Challenge at Mission Peak: Finding a Place to Park

Posted by Jeff on Nov 5, 2014 @ 9:06 am in Hiking News | 0 comments | Last modified: November 5, 2014

At three miles long and 2,000 feet in elevation, the hike up Mission Peak is not for the faint of heart: The trail is dry and nearly bald, and climbing it can be painfully hot. The incline near the top is rocky and preposterously steep.

But for those who make it to the top, the payoff is big. In addition to a panoramic view of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and, sometimes, the Sierra Nevada set off against a cornflower sky, there is a pole to climb, one where hikers can pose in a victory stance for a photograph that proves they made it. About four years ago, cellphone images of climbers on the pole near the peak with arms outstretched like eagle wings began cropping up on Facebook, Instagram, Yelp and even dating sites.

But what has become a rite of passage for some has turned into a nuisance for the neighborhood. Every Saturday and Sunday, 1,500 to 2,000 people come to climb Mission Peak, and there are only 42 parking spaces. In a community of $2 million villas whose residents thought they were buying serenity, hundreds of hikers park along the streets.

“It’s a park that’s being loved to death,” said Richard Dolesh, a vice president of the National Recreation and Park Association, a nonprofit group that promotes public parks. The park district is also trying to influence human behavior. Its website trumpets “other challenging trails” in the area. It recommends another way up Mission Peak — one with adequate parking, shade from oak trees and a gentler climb. But most hikers seem to prefer the tougher workout.

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