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San Francisco Local Legends Trail

Seventeen San Francisco legends and ghost stories, grouped by where they happened, with maps and what is actually true. Just for fun.

The Northeast Corner

Fisherman’s Wharf, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, Jackson Square and Nob Hill sit next to each other, so these stories make a good day on foot.

  1. The Sourdough Starter That Survived 1906, Fisherman’s Wharf

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapFisherman’s Wharf with Kids, Minus the Tourist TrapsBest Sourdough Bread in San Francisco: Where to Buy a LoafBoudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf

  2. Why It Is Called Cioppino, Fisherman’s Wharf

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapBest Dungeness Crab and Cioppino in San Francisco

  3. “The Crookedest Street in the World”: Lombard vs Vermont

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapLombard Street (Crooked Block)

  4. Coit Tower, the “Fire-Hose Nozzle”, Telegraph Hill

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapThe Best Views in San FranciscoCoit Tower

  5. Where the Wild Parrots Came from, Telegraph Hill

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapChinatown and North Beach with Kids: A Walking Day

  6. The Chinatown Tunnels That Never Were

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a map

  7. Shanghaied Through a Trapdoor: The Barbary Coast

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a map

  8. The Horses That Inspired the Cable Car, Nob Hill

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapMuni vs BART vs Cable Car: How to Get Around San FranciscoCable Car Museum

Golden Gate Park

Two stories, one park.

  1. The White Lady of Stow Lake (Now Blue Heron Lake), Golden Gate Park

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapHalloween in San Francisco for Families (2026 Guide)

  2. The Fortune Cookie, Japanese Tea Garden

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapA Full Day in Golden Gate Park with KidsJapanese Tea Garden

The North and West Edges

Farther apart; pair each with a visit.

  1. The Lady in Black and the Pet Cemetery, Presidio

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapThe Presidio with Kids: A Complete Guide

  2. The Museum on Top of a Cemetery: The Legion of Honor

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapLegion of Honor

  3. The Ghost of Cell 14D, Alcatraz

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a map

The Mission and Cathedral Hill

  1. The Grave of Carlotta Valdes, Mission Dolores

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a mapMission Dolores Park

  2. Who Rolled the First Mission Burrito?

    Read the story and what’s trueBest Burrito in San Francisco: La Taqueria vs El Farolito

  3. Miss Mary Lake of the Queen Anne Hotel, Cathedral Hill

    Read the story and what’s trueFind it on a map

All Over the City

  1. Emperor Norton, His Bridge and His Dogs

    Read the story and what’s true