Travis Monson walked every street in San Francisco, and he has a lot to show for it

Photographer Travis Monson has done something incredible. Not only did he walk all 1,200-plus streets in San Francisco (plus hundreds of miles of trails), he took 100,000 photos along the way.

Travis shares the view that we have at Walk SF: that every neighborhood in San Francisco is worth exploring – and our city offers endless beauty and perspective when you get out there on your own two feet. Our mission is to win the changes needed so it’s safe every time you walk out the door.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Travis about what he’s done. While I couldn’t stop gushing about his photos, he couldn’t stop gushing about San Francisco. 

Read my interview with Travis, check out his amazing photos, and get a lot of ideas for your own walks. 

Walk SF: So you walked 1,700 miles of streets in San Francisco – which includes about 500 miles of trails, alleys, and open space. How did this happen? And tell me about those 4:30AM, 20-mile days. 

Before moving to San Francisco, I lived in various cities, and whenever I found myself in a new city, I would buy a map and track the streets I walked. This approach always got me to explore places I might not have otherwise seen.

When I moved to San Francisco in 2011, I continued this tradition and bought a map from City Lights Bookstore to start tracking my walks. I had no intention of walking the entire city – I simply wanted to explore new pockets of it. However, after two years of marking off streets and then entire neighborhoods, I realized a significant portion of the map had filled in. Around that time, I came across an article about how Tom Graham had walked the whole city. Reading about Tom’s journey helped inspire me to do the same.

When I was focused on completing certain neighborhoods, I sometimes had to commute across the city to reach my starting point. For example, while walking the streets of the Sunset District, I was living in SoMa. This meant it could take close to an hour on Muni just to get there. On those days, I’d start at 4:30 AM and would often end up walking 20 miles.

Walk SF: Tell me more about your relationship with the city and walking.  

When I moved to the Bay Area, I had a car, but rarely used it. I used to love driving everywhere, but I quickly realized how easy it was to get around by walking and using public transportation. Less than a year after moving to San Francisco, I decided to sell my car.

Shifting from driving to walking only deepened my connection to the city. I spent even more time exploring, marking off newly walked streets and neighborhoods on my map. It’s impossible to get bored in San Francisco. One of my favorite quotes by Armenian-American novelist and playwright William Saroyan captures this feeling perfectly:

“San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal.”

The more I walked, the more I saw the truth in those words. Every street had its own unique energy, layered history, and hidden treasures tucked away in houses, buildings, and unexpected viewpoints. My experience of the city also changed depending on the time of day and the weather. Whether it was rainy, foggy, or clear, it shaped how I saw and felt the city.

Though I completed my goal of walking every street in 2017, I often walk 10-15 miles on weekends. I even have a new map of the city. While my goal isn’t to rewalk every street, I just truly love walking and exploring San Francisco.

Walk SF: I love your collages in different colors, and especially the green one (see below). You’ve got Green Apple Books, the Lincoln Stairs, Caffe Trieste, Bernal Hill in the winter, the Sentinel Building, and the wild parrots. The wild parrots photo is awesome.

Thank you! I enjoy creating color collages with my photos and intentionally include photos taken from different parts of the city.

I was standing atop Billy Goat Hill with my partner when we heard a noise. I looked up and had only about five seconds to capture a shot of the parrots. I’m used to seeing them near Telegraph Hill, so it was surprising to find a subflock in another part of the city. It remains one of my favorite photos I’ve taken since moving here.

Walk SF: You’ve found a lot of under-the-radar spots with unique views that are great walk destinations: Brooks Park, Lakeview and Ashton Mini Park, Duncan & Castro Open Space. Any others to mention to our readers?

This isn’t necessarily unknown, but I love hiking up to Corona Heights for sunset. I also love the hidden trails in Interior Greenbelt Park, which lead up to the Mount Sutro trail network. Hiking some of those switchback trails truly feels like you’re stepping outside the city. 

Walk SF: I read on the reddit thread that you were surprised to discover so many staircases with incredible gardens and hidden Victorians in Bernal Heights. That’s where Walk SF’s 2025 SF Stair Challenge is going to be on Saturday, May 5!

I love Bernal Heights, especially the west side, which includes the Dogpatch/Miller Memorial Community Garden and streets like Joy, Faith, and Rutledge. And it does have great hidden staircases, plus so many historic buildings, diverse architectural styles, and vibrant ways some houses are painted.

I often walk the full length of Mission Street to Bernal Heights Summit, taking various paths up to the summit. This is my favorite spot in San Francisco to watch both the sunrise and sunset.

Walk SF: At Walk SF, we are particularly obsessed with the 900+ public stairways. The newest edition of Stairway Walks of San Francisco continues celebrating them. Plus, Alexandra Kenin, one of the amazing volunteers who helps to design Walk SF’s walks, is mapping all of them. What are your favorite stairways that people might not know about?

Yes, I love Stairway Walks of San Francisco and am always recommending it. And Alexandra Kenin wrote a story about people who have been exploring every street in San Francisco (including me!). 

I love exploring the Excelsior and one of my favorite stairways/greenspaces is the Athens Avalon Greenspace. I also enjoy hiking the staircases that make up the Pemberton Steps in Eureka Valley, where hidden gardens and charming houses are tucked along the greenery-covered footpath.

Walk SF: Well Travis, I just have to say that what you’ve done is the ultimate love song for San Francisco and walking here. Thank you for the inspiration. 

Learn more about Travis Monson and his photography:

• His website, Instagram, and Reddit
• The San Francisco Standard
• SFGate

Mark your calendar for the 2025 SF Stair Challenge on Saturday, May 5.