Hidden Nature|SF Explore San Francisco's Historical Landscape

Before San Francisco was the city it is today, it was a unique natural landscape that was full of surprises. Where skyscrapers and busy streets now stand, there were once miles of drifting sand dunes, dwarf oaks, unique wetland systems, and much more.

Hidden Nature SF’s team of historical ecologists have uncovered this past landscape by synthesizing hundreds of historical photos, texts, and maps into a single map representing San Francisco’s historical ecology. With this map, we can transport ourselves back in time and begin to imagine and explore the landscape of San Francisco before the city.

Scientific illustration
by David Ludeke