These Parks in San Francisco Offer a Fun Day Out

Alamo Square Park is one of San Francisco's most iconic landmarks, best known for its famed "Painted Ladies" row houses along Postcard Row, which were showcased in the opening credits for the 1990s sitcom Full House. The park, which has been featured in major feature films such as The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Five-Year Engagement, is located within the city's Alamo Square Historic District, known for its unique residential architecture that was once home to noted author Alice Walker. A dual-level playground at the neighborhood park makes a great play space for young children, while an off-leash dog area lets visitors frolic free with their four-legged friends. Unique attractions include the park's Shoe Garden, which repurposes discarded heels and boots as landscape art.

Alamo Square Park, Steiner St & Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94117, Phone: 415-218-0259, Facebook

Corona Heights Park is a charming park in San Francisco's Corona Heights and Castro neighborhood, located immediately south of Buena Vista Park. The park, which is also referred to as Rocky Hill, is best known for its use as a setting in Fritz Leiber's 1977 horror novel Our Lady of Darkness. Visitors can observe a variety of native reptile, bird, and butterfly species throughout the park or view spring wildflower displays, including growth of California poppies and rare Johnny jump-ups. The peak of the park is a popular spot for panoramic city views despite its frequently windy conditions, offering views as far away as the city's iconic Twin Peaks. Other attractions include the Randall Museum and the Corona Heights Playground.

Corona Heights Park, Roosevelt Way & Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114, Phone: 415-831-2700, Facebook

Romantic Parks in San Francisco

Cottage Row Mini Park is a quaint neighborhood park located near San Francisco's Japantown and Fillmore District, stretching one block bounded between Sutter, Bush, Webster, and Fillmore Streets. The park is a great spot for viewing the lovely Victorian-style homes of Cottage Row, which were constructed throughout the mid-19th century by William Hollis and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The homes were modeled after English-style mew connected homes and were originally used as rental units until their conversion into single-family residences in the 1950s. The tiny neighborhood park also offers a dedicated dog area, a newly-added retaining wall, and a variety of plant beds.

Cottage Row Mini Park, Fillmore St & Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115, Phone: 415-831-2700

Crissy Field is a preserved former United States Army airfield located within the expansive Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which protects more than 82,027 acres of public parkland and natural areas throughout San Francisco. The field, which was a former harvesting site for the region's Ohlone indigenous people prior to the arrival of Europeans, was dubbed as the Presidio by Spanish colonizers in 1976 and given to the United States Army in 1846. Throughout the 20th century, the field became known as the landing site for several significant transcontinental flights, operating until 1974. Between 1994 and 2001, the field was restored by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Today, the park is utilized as an urban national park, showcasing sand dune and beach areas, tidal wetland habitats, promenades, trails, and facilities such as the Crissy Field Center environmental education center.

Crissy Field, San Francisco, CA 94129

Glen Canyon Park is a 70-acre city park located within a canyon near San Francisco's Miraloma Park, Glen Park, and Diamond Heights neighborhoods. The park, which is located adjacent to the 3.6-acre undeveloped O'Shaughnessy Hollow tract, is a designated undeveloped natural area and contains the free-flowing Islais Creek, which flows year-round and provides a natural habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, including the rare San Francisco forktail damselfly. It is one of the city's best sites for bouldering, beloved by regional rock climbers for its rocky cliffs. Formal park facilities include a children's playground, a ropes courts, a community recreation center, and ball fields and tennis courts.

Glen Canyon Park, Elk St and Chenery Street, San Francisco, CA 94127, Phone: 415-831-2700