friends decided to take me to the Seward Street Slides. "Hey, Celeste, have you been to the Seward Street Sides?" -- Linda "The what?" -- Celeste "Let's go there?" -- Linda "Now?" -- Ronnie "Yeah!" -- Linda "What? Where are we going?" -- Celeste "Just don't worry about it." -- Linda *Ronnie makes U-turn and we head towards Castro from Inner Richmond... We finally arrived. Ronnie opens the trunk of his car and takes a newly folded cardboard box out. Right then, I knew exactly what we were going to do. The slides did not look scary at all. I might have been a bit nervous, but I wasn't scared. As I made my way up to the top, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I put the cardboard box down, then I sat on it with my bottom and feet on it. I literary felt like I was going to fly off after the bump. There was no way of stopping it. It didn't help that I had nice pants on and flip-flops. Before I can even think of a way to try and stop, it was too late... I feel off the slide on my bottom. Hurts... it still hurts a bit now, but definitely a wonderful, fun experience. Awesome, Amazing and Astounding... good times! Thanks Ronnie and Linda :-)! Use slide with CAUTION! Not for children and not for drunks! read more

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! You must go to the Seward Street Slides, they are so much fun! I dragged my friends up there these weekend and we had such a blast! We were running up and sliding back down, cracking up like we were 5 years old. I may have hurt myself, bent my keys and ripped my favorite jacket but I have no regrets! This is an SF gem everyone should experience! Tip: The slide on the left (if you are at the top looking down) is way faster than the one on the right. If you forget cardboard go to Cala on 18th and Castro and ask, they are used to it by now. read more

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This was one of the best things we did while in San Francisco. So much fun to act like a kid again. I recommend sliding down on a smaller piece of cardboard so you don't get stuck half way down like some of the other "children" that visited the slides. Parking can be tough, but we were lucky to pull right up and find a spot. If you don't have cardboard to slide down on (we didn't) there is some there, and sometimes other visitors will have some and let you use it. The walk up is steep, but worth the thrill! read more

Where kids can be kids like you were when you were a kid! These slides are so much fun. I took my boyfriend's daughter and her cousin here today and they loved the cement slides---but they couldn't figure our how they existed because "of the safety." what a sad world we live in. These slides remind me of my childhood and are sadly some of the only "favorites" that still exist. Bring cardboard but there usually are scraps lying around. The slides go fast but not scary fast. Apparently there are pretty strict hours and barriers are put up---probably due to the rash of adults that came after hours post drinking. Now--no adults without kids and a ton of rules. No amenities at this small park. Just the slides, down ramps and the stairs. The girls squealed with joy each time they lunched themselves from the top of the slides. Kate and kid approved. read more

Seward Mini Park - Panoramic photo of the slides - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Free fun for the kid of heart! It is literally located on the corner of Seward & Douglass St. When you get there, there is a little side staircase that leads you into a tiny park where the slide is. We brought a brown paper bag and a piece of cardboard to go sliding. On a saturday afternoon it was open and there was already a young family there. Little kids were really enjoying themselves but I gotta say as a kid at heart in my 30's, I enjoyed it too! It goes down pretty fast the first time you try it if you aren't prepared for it! I had so much fun I even yelped out in pure enjoyment without remembering I was tucked away in a very residential neighborhood. After a couple of slides we left our cardboard to some very excited kids that were coming in for some sliding of their own. Good clean SF fun. A true hidden gem. read more

The past couple of reviews mentioned yellow barricade gates preventing you from sliding, but there was no such problem when we went this afternoon. I'm guessing the previous reviewers who encountered the gates went after hours? The slides are in Seward Mini Park (emphasis on the mini) - just the slides, a small area with a couple of benches, and not much else. We were able to find (free) street parking on Douglass St. There was a pile of cardboard at the bottom of the slides, so we didn't have to bring our own. The slides are short but kind of steep! Definitely a good idea to wear something with sleeves to protect your shoulders/arms. Don't wear super nice pants, either, because you might end up shooting off of your cardboard and scraping your legs and butt on the slides. read more

The simple things in life are the best. How can two concrete slides be so fun? As other reviewers have said, they are hard to find. We took the muni to the Castro district, put the address "30 Seward St." into our maps app, and it got us there. Lots of walking through a neighborhood, but looking at all the houses and details in the architecture was well worth it. It was also nice to see the residents bringing home groceries and fiddling around in their garages. Definitely not on most tourists' agendas. Its classification as a mini-park holds true as all there is are the two slides. And that's all there needs to be. Amazing. read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Since my boo was getting all excited over wanting to come check this place out, we ventured on over there. The journey was great, but not this particular destination. The slides aren't even that exhilarating and long to go down on. Yes it is random and it's fun to race on, but it was also pretty dirty and what not (maybe we should've gone on a sunnier day?). Thanks to whoever left the trays there, but maybe I'd also BYOT. I dig the idea and concept, just not the actuality and reality of it all. There does need to be more random places for fun times and natural highs, though. But, the best place so far would be the Sand Dune Park in Manhattan Beach. It's good, clean, great for a workout, and I wouldn't get sick of going there multiple times. Basically, it can do better. But you might as well check this out once in your life. Life's too short to not try new things, right? You never know when you'll live it up with something (or someone). read more

