The Greatest Picnic Spots in San Francisco’s Killer Parks

Boasting among the best park methods within the nation, San Francisco is residence to loads of high-rated outside public areas with spectacular views and locations to hold. A sunny day or lazy weekend is the right time to discover a number of the metropolis’s greenest and most beloved gems for lounging, taking part in, picnicking and extra. So get on the market and park it! 

In 2022, two attractive new parks, Tunnel Tops and Battery Bluff, opened within the Presidio. In the event you’ve not but been to both of those gorgeous parklands, it’s the right time to go to. Tunnel Tops offers lawns and tables for picnicking amongst its trails for mountaineering that stretch from the Primary Put up to Crissy Discipline. For many who detest to pack a picnic, meals vehicles park across the Tunnel Tops each weekend, and leisure is often on faucet as properly. And relying on the time of yr, it’s possible you’ll even have the ability to catch an out of doors film below the celebs.  

Searching for a much less busy spot to hang around? Battery Bluff sits only a bit west alongside the Presidio Promenade path. Named after the 4 U.S. Military gun batteries Blaney, Baldwin, Slaughter and Sherwood, the park space is tucked alongside the hillside simply above Chrissy Discipline. New picnic tables provide breathtaking views of the Golden Gate, Angel Island, Alcatraz and San Francisco Bay. For a basic Presidio picnic, head all the way down to West Bluff. The bayfront web site affords loads of picnic tables, charcoal-burning barbecues, public restrooms and large, stunning bridge views. For extra enjoyable close by, take a look at The Commonplace’s guides to Crissy Discipline and different adventures across the Presidio

Dolores Park is the picnic vacation spot for San Francisco locals. Town views from the highest of the hill are legendary, the climate is magically all the time sunny and sure distributors need you to like the entire expertise much more. In reality, the toughest half will be discovering a spot to unfold out! When Helen Diller Playground reopened in February 2022, it was an on the spot hit with households who love the return to old-school sand for slide touchdown zones.

It isn’t arduous to discover a picnic spot within the miles of grassy expanses in Golden Gate Park. What will be robust is discovering your pals on a busy weekend. If you wish to goal for a spot to satisfy, think about these pretty meadows. 

• Robin Williams Meadow: One in every of Golden Gate Park’s happiest locations, renamed in reminiscence of a soul who gave a lot pleasure to the world, this stretch of inexperienced lies between the drumbeats of Hippie Hill and the children’ squealing at Koret Youngsters’s Playground. Although parking right here is rarely straightforward, it exists.
• Conservatory of Flowers: Seize a patch of grass among the many seasonally curated flower beds on the entrance garden of this nineteenth century greenhouse and watch the skaters, strollers, bikers and joggers cross by alongside car-free John Okay. Kennedy Promenade. 
• Bunny Meadow: As cute as its title, Bunny Meadow sits hidden within the timber simply throughout Conservatory Drive West from the Conservatory of Flowers. 
• Mom’s Meadow: An expansive meadow north of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive has a small playground well-liked with households. It is accessible by automotive.
• Marx Meadow: A midsize spot north of JFK Drive, simply west of Park Presidio that may be a bit quieter and smaller than the grassy areas on the opposite aspect of JFK. 
• Hellman Hole: Essentially the most large of the large garden areas is discovered on the south aspect of JFK. 
• Lindley Meadow: One more large garden space is situated on the south aspect of JFK. This can be a higher spot than Hellman Hole in order for you a giant spot—however not an enormous spot.

Within the shadow of the double spires of Sts. Peter and Paul, North Seashore residents collect in its sq. daily to do tai chi, stroll, learn, eat and hearken to the cathedral’s bells toll. It’s a picnic spot equally nice for people-watching and for closing your eyes as you lay on the grass after a giant meal.

Neighborhood effort and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Division mixed to remodel the once-abandoned reservoir web site into Francisco Park, which opened in April 2022. The scenic park is stuffed with lush native landscaping and boasts a number of the most awe-inspiring views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, Marin County, the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay. Along with a fenced-in canine park, Francisco Park has a completely People with Disabilities Act-compliant pathway starting at Bay Road that results in the garden space and kids’s playground. Picnickers can take pleasure in listening to the hum and clanging of the Hyde Road cable automobiles as they ascend and descend Russian Hill.

Recognized by neighbors as certainly one of SF’s “best-kept secrets and techniques,” George Christopher Park’s panoramic views and Glen Canyon path entry have been enhanced by a model new playground that opened in April 2021. A $5.2 million renovation added buildings for giant and little youngsters, swings, an creativeness backyard, a playhouse, a pure dry riverbed and a efficiency stage. 

A stroll round San Francisco’s model of the “Excessive Line” is really a must-do for locals and guests alike. Loop by means of a number of blocks of elevated lawns, unbelievable gardens, fountains and up-close-and-personal views of the skyscrapers. There’s even a play construction for kids and younger tech staff to climb round. The park isn’t actually an excellent spot to picnic, however it’s completely a spot to laze about on a sunny afternoon. There are a number of entrances to the park, however probably the most handy is on the east finish of Natoma Road, simply previous Second Road, the place an elevator brings guests as much as the park.

You possibly can spend an entire day adventuring in SF’s second-largest park. Miles of trails cross by means of a marsh, meadows, redwoods and lakes resulting in gorgeous views, together with an intimate have a look at the landmark La Grande Water Tank. However while you simply wish to lay out a blanket and hit the grass, goal for the McLaren Park Playground Picnic Space (also called the “Redwood Picnic Space”) that reopened in 2020 after a giant refurbishment. The Peru Picnic Space is one other nice place to picnic. Each picnic areas sport A-1 play buildings in the event you’re so motivated.

Opened in September 2020, the seven-acre Crane Cove Park on San Francisco’s Pier 70 features a multipurpose garden, plazas, barbecue areas and a pocket seaside. The park additionally options pathways for pedestrian and bicycle entry and gardens. You can too be taught concerning the wealthy historical past of Pier 70. It’s straightforward to spend an extended afternoon watching the curler skaters and bikers having fun with the close by paths. Afterward, wander over to the ever-popular Souvla in Dogpatch for some crispy Greek fries.

Sure, it’s loopy touristy, but it surely’s simply attractive. And with tourism a bit down, there are fewer people to compete with while you’re making an attempt to feed the swans. In all seriousness, a blanket plopped on the garden going through the pond and the columns will present a day’s value of stable people-watching and wonderful, historic views.

Trek up the units of stairs to the highest of this Pacific Heights park, and also you’ll get a pleasing garden, an excellent canine zone and views across the metropolis. Keep in mind to carry a jacket—it will get chilly up there!

Probably one of many highest parks in SF, Bernal Hill is understood for its namesake summit, the place a telecommunications tower shoots up into the sky. This picnicking location is just not for the faint of coronary heart: Most of the pathways to the summit are steep and sloped, and getting from base to high is just about a full exercise. However as soon as climbed, you’ll discover breathtaking 360-degree views of town and the bay. Although it could actually get chilly and windy at night time, the mountain has loads of flat spots for a sundown picnic or afternoon sunbathing session.