It was long ago that I became aware that Cherry St also has a entrance walkway through over the little 3 ft or so wall, the same as Maple Street does. When I saw this first I was quite shocked to discover it there. Naturally, knowing that was there as an option for Zodiac, I questioned why he didn't use as a it's far quicker access into the darker, undergroath and forested area. I then started a post in which a I rant that obviously Zodiac could not have been very familiar with Presidio Heights and simply was not aware it was there. That is one possibility. But I don't know why I hadn't really though of this before but here is the opposite to the above theory...
Zodiac knew very well that there was an entrance at the top of Cherry St, and it wasn't by accident that he did not elect to use it because there may have been reason for him to stay on the public road heading for some other location. If Zodiac knew of Cherry st entrance and ignored using it for the preference of walking along Jackson, then I would instantly assume this to be a strong indication that Zodiac had no intension nor reason to go into or towards JK Park because if he had wanted to get to that area, Cherry St would be a no brainer. What does the known facts seem to indicate? Well:
1. Zodiac gave his destination in the Richmond District as Washington & Maple Streets.
2. Z seemed to ignore Cherry St' and its far more convenient entrance and seemed for some reason to head down Jackson Toward Maple.
3. No witness has been found and clarified that he was ever seen 'dashing into the Presidio'.
4. The last location we can place him at was on the grounds of 3712 Jackson St.
5. Zodiac Was close enough by to be able to know the details of the resulting search
6. FBI report states that an 8 year old child saw a man that he recognized by name on Oct 11 and reported it to police.
(The FBI report is very general and no specifics at all so it does not allow the reader to know at what location this Eight year old saw the man he knew, now what he seen to make him feel the need to report his suspicions. Maybe it was Blood on his jacket, maybe it was his ducking behind a fence or car when a car was approaching or whatever. But something gave him cause and reason to approach Police.)
looking at it like that as a whole series of linked events, it then it suddenly seems to make sense, at least to me. Here is what I think happened...