The belated 21st birthday adventure continued here with Sam M. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/seward-street-slides-san-francisco#hrid:6wmXA5IR3Yvbvxpef4HaMA) and Adam B. We arrived slightly drunk, mostly winded though after taking a wrong hill here or there, and were slightly put off at first by the presence of children (goodness forbid) and the large signs announcing "No adults unless accompanied by children". But it turned out to be cool actually. The slides are just simply concrete undulating ramps that you negotiate with cardboard (like, from a box). Definitely take the slide with your hands up. These slides can also be a great way to break in a pair of jeans, too. Like Sam said, a sleeping bag provides an awesome ride. Sam shared a sleeping bag with a twelve year old ("He said he was 14..."). And it was here that we picked up the word of the night. The oldest kid, who was totally only 12, was berating his younger foster sister, and concluded his argument with "Don't be such a pussy!" We were in titters for the rest of the night. read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sooo much fun! Wheee... So far I've gone down these slides once with my former roomie. Tried to take my out-of-town friend here one time, but this mean lady was locking it up right at 5:00pm. How rude! But anywho.. I want to go back again sometime soon earlier this time. But yes, it's very fun! I really flew & landed on my ass. But hey..that's part of the experience. :D read more

Thank you Yelp for showing me this San Francisco gem. My boyfriend and I stumbled over here after some Friday night fun. I can't say I would ever bring my children here, but my slightly intoxicated free flowing body? Anytime! Parking isn't the best (like you should be driving if you go here drunk). The pictures will be priceless. When we went there was plenty of cardboard lying on the ground from past guests. I recommend bringing a piece or wearing clothes you can possibly snag. Let's go cement louge!!! read more

Seward Mini Park - WEEEE!!!! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've been wanting to come here for so long and I finally made it! The mini park (if you can call it a park haha it only had the slides and nothing else really, just a nice little garden) was very peaceful and there were only three other people when my boyfriend and I got there. It's smack in the middle of a residential area, which was quite odd but that adds to these slides being so unique. It's made of cement and has two slides side by side, so my boyfriend and I grabbed some cardboard laying around and slide-raced down to the bottom! There was plenty of cardboard pieces lying around, so thanks to those who came before us and left them here. Make sure to use these so your pants don't get damaged. We stopped sliding around 5pm since that's when the slides are supposed to close according to the park rules. We hung around and rested on the bench at the bottom of the slides and sure enough, someone came by around 5:25pm to lock the slides (there were metal stoppers placed on the middle of the slides so you'll be stopped when you try to slide down). Fun little spot and I'll be back here if I'm around again! read more

How many times have I told the tale of the Concrete Slides just to be dismissed as a crazy drunk (sometimes true)? I speak of the steep start, the abrupt shot to the left and the final drop before being spit onto the filthy, cardboard remnent laden sand pit at the bottom. OH SWEET JOY OF A SLIDE! * Bring waxed cardboard for a "more extreme" ride... I would also want to stress respecting this place and not bringing alcohol and glass and trash up here. Keep it clean... And yeah, someone always gets hurt... So, thats happend. A read more

Seward Mini Park - Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

SO FUN! On a recent business trip, my coworker and I needed a little break in the day. Seward Street Slides came up in our search, so we headed over. SOOO fun to ride down these slides - literally in the middle of a neighborhood. Previous sliders had left cardboard, so all we had to do was pick up a cardboard box, make our way to the top and sliiiiiiiiiide down! Was the perfect break to the day - always fun to feel like a kid again - even if it only lasts for 10 minutes. (: read more

Seward Mini Park - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Glad I stopped by this place. Quick 2 slides and I was done. I'm embarrassed to say I kind of got injured (a piece of skin came off) since I was holding onto the cardboard going down. read more

One of the bestest, dopiest, coolest, free things to do in Es Ef. That is all. okay...one more thing: waxed cardboard seriously flies. read more

Seward Mini Park - Hey it's an official municipal code... - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is the most fun i ever had with my clothes on. Also there is a sign explicitly stating no adults unless accompanied by children. Enjoy at your own risk. read more

A+ way worth the trek up the hill. these slides never get old. read more

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Super fun, but that 5pm closing time is serious, ya'll. We rolled in at 5:30, and the slide was all locked up at the top, bottom and middle. Since we came all that way, we just started at the middle and rode to the bottom gate. Less fun than otherwise, but that's sort of our fault, right? A fun and dumb little tourist diversion. Fun for Instagramming and using Boomerang. I like these weird little secrets that only locals - or Yelpers - know about, and hopefully someday I'm back in the Castro and can ride the full length. Bring cardboard. It's not 100% necessary, but going raw will give you a dirty butt. read more