The jewel of the city has some of the best bicycle paths for families, with just a few mild gradients. On Sundays and holidays, JFK Drive is closed to car traffic from Stanyan Street to 20th Avenue, leaving it free for cyclists and pedestrians. If you want to continue on, the trail leaves JFK Drive near Lloyd Lake, veering southwest, passing near the Polo Field. You’ll eventually cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and end up near Lincoln Way at the Great Highway, just across from Ocean Beach.

When weather cooperates, the 1017-acre park of redwood, green meadows, and museums is a perfect setting to laze half a San Francisco day. Plus a lot is free, including weekly concerts and events like Hardly Strictly (an annual bluegrass festival) and Shakespeare in the Park. But better yet there are free lawn bowling lessons every Wednesday at noon.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the urban lights festival will feature 50 dramatic, eco-friendly light art installations—including new iconic works in the Mission Bay and SoMa neighborhoods. See San Francisco shine as a gallery of light and learn about the artists that have brought these installations to life during the event.

"Golden Gate Park is very dear to me. I’ve enjoyed going there recently as Outside Lands is now a fixture of the city. I loved going to the park for runs. I had soccer games and practice there, too. I’ve just had a lot of fun here walking around all times of the year. I love when it’s foggy and cold, and you have to dress up warm for a walk. I have a Pavlovian reaction when I smell the eucalyptus trees in the park. I have a very strong connection to the place."

Golden Gate Park is a signature feature of San Francisco. Green lawns, rolling hills, small lakes, and patches of forest make the setting for countless locals and visitors to recreate, relax, and enjoy a slice of nature in the city. It also has many cultural attractions like museums, art exhibits, sports facilities, restaurants, and a Japanese tea garden.

Huntington Falls in Golden Gate Park may be artificial, but is still impressive—water cascades the length of Strawberry Hill and spills into Stow Lake. Insider Tip: To take this hidden gem up a level, climb the adjacent stairs past the surrounding sculpted rocks to look down over the top of Huntington Falls at Strawberry Hill. You can also explore the surrounding rock path and walk across the bridge in front of the falls.

Spend an entire day at Golden Gate Park! Home to Cal Academy, the de Young Museum, Koret Children's Quarter, the Japanese Tea Garden, the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, several lakes, a carousel, bison paddock - there are plenty of things to see and do.

Get back to nature in the biggest park in San Francisco, which is a whopping 3mi (5km) long and sprawls from Haight-Ashbury to the sandy west coast. Hug a 100ft (30m) giant sequoia if you’re inclined, marvel at the cherry blossoms and bonsai trees in the Japanese Tea Garden, or take a pedal boat around Stow Lake to see a waterfall, Chinese pavilion and plethora of birdlife. It’s a literal breath of fresh air.

Twenty percent larger than New York’s Central Park and just as iconic, Golden Gate Park is 1,000-plus acres of rolling hills, groves of trees, gardens and hidden treasures. The park also houses some of SF’s most beloved institutions—the Victorian-era glass-ensconced Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young Fine Arts Museum and the Academy of Sciences, among them—as well as less famous attractions such as the bison paddock, Shakespeare’s Garden and the north and south windmills.

From bonsai, buffalo, and redwoods to Frisbees, free music, and free spirits, Golden Gate Park seems to contain just about everything San Franciscans love about their city. You could wander the park for a week and still not see it all, with myriad attractions including the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, and Stow Lake.

From bonsai, buffalo, and redwoods to Frisbees, free music, and free spirits, Golden Gate Park seems to contain just about everything San Franciscans love about their city. You could wander the park for a week and still not see it all, with myriad attractions including the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, and Stow Lake.