Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA Review

 To the Point

Golden Gate Park located in San Francisco, California was on our list of “to sees” in January. We’ve been to San Francisco many times but like Central Park in New York City my husband was squeamish about what he would find. Like Central Park (reviewed) we were amazed.

We covered about ½ of the Park, It was well maintained. There were plenty of bathrooms which were nice to see. There were a few concessions and a great place to take a walk on the paved paths or trails and enjoy the day.

A Closer View 

The facts

The Park traverses half the width of the city at over 50 blocks long and is about half a mile wide. The total area is 1,017 acres, and this does not include the 'panhandle' which is a block wide section of parkland extending eight additional blocks towards downtown.

There is no entrance fee however much to our surprise there were several areas that had a fee. We decided that the park was so large we would forgo these and save them for another time. It happened to be family day. If you had children with you then you could enter everything for free.

It’s larger than Central Park; was one a mass of sand dunes; is now covered with more than one million trees and is bison-friendly! 75,000 people visit the Park on an average weekend.

John McLaren, a Scotsman and ardent nature lover arrived in San Francisco in the 1870 and by 1890 he had established grass, trees and numerous plants in an environment most thought too barren for lush foliage.

We had a car. There is easy parking either in a garage for $2.50 an hour or on the streets within the Park. This is where we parked. It is time limited but it gave us plenty of time to see what our feet could handle! There is a free shuttle that picks up people at 15 locations throughout the Park. Since the schedule changes you should check http://transit.511.org/tripplanner/index.asp if you plan to use this service.

Our Highlights

San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum was just fabulous. Begun in 1937 this 70-acre horticultural extravaganza has more than 6,000 plants. You’ll find signs in Braille. The main entrance is on Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. It is also accessible from the Japanese Tea Garden through the Friend's Gate. Free guided walks are given daily at 1:30 pm but we didn’t take one. The Gardens are open weekdays, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and weekends and holidays 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. It’s free. Children may be bored but if you aren’t with children and aren’t allergic to plants this is a must see. You can find out more at http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/

The AIDS Memorial Grove built and maintained by volunteers is a beautiful and solemn spot where silence is requested. The grove was designated a national memorial1996. There are built in areas and benches on which to sit. You’ll find it at the intersection of Bowling Green Drive and Middle Drive East.

A few other “to sees”

The Japanese Tea Garden is apparently very popular. There is a fee for this so we didn’t go but there is a taste of what you will see outside. It’s a complex of paths, ponds and a teahouse features native Japanese and Chinese plants. Also hidden throughout its five acres are sculptures and bridges. Makato

We walked into the M.H. de Young Museum. There is a fee for this and were pretty much done with museums by this time. In addition to American Indian, New Guinea, Maori and Filipino art on the first and second floors, visitors can see treasures from Egypt's Golden Age in special exhibition galleries

There are dog runs; flycasting pools, a golf course; bowl on the lawn, play tennis. Children and adults can take classes in ceramics, painting and drawing at the Sharon Art Studio located near the Children's Playground at the far eastern end of the park, just north of Kezar Drive.

A small herd of bison have made their presence known since 1892, when the park was a free-range zoo of elk, bears, goats and other animals. It’s next to Spreckels Lake.

You can play basketball, go biking, rent a boat, rent skates, and rent bikes if you don’t have these items and want some activity. Stow Lake is in The Park.

The Children's Playground has a carousel, swings and slides. We did go on the carousel since there was no line unlike the one in Central Park.

The Golden Gate Park Band has been playing free public concerts on Sundays in Golden Gate Park continuously since September of 1882 starting in April.

Strawberry Hill is a naturally formed island in the middle of Stow Lake. It’s 428 feet high and a good place to hike.

Jo's Viewpoint

I like it!

www.parks.sfgov.org/