Getting lost for a day in Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park is a favorite San Francisco oasis, with more than 1,000 acres of greenery, including landscaped gardens, lakes, picnic groves and plenty of winding trails just waiting to be explored. It’s the perfect place to wander around on your day off, and what better way is there than to throw out the map and let yourself get lost?

Photo: Linh C., Yelp

The entire park was created out of sand dunes by park engineer William Hammond Hall and gardener John McLaren in the 1870s, and now receives more than 13 million visitors each year. Located on the west side of San Francisco, bordering beautiful Ocean Beach, it’s the ideal place to relax.

Start on the east side of the park near historic McLaren Lodge and work your way westward through this expansive park, preferably with a good book in hand. You’ll be struck almost instantly by the Conservatory of Flowers, an imposing Victorian building made mostly of glass. Walk along the flowerbeds and palm trees of Conservatory Valley to get a closer look: This beautiful building, opened in 1879, is the oldest building in Golden Gate Park. Step inside and explore the 1,700 species of aquatic and tropical plants this expansive green house holds, including orchids, giant water lillies and carnivorous plants. 

Photo: David G. Yelp

The Conservatory regularly holds special exhibits, so you may be lucky enough to stumble upon a limited-edition horticultural display. You’ll also probably see one of the many geckos that are used instead of harmful pesticides to keep pests away. During the summer months (this year through Oct. 21), the Conservatory is illuminated from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., transforming this landmark into a colorful artefact with spinning flower images, animated butterflies and more. And if you’re still hungry for plantlife after this, try the adjacent Arizona Garden and Dahlia Garden or the Botanic Garden, with collections of rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, succulents and more. 

Next, walk onwards to the Music Concourse, a landscaped basin between the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. This green space hosts free concerts on Sundays during the summer and there are always picnickers and bookworms sitting in the sunshine and shade alike. At the center of the Music Concourse is the beautiful Rideout Fountain. Built in 1924, this fountain will soothe your soul — plus, the ring of benches around it is perfect for people-watching. 

Photo: Golden Gate Park

The next stop is the Japanese Tea Garden, one of our favorite places in the park. With free admission on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, this garden is your ticket to relaxation. It’s actually the oldest Japanese tea garden in the United States and was originally created for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition as the fair’s Japanese Village exhibit. The entire garden is landscaped in the Japanese style, with winding paths running through its 3.5 acres of carefully chosen plants, which include Japanese maples, twisting pines, clipped azaleas and flowering cherry trees. Walk past koi ponds, stone lanterns, wooden gates and more. We love the hundred-year-old five-story pagoda and the high-arching Drum Bridge, which reflects in the pond below. The teahouse is the best place to take a break from your walk, with a wide selection of teas and other hot drinks to keep you hydrated.

Stroll past the loungers spread out on the grass of the Great Meadow and enjoy the sight of egrets and ducks in the waterfowl pond as you make your way through to Stow Lake, the park’s largest body of water. This lake, opened in 1893, was designed for leisure boating, and you can still rent a pedal boat from the boathouse. Take a small hike up Strawberry Hill Island, the highest point in Golden Gate Park at more than 400 feet, which is situated in the middle of the lake, to get the best view. Follow the trail at the lake’s perimeter and you’ll reach Huntington Falls, a 110-foot artificial waterfall that cascades from a reservoir higher up on Strawberry Hill.

Photo: Golden Gate Park

Continue through the National AIDS Memorial Grove, a reflective space filled with rhododendrons and redwoods, and peep in on the buffalo at the Bison Paddock to really feel a sense of getting back to nature. The Herschell-Spillman Carousel is an ideal place to experience the thrill of childhood again, originally built in 1914 and colorfully painted with scenes of farmyard animals and the Bay Area. This indoor, historic carousel costs just $2 for adults to ride and is certainly a blast from the past.

Finish your wander at the Park Chalet restaurant, a cafe and restaurant beside the beach with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. All we can say after that is well done; you’ve earned that ice cream (or beer!).