The Seward Street Slides
The best concrete slides in SF!

Updated October 14, 2025

Ready to grab a piece of cardboard and fly down some really steep slides?

Sitting at the top of the Seward Street Slides

All set...

For the faint of heart, never fear. It's not nearly as scary as it looks!

One of the hidden treats of San Francisco is tucked away on a steep hill in the Noe Valley/Castro neighborhood. Two long, cement slides await the brave.

The two concrete slides at Seward Street Mini Park

The Drop

Visiting the Seward Street Slides

The Seward Street Slides were built on a steep, narrow lot in a residential neighborhood in San Francisco, above the Noe Valley/Castro neighborhoods.

It's officially called the Seward Mini Park, but most people call it the Seward Slides.

Most of the park is taken up with the slides, with a community garden above it, and little flat area at the bottom.

Insider Tips:

Bring a piece of cardboard.
Keep your arms inside.
Don't go after a recent rain.
Check the opening hours.
Beware the street cleaning times.

Best for which ages? The Seward Slides are actually pretty safe for kids because of their high sides, even though they look a little alarming. Little kids should be okay if they can follow instructions to stay seated and keep their arms tucked in to avoid scrapes. Use your parental judgement. I wouldn't put a baby or an actual toddler on them though. But they are really fun for grown-ups, too!

Cardboard

It's much easier to slide down on cardboard. The surface is smooth cement, but clothing will create some friction and therefore some drag. You want to go fast!

The best cardboard shape is a narrowish, maybe a foot wide or a bit wider if you can bend the sides up. The slides are quite narrow. Also, ideally, you want both your bottom and feet on the cardboard, so long enough for that. Some people bring plastic serving trays, but I've never tried one.

There is usually some cardboard there, but not always.

It's not really dangerous - the sides are too high to fall out - but some people do scrape their elbows, so make sure you hold your arms in.

Is it better with or without sand on the slide? The debate continues.

Slide Hours

Slide Open Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 5. Closed Mondays.

Park hours are different than slide hours. Park is open sunrise to sunset.

When it's closed, it's really closed. They put metal barriers on the slides at intervals, so you can only slide down small sections. Bummer.

Park Hours and Rules

Adults are supposed to be accompanied by children, but many childlike adults go on their own;-)

The Ride

It's a steep climb to the top of the slides, but there are some stairs and railings to help.

The Red or the Yellow? The two slides run parallel, but the yellow one is slightly steeper and faster.

Yellow is a little faster

There's sand at the bottom, so the landing is pretty benign. Little kids seemed to shoot off the end, but I came to a stop before that.

The End

My first ride down...
It's fast. What a rush!

Finding the Slides

It's not that easy to find, stashed away in a maze of winding streets, but it's worth the effort!

Car parked in front of hidden Seward Slides

Kind of Hidden

The park is right above the white car, not easy to spot while driving.

Seward Street with Seward Mini Park entrance marked

Map of Seward Street Slides location in SF

GPS Tip...

Using GPS to find the park works if you use the right request.

Correct: Use "Seward Mini Park". This will guide you to the bottom of the slides on Seward Street, where you'll (hopefully) find the cardboard and take the stairs up to the top of the slides.

Incorrect: "Seward Street Slides" will take you to the top of the Seward Mini Park on Corwin Street. That's not the access to the slides.

Getting to the slides

Taking the Bus

From Downtown SF: You can get to within a couple of blocks of the park from downtown.

Take the J-Church Muni Metro (streetcar) from Market Street downtown, get off at 24th Street and Church Street, and catch the 48-Quintara bus. The bus takes you to 21st and Douglass Streets, which is a short walk to the slides (on Seward Street, off Douglass Street, right near 20th Street). See map above.

Parking for the slides

There is free, on-street parking in the area. Depending on the time of day, it can be tricky. Just make sure to look for those Street Cleaning signs: big ticket! And turn your wheels on the hills.

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Explore the Slides on a Tour

You can experience the slides on a guided walking tour that also takes you to the top of Twin Peaks and some other popular hills in the area.

Check out the SF Urban Hike tour.

History of the Seward Slides

These slides have passed their 50 year anniversary and are still providing thrills for those who know where to find them. The parallel slides were built in 1973 using a design created by a 14-year-old girl, Kim Clark, who won the design competition for the park. Kim grew up on Seward Street.

This very steep and small piece of San Francisco real estate was headed for an apartment building...104 units!... when the residents took action to change the zoning laws and have the plot of land reserved for a park.