Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
Explore the best best parks for outdoor fun options for kids and families in San Francisco
Lafayette Park
Green space for picnics & scenic views. Puppies & picnickers pack this hilltop park, which includes a playground & tennis courts.
Huntington Park
Grand park with a fountain atop Nob Hill. Manicured green space on Nob Hill with an elaborate fountain, native plantings & benches.
Yerba Buena Gardens
Public park & cultural space. Several gardens share space with dramatic outdoor public art pieces, including a memorial waterfall.
Ina Coolbrith Park
Compact green space with urban views. This pint-sized, unassuming tract features a steep path & views of the city & bay.
Mission Dolores Park
Neighborhood green space with city views. Locals of all ages gather at this outdoor hot spot for picnics & people-watching.
Corona Heights Park
Busy park with picturesque views. Bustling, hilly park featuring hiking trails & sweeping, scenic city vistas.
Helen Diller Playground
Play area with a climbing wall & slides. Climbing structures, sand boxes & swings in an adventure playground with a long, twisting slide.
Joe DiMaggio Playground Park
Cool climbing structures & a pool. Popular green space with modern climbing structures, a swimming pool & basketball & bocce courts.
Rincon Park
Park with bridge views & a sculpture. Waterfront park with a promenade & a giant bow & arrow sculpture, plus Bay Bridge views.
Crane Cove Park
Beach, industrial relics & harbor views. Reclaimed area in a former shipyard, with a small beach for water sports & views of passing boats.
Bernal Heights Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Green refuge with rare plant collections. 55 acres of serene gardens showcasing diverse plants from around the world & a magnolia collection.
Hellman Hollow Picnic Area
Visit this great place for kids and families!
McLaren Park
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Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
Bayside trails & panoramic bay views. Public preserve with trails, BBQs, an amphitheater & sweeping views of the bay & San Francisco.
San Bruno Mountain State & County Park
Hiking trails & picnic spots with views. Mountain recreation space featuring city & bay views, hiking trails, picnic areas & open meadows.
Angel Island State Park
Island park with campsites & city views. Large island with campsites featuring hiking & biking trails plus panoramic views of San Francisco.
Hillside Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
West Oakland Farm Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Shorebird Park
Picturesque setting with a nature center. Scenic marina park offers picnic sites, play areas & a nature center with fish & wildlife displays.
Paradise Beach Park
Scenic spot for picnics, beach & fishing. Waterside park in a residential neighborhood, offering views, picnic lawns, a fishing pier & beach.
Adventure Playground
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George Rocky Graham Park
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Alta Loma Park
Park with tennis & basketball courts. Open city park with a basketball & tennis court, playing fields & a playground.
Cesar Chavez Park
Kite flying, a dog run & bay views. Popular, 90-acre park featuring kite flying opportunities, a dog run, bay vistas & more.
Jean Sweeney Open Space Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore
Pedestrian & bike trails with bay views. Shoreline refuge features tidal marshes, beaches & trails that provide panoramic views of the Bay.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline
Waterfront park with beach & rail museum. Waterfront space with a picnic area, beach, fishing pier, panoramic views & a model railroad museum.
Cedar Rose Park
City green space for sports & picnicking. 5-acre city park featuring 2 play areas, a picnic site with BBQ grills & multiple sports courts.
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt
Playground & creek amid redwood groves. Urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves.
Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
Park with trails, birdwatching & fishing. This large park with trails plus birdwatching, picnicking & bay fishing allows off-leash dogs.
Hauke Park
Neighborhood hub for sports & relaxation. Partially fenced park providing open green space, ball fields & a landscaped play area with benches.
Ring Mountain Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Piedmont Park
Tranquil picnic spot with a paved trail. Leafy city park popular for picnics, dog-walking & wedding photos, with a paved trail.
Live Oak Park
Wooded park with paths & a rec center. Wooded park featuring walking paths & a rec center with tennis, basketball & a playground.
Temescal Regional Recreation Area
Oasis for picnicking, swimming & more. Urban, lakeside retreat offering swim & picnic areas, a fishing dock, trails & playgrounds.
Dimond Park
Creekside hiking trails & a public pool. Park featuring creekside hiking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, a pool & a recreational center.
Codornices Park
Rose garden, views, picnicking & hiking. Comprising the Berkeley Rose Garden plus areas for ball playing & hiking, picnicking & kids' play.
Old Mill Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
San Bruno City Park
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Grotto Rock Park
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Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve
Scenic hiking & equestrian trails. 208-acre preserve with hiking & equestrian trails, plus views of nearby cities & San Francisco Bay.
Junipero Serra Park
Park with impressive views of city & bay. Park offering picnic areas, a creek & walking trails plus scenic views of the city, bay & mountains.
University of California Botanical Garden
Sprawling collection of diverse plants. Established in 1890, this 34-acre garden features a collection of plants from around the world.
Muir Woods National Monument
Picturesque, redwood tree-filled park. Scenic, forested park featuring giant redwood trees, long hiking trails, a visitor center & more.
Bayfront Park
Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.
Tilden Nature Area
Site for scenic hikes & wildlife views. Nature preserve featuring easy & challenging hiking trails with scenic views & wildlife sightings.
Central Park
Sports field, tennis courts & playground. This 13-acre recreational area features tennis courts, a playing field, picnic spots & a playground.
Grizzly Peak
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Tilden Regional Park
2,000+ acres & recreational activities. A 2,000+ acre park with a carousel, botanic garden, lake swimming, picnic areas & steam train ride.
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Nature preserve with extensive trails. The site of an ancient volcano, this park offers self-guided tours & features many hiking trails.
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Trails, a playground & picnic spots. Spacious park offering miles of multi-use trails plus a children's playground & picnicking areas.
Joaquin Miller Park
500-acre park & trails through the trees. Dog-friendly woodland park on 500 acres boasting rustic trails, meadows & picnic sites.
Alvarado Park
Green oasis with a children's playground. Part of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, this area has a playground, picnic sites & historic stonework.
Village Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baltimore Canyon Preserve
Wooded hiking area with a waterfall. 193-acre park with trails through forests with large trees, a creek & waterfall, plus scenic views.
Roberts Regional Recreation Area
Sports & picnicking amid redwoods. An 82-acre park in a stand of second-growth redwoods, popular for picnics & recreational sports.
Frontierland Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Robert E. Woolley State Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Marina Park
Shoreline park with mile-long trail. 30-acre park along the shore with picnic tables, a mile-long workout trail & large group shelters.
Magic Mountain Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park
Vast woodlands with trails & campgrounds. Sprawling forest featuring redwood groves & rare wildlife, plus trails, picnic areas & campsites.
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
San Pedro Valley Park
Scenic hiking trails & picnic areas. Park boasting a visitor center & seasonal waterfall plus picnic areas with BBQ pits & hiking trails.
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
Low-key park featuring eucalyptus trees. Quiet spot for picnics & other gatherings, with a rustic cottage, hiking trails & fragrant trees.
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