Tree Fern Dell (Mescaline Grove)
The Verdict
"A two-minute walk through towering tree ferns that feels like a rainforest. Near the eastern end of Golden Gate Park off MLK Drive. Free, easy to miss, and completely different from the rest of the park."
What you need to know
A Prehistoric Grove in Golden Gate Park
Tree Fern Dell (nicknamed Mescaline Grove since the 1960s for reasons you can guess) is a sunken hollow in Golden Gate Park filled with towering tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand. The ferns form a dense canopy overhead, blocking most of the sky and dropping the temperature a few degrees. The effect is immediate: you step off a paved path and into something that feels like a temperate rainforest.
What Makes It Worth It
The ferns are ancient species. Some grow over 15 feet tall, with fronds unfurling from thick, hairy trunks. The dell is damp, shaded, and quiet, a sharp contrast to the open meadows and busy paths just a few hundred feet away. Maidenhair ferns, Boston ferns, and bracken varieties fill the undergrowth between the tree ferns.
The grove earned its counterculture nickname in the 1960s, and the name stuck. Today it’s a peaceful spot where joggers pass through and occasional birdwatchers stop. No signage, no benches, no interpretation. Just a dense grove of prehistoric plants in the middle of a city park.
A 2-minute walk-through at most. Best combined with other Golden Gate Park stops. Not a destination on its own unless you’re specifically interested in ferns.
Visiting
Address: Near the eastern end of Golden Gate Park, close to the Conservatory of Flowers
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Cost: Free
Best time to go: Morning, when dew sits on the fronds and the light filters through the canopy.
What to know: There’s no sign marking the grove. Look for the dense cluster of tree ferns between JFK Drive and the Conservatory of Flowers.
Getting There
Transit: Muni 5-Fulton or 21-Hayes to the park’s eastern entrance at Fell and Stanyan.
Parking: Free parking along JFK Drive.
Walking: Steps from the Conservatory of Flowers, the Dahlia Garden, and the park’s main meadows.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Richmond. Explore the neighborhood →
