In a city where a one-bedroom apartment runs $3,200 a month and a mediocre burrito somehow costs $18, it's worth remembering that San Francisco's single greatest attraction is completely, gloriously free.

Twin Peaks — those 922-foot twin summits sitting right in the geographic center of the city — remains one of the best urban hikes in America, and it won't cost you a dime. No reservation system, no permit fees, no $15 parking app. Just show up, walk uphill, and earn one of the most spectacular 360-degree views on the West Coast.

The 64-acre natural area is one of the last remaining patches of original coastal scrub habitat in San Francisco, home to the endangered Mission Blue butterfly and a reminder of what this peninsula looked like before we paved most of it over. The hike from the residential streets below to the summit is short but steep — roughly 30 minutes depending on your route and your relationship with cardio.

Here's the pro tip the tourists don't know: skip the parking lot at the top where the tour buses idle. Instead, start from the Burnett Avenue stairs on the east side or the trails off Twin Peaks Boulevard. You'll actually hike instead of shuffling 200 feet from your car to a viewpoint, and you'll avoid the crowd entirely.

Morning visits beat afternoon ones — the fog typically rolls in after lunch, and early risers get clear views from the Golden Gate Bridge to the East Bay hills, with downtown's skyline looking almost worth what they charge to live near it.

In an era where city government seems determined to make everything more complicated, more expensive, and more regulated, Twin Peaks is a refreshing reminder that some of the best things require nothing from the bureaucracy — just a pair of shoes and the willingness to walk uphill. San Francisco could learn something from that.