San Francisco’s Twin Peaks, Unique Lifetime Memory, Twice The Fun

You don’t need a beautiful actress to highlight and showcase San Francisco’s Twin Peaks, but it sure helps.

There are a number of gorgeous women who starred in the various Twin Peaks movie and television franchises, like Ms. Peggy Lipton Jones below, and we are so glad for it.

The original Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a 1992 psychological horror film directed by David Lynch and written by Lynch and Robert Engels. It is a prequel to the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991), created by Mark Frost and Lynch, who were also executive producers.

grapplingstars.com femcompetitor.com writer, photo via MeTV

The film revolves around the investigation into the murder of Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley) and the last seven days in the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), a popular high school student in the fictional Washington town of Twin Peaks.

In real life, Twin Peaks is located in San Francisco and since the origin of the city by the bay, it has been a star in a category all by itself.

We are so happy that it rises to the stars in San Francisco.

Twice.

Sitting atop the gorgeous mountain and looking out over San Francisco, especially at night, is a sight that you will never forget.

We’ve actually done that.

The Twin Peaks are two prominent hills with an elevation of about 925 feet or 282 miles located near the geographic center of San Francisco.

The North and South Twin Peaks, also known as "Eureka" and "Noe" respectively.

Twin Peaks Boulevard runs a figure eight around them. The peaks form a divide for the summer coastal fog pushed in from the Pacific Ocean. Their west-facing slopes often get fog and strong winds, while the east-facing slopes receive more sun and warmth.

Good to know.

When you visit, that might be something that you want to remember especially if you forget to dress warm enough.

The top of Twin Peaks is undeveloped. It is part of the 31 acres Twin Peaks Natural Area, managed and owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

grapplingstars.com femcompetitor.com writer, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy photo credit

These preserved areas are home to many natural resources and wildlife. As part of the Mission blue butterfly habitat conservation, Twin Peaks is one of the few remaining habitats for this endangered species. Many bird species, insects and vegetation thrive in these areas.

We are enlightened about this unique butterfly at baynature.org. “The Mission blue butterfly takes its name from San Francisco — the original population was discovered on Twin Peaks, at the time considered part of the Mission — and is the city’s only endangered butterfly. It probably never was widespread, but in the modern era it is incredibly rare. When the Endangered Species Act became law in 1974, there were a lot of creatures that everyone already knew were endangered, and the Mission blue was one of them. It went onto the list in the first big batch of insect listing in 1976. It has declined since then.”

You should visit while they are still there. We have seen them before and they are beautiful.

At sfrecpark.org, this parks and recreation group provides us with a little more history. “Originally called “Los Pechos de la Choca” (Breasts of the Maiden) by early Spanish settlers, these two adjacent peaks provide postcard views and a treasure trove of animal and plant diversity.

Many miss an opportunity to experience the coastal scrub and grassland communities of this 64-acre park. Similar to the Marin Headlands, Twin Peaks gives us an idea of how San Francisco’s hills and peaks looked before grazing and then development changed them forever. The vegetation is primarily a mix of grassland and coastal scrub. Expect strong winds as you hike among plants such as coyote brush, lizard tail, pearly everlasting and lupine. The endangered Mission Blue Butterfly has adapted to the strong winds and flies low to the ground from lupine to lupine. Native plants provide habitat for brush-nesting birds like the white-crowned sparrow and animals such as brush rabbits and coyotes.”

We are deeply enamored with this experience.

So how do we get there?

Twin Peaks is very easy to get to if you have a car. Just follow Market Street west driving away from downtown and then go all the way to the top of the hill where you’ll the name changes to Portola Drive.

You then turn right on Twin Peaks Boulevard. A short, winding road brings you to the parking lot at the top.

The informative travel site sftravel.com adds, “The best time to visit Twin Peaks is either early in the morning right before sunrise or sunset. If you can't get there that early or don't want to wait until sunset, head up there on a foggy day. The fog diffuses the harsh light, making it ideal for Instagram-worthy photos.”

We’ll remember that.

For you love birds The San Francisco Love Night Tour is something that you should sign up for. It is worth the money in unforgettable memories.

You’ll see the main sights in San Francisco in a VW bus, but with a hippie feel and 1960's music. Then soon see the city at night, including the Golden Gate Bridge, plus get a ride up to Twin Peaks to see all the city lights spread out below you. Later drive down the crooked block of Lombard Street, too. See the love tour for more info and booking.

The all-wise and all-knowing inside-guide-to-san-francisco-tourism.com summarizes well:

Climb to the top. For an even better view, climb the rugged stairs to the top of one of the peaks. You really will feel you're floating above the whole Bay Area! The peak furthest from the parking lot (the southern one) probably has the best view.
Try to go on a clear day. When it's foggy, Twin Peaks sits right in the middle of it and you won't see anything but swirling fog.
Dress warmly. It can be very cold and windy up there, so bring a jacket, even if it's a warm day.
Go early. Twin Peaks San Francisco is a popular place to come, for both locals and visitors. If you come before 10:30 a.m., there'll be fewer people. But even with more people up there, it's not that crowded; it just might mean waiting for a parking spot if you're driving. And most visitors don't climb the peaks.
Car break-ins have become a big problem in San Francisco, unfortunately. Don't leave anything visible in your car if you park here.

Wonderful suggestions.

San Francisco has so much to offer. Usually in the singular but still very unique and special.

Twin Peaks however is double the excitement and double the fun.

It terms of this lifetime memory?