Hiking

With over 30 miles of existing trails, hiking opportunities abound in San Francisco's natural areas. The following parks have excellent hiking trails: Glen Canyon Park, Bernal Hill, Lake Merced, Bayview Park, Buena Vista Park, Corona Heights, Grandview Park, Golden Gate Park: Oak Woodland, India Basin Shoreline Park, McLaren Park, Mount Davidson, Pine Lake, and Twin Peaks. Please stay on existing trails. Taking short cuts is dangerous and causes trail erosion.

Some of these trails link to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, which will ultimately be a 500-mile trail encircling San Francisco Bay along the ridge tops and with connections to the California Coastal Trail. For more information, visit ridgetrail.org and californiacoastaltrail.info.

Wild Flowers

The natural areas with their many wildflowers are remnants of what was once an extensive and dynamic coastal ecosystem found throughout San Francisco. The following parks have dramatic spring wildflower displays: Glen Canyon, Bernal Heights, Lake Merced, Bayview Park, Corona Heights, McLaren Park, Mount Davidson, and Twin Peaks. For a listing of spring wildflower walks check out the What's New section or the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society's website at cnps-yerbabuena.org.

Bird Watching

With its large size, geographical location and varied plant communities, San Francisco provides excellent habitat for a great diversity of bird life. A total of 356 species of birds have been recorded in San Francisco. This count includes resident, migrant, pelagic and vagrant species. The following parks have excellent bird watching: Bayview Park, Glen Canyon, India Basin, Lake Merced, McLaren Park, Mount Davidson, Pine Lake, Sharp Park and Twin Peaks.

For more information about the Bay Area's birds and bird walks, visit goldengateaudubon.org.

Volunteer Opportunities

Every week, schools, businesses, volunteer groups, and members of the public help steward San Francisco's natural lands. Habitat restoration and related activities invite urban dwellers to participate in the city's dynamic and enduring natural history. Habitat restoration activities take place in natural areas in almost every corner of the city. Restoration activities occur year-round, from seed collecting and propagating seedlings in the summer and fall, to planting young plants in restoration sites, to weeding invasive plants, to monitoring the results of restoration efforts.

For more information visit our opportunites page.

Dog Recreation

San Francisco Recreation and Parks has many dog recreation opportunities. For more information visit the Recreation & Parks Department's web site.