100 Things to Do in Nature in SF
With 220 city parks, there’s no shortage of activities to explore outdoors in San Francisco
By Website Contributor - posted 9/29/2022
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Whether you want to spend a tranquil day communing with turtles at McNab Lake or let your inner child run free with an exhilarating five minutes rolling down a hill at Alamo Square Park, San Francisco Children & Nature is offering over 100 ideas for outdoor fun in the city.
The citywide collaborative launched the expansive list on its website in honor of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 24. San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will explore different adventures throughout the year on its social media.
100+ Things to Do in Nature
Northwest San Francisco
- Explore the ruins of a once-extravagant swimming palace at Sutro Baths.
- Visit all the lakes in Golden Gate Park.
- Stack rocks at Mile Rock Beach, Marshall’s Beach or near Torpedo Wharf at Crissy Field
- Find the giant stone heart at Lands End
- Get your feet wet and build a sand sculpture at one of the many beaches (Ocean Beach, Marshall’s Beach or Crissy Field beaches)
- Walk between China Beach and Baker Beach at low tide and look for sea stars
- Take a StoryWalk in the Presidio (summer)
- Hike the spectacular Sand Ladder and Batteries-to-Bluffs trails on the west side of the Presidio
- Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
- Go on a self-guided adventure in the Presidio (pick one up at the Tunnel Tops Field Station)
- Walk, stroll or roll along the JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park
- Count the bird variety at Crissy Field Lagoon (spring and fall migration)
- Practice your climbing, balancing, and making art with nature at the Tunnel Tops Outpost
- Practice your noticing and observation skills at the Tunnel Tops Field Station
- Look for lizards on the Lobos Creek Valley boardwalk (on a warm day)
- Smell a vast array of blooms at the Golden Gate Park rose garden (spring/summer)
- Take in a noisy chorus of Pacific chorus frogs at El Polin Spring (winter)
- Listen for the wind in the trees of the historic Presidio forest (spring)
- Touch our greenish state rock serpentine on the Coastal Bluffs
- Enjoy the floral fireworks of the Dahlia Garden Golden Gate Park (summer)
- Watch a graceful flock of pelicans along the Presidio’s Coastal Bluffs (summer/fall)
- Enjoy a high panoramic view from the DeYoung Museum tower
- SF Botanical Garden:
- Winter: See the magnificent magnolia trees blooming
- Spring: Explore the slender paths near the bamboo grove
- Summer: Have an adventure Children’s Garden
- Fall: Explore the fragrant plant area
- Explore the forest and native habitats at Mt. Sutro on a foggy day
- Balance on rocks near the Warming Hut near Crissy Field West Bluff
- Follow Golden Gate Park’s water trail from Rainbow Falls to the Portals of the Past
North East San Francisco
- See, hear, and smell the boisterous sea lions hanging out on the docks at Pier 39
- Get your feet wet along the shore and build a sand sculpture at Aquatic Park
- Explore the elevated trail and natural playground at Francisco Park
- Walk the lush wooden stairways called the Filbert Steps and the Greenwich Steps
- Look and listen for the famous green parrot flocks
- Explore the 5-acre rooftop at Salesforce Park
- Look for butterflies in the native garden by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
- Explore the nooks and crannies of hidden San Francisco (and a spectacular view) at Ina Coolbrith Park
- Visit the Tenderloin National Forest
- Enjoy a stepping stone adventure at Levi’s Plaza Park
- Look for giant yellow tiger swallowtail butterflies at Maritime Plaza (February to April & June to September)
- Hug our state tree—the redwood—at the bottom of the Transamerica Building
- Climb to the top of the rocky outcrop at Corona Heights Park
- Walk around Mission Creek and look for unusual birds
- Enjoy a picnic with an Embarcadero at Sue Bierman Playground
- Make sand globes at Crissy Field East Beach
- Make a flower crown at Lafayette Park
- Do a cartwheel on the lawn at North Beach’s Washington Square Park
- Learn Tai Chi at Portsmouth Square also known as Chinatown’s living room.
