Parks & Outdoors

Transamerica Redwood Park

Did you know there are redwood trees at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid?

A 14-acre park built on top of the Presidio Parkway tunnels, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, picnic areas, a playground, and food trucks. Opened July 2022; the Outpost Meadow expansion opened July 2025.

Japanese Tea Garden

The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, built for the 1894 World’s Fair and tended by the Hagiwara family for nearly 50 years.

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Fifty-five acres of plants from climates similar to San Francisco’s, inside Golden Gate Park. Free for SF residents with ID; free for everyone before 9am and on the second Tuesday of each month.

Hippie Hill

A grassy slope in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, gathering spot for the Haight-Ashbury counterculture since the late 1960s. Sunday drum circle, picnics, and 4/20 traditions.

Church of 8 Wheels

Roller rink at 554 Fillmore Street, inside a decommissioned Catholic church. All-ages afternoon sessions and adult evening sessions. Rental skates available.

Shipwrecks of Lands End

Rusted shipwreck remains visible at low tide along the Lands End Trail. Check tide charts before you go. The 3.4-mile coastal path with Golden Gate views is the reason to go even without the wrecks.

Tenderloin National Forest

A narrow alley off Ellis Street transformed into a dense garden of redwoods, murals, and benches. Two minutes to walk through, and a genuine surprise in the Tenderloin.

Conservatory of Flowers

Victorian wood-and-glass conservatory at 100 JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, opened in 1879. Five galleries of tropical and aquatic plants. $12 adults, free first Tuesdays.

Garden of Fragrance

A walled garden inside the SF Botanical Garden designed for visitors with visual impairments. Every plant chosen for scent or texture, with raised beds at arm’s height.