Trails of the City — San Francisco’s Five Can’t-Miss Parks CheapOair Staff October 26, 2011 Destinations, Interests There are so many reasons to love San Francisco, but it’s a particularly great destination for outdoor enthusiasts. While San Francisco has some great museums and other things to do indoors, many people visit the Bay Area for its great outdoor activities. On one side of the city there’s the bay, on the other, the Pacific Ocean, and just to the north there are rolling hills of Marin County. For many, the city is paradise on Earth, particularly for the numerous lush green spaces and parks throughout the city. Below are the five can’t-miss parks for the next time you book flights to San Francisco and visit. Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park is the Central Park of the West Coast. In fact, Golden Gate Park is actually larger than Central Park, covering over 1,000 acres, compared to Central Park’s 843 acres. It’s a great place for any number of outdoor activities, including biking or skating through the trails, playing ball on one of the baseball diamonds, and paddle boating on Stow Lake. Other notable features to the park include a golf course, a botanical garden, and a Japanese tea garden. Golden Gate Park also features some of the city’s top indoor attractions, including the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. Mission Dolores Park Mission Dolores Park doesn’t compare in size to Golden Gate Park since you can walk from end to end in just a few minutes, yet you’ll find it bustling on a sunny afternoon. The strength of the park is the large open space that is great for a picnic, playing with your pet, or throwing a Frisbee. Live performances often take place during the summer and fall weekends. The top of the park also has great views looking down into San Francisco. Grab lunch to go from a local Mission eatery and enjoy an afternoon at Mission Dolores Park. Buena Vista Park View over San Francisco from Buena Vista Park by Tobias Kleinlercher by CC BY-ND 2.0 Located in the Haight District of San Francisco, Buena Vista Park requires a little more of a hike. Quite literally, since the park is perched on a hilltop, so visitors need to climb flight of stairs and wind their way up the trails to get to the top. However, the reward of walking to the top is a beautiful view of downtown San Francisco. (Ergo the park’s name.) While much of the park is wooded, if you walk further west down Haight Street, there is a large open space that is nice to spend an afternoon on a warm day. Alamo Square Alamo Square may not ring a bell until you hear the name “Painted Ladies.” Alamo Square is home to that famous line of colorfully painted homes with downtown San Francisco as the backdrop. The area is much more residential than those that house many of San Francisco’s parks, but a visit to Alamo Square is worth it just for the views and an opportunity for an iconic photo. You Might Also Like: Discover America’s Oldest Chinatown — in San Francisco Sutro Heights Park Sutro Heights Park is one of the most overlooked parks in San Francisco. Much of this is due to the fact that it’s overshadowed by nearby Golden Gate Park. However, Sutro Heights Park is home to one of the best scenic views in the city. The park overlooks San Francisco’s very own ruins, the Sutro Baths, as well as the Pacific Ocean. On a clear night, this is one of the best sunset views in the city. What’s your favorite park in San Francisco? Tell us about it in the comments below!