- Smell the roses at Huntington Park
- Roll down a hill at Alamo Square Park
- Take a walk through the Alice Street Community Gardens
- Hike to the top of the winding trails at Buena Vista Park
- Explore Michelangelo Playground a beautiful hidden oasis.
Southwest San Francisco
- Explore Glen Canyon Park:
- Look for salamanders in Islais Creek
- Find free-flowing creeks. Place a leaf in the creek and watch it move.
- Look for lichen on the rocks. What colors do you see?
- Check out the Explore Glen Canyon Park guide
- Daydream in the shade of a tall tree at Stern Grove
- Taste a wild blackberry around Lake Merced (summer)
- Discover the whimsical bronze sculptures at the Sunnyside Conservancy
- Build and balance at Rolph Nicol Nature Exploration Area
- Hike through the eucalyptus forest trails at Stern Grove
- Look for whales (December – May) and hang gliders from the cliffs at Fort Funston
- Walk the colorful tiled Moraga Steps
- Get a workout by climbing the tallest sand dune in the city at Grand View Park
- Find 365 views of the city at Mt. Davidson
- Explore Edgehill Mountain
- Find Battery Davis at Fort Funston
- Play “Bird Bingo” at Lake Merced (YSP has Bird Bingo resource for Lake Merced + GGP lakes)
- Walk or bike the Lake Merced loop
- Go fishing at Lake Merced
- Catch air in the fresh air at the Balboa skatepark
- Check out the views from the top of Twin Peaks
- Smell California sage and ocean air at the top of Brooks Park
- Test your balance and imagination at the Golden Gate Heights Nature Exploration Area
- Stroll down the car-free Great Highway (weekends and holidays) or wet your feet in the sea and build a sand sculpture at Ocean Beach
- Listen for songbirds and Red-Tailed Hawks at Pine Lake. Walk around and look for creatures in the water
Southeast San Francisco
- Look for historical artifacts at Crane Cove Park
- Explore Heron’s Head Park:
- Balance, jump, and create a nature sculpture at the Nature Exploration Area
- Spot a bird in the wetlands, gently lift a rock and look for creatures along the shoreline, or go fishing
- Read a book at the EcoCenter
- Walk or roll along the pathway from Heron’s Head Park to India Basin Park and learn about the site’s history
- Climb an Australian tea tree at Candlestick State Park
- Find the Living Library Nature Walk activity boards at Holly Park and St. Mary’s Park
- Visit Alemany Farm and identify 5 fruits and veggies you like to eat
- Walk to the top of Bayview Hill and notice what’s living there
- Walk through the Visitacion Valley Greenway
- Follow Philosopher’s Way Trail at McLaren Park and ponder its musing stations
- Picnic under the redwoods at McLaren Park Redwood Grove Playground
- Hike to the top of University Hill at McLaren Park and take in the downtown SF views
- Go cardboard box sledding at Youngblood-Coleman Playground
- Look for ground squirrels at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area
- Visit the McLaren Native Plant garden in Visitacion Valley
- Go fishing at Candlestick Pier
- Play a game of pick-up soccer at Crocker Amazon soccer fields
- Look for a night heron at McLaren Park
- See the 70-foot sundial, feel the speed on the concrete slide and run through the field at Hilltop Park
- Catch the sunset from the top of Bernal Heights Park
- Feel the wind whip around you at Holly Park
- Smell spicy and sweet plants at the Visitacion Valley Greenway’s Herb & Native Plant Garden
- Discover the sculptures at the Cayuga Park gardens
- Listen for laughter at the Visitacion Valley Greenway’s Play Garden
- Watch ducks swim and look for turtles at McLaren Park’s McNab Lake
- Camp at Sunrise Point at Candlestick
- Wetland walk at Yosemite Slough
100+ Ideas for Outdoor Fun was created in collaboration with our Community and Youth Engagement working group specially: Damien Raffa, Presidio Trust, Ileana Pulu, SF Public Library, Maria Durana, SF Recreation & Parks, Maybelle Miranda, YMCA of San Francisco, Tracy Phan, SF Recreation & Parks, Zach Pine, Artist.
Read the full list with some bonus things to do at SF Children & Nature.
