5 min
Overview
Golden Gate Park, located south of the Golden Gate Bridge in western San Francisco, is an urban treasure. The 1,017 acre park stretches three miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, unfurling with eucalyptus, pine, and cypress, lakes and waterfalls, and, of course, museums, playgrounds, and gardens. This 7.5-mile clockwise loop begins at Ocean Beach, winds east on JFK Drive into the heart of the park, and swings back west to the beach via MLK Drive. Highlights include eight lakes, two waterfalls, the Bison Paddock, Golden Gate Pavilion, Arch of Colonial Trees, and Rose Garden. Once known as “Outside Lands,” Golden Gate Park was miles of sand dunes in the 1870’s when work on the park began. William Hammond Hall, a field engineer who completed the first survey of the land on February 15, 1871, intentionally designed a natural looking park visitors could enjoy year-round. To further his mission, he added winding roads to shelter park visitors from wind, encourage trees to grow, and discourage fast driving. Today the park is 1,017 acres, 18% larger than Central Park in New York City, and host to 13 million visitors each year. Start your hike from the Ocean Beach parking lot. If you time your hike for sunrise, you may just get a beautiful start to your day! The Beach and Park Chalet across Great Highway is a two-story villa built in 1925. On the top floor is the Beach Chalet restaurant and on the bottom floor is a visitor center (open daily 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) where you can pick up a map of Golden Gate Park, study exhibits on the history of the park, and see a mural of San Francisco life by artist Lucien Labaudt. Cross Great Highway to the western edge of the park, marked with a stone entrance. Turn left to cross John F. Kennedy Drive, then make a right, heading east to the Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. Built in 1902, the Dutch Windmill pumped groundwater to lawns and gardens in the park, helping green-up the former sand dunes. In the gardens, Icelandic poppies intermingle with vibrant tulips an
Trail Stats
12.1 km
121 m
88 m
4 m
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