Natural Areas Locator
Click on an area of the map below to find a natural areas park near you.
Northwestern Natural Areas
North Natural Areas
Northwestern Natural Areas
North Natural Areas
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Southwestern Natural Areas
Brooks Park
- Location: Shields Street, between Victoria and Vernon Streets
- Established: 1978
- Size: Park: 3.5 acres/Natural Area: 2.0 acres
- Park Type: Grassland
Located on the southwestern-most hill in San Francisco, Brooks Park has sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, the Farallones, and Mt. Tamalpais. Wildlife such as grizzly bears, elk, and foxes once roamed the area as did a wide variety of birds. Native plants covered the hills and were used by Native Americans for food, medicine, basket-weaving and fish bait. Many of these plants have survived and are still growing in the park. For example, you can see the flowers of the bulbs (Ithuriel's spear, bluedicks) that Native Americans roasted and ate. Read more >>
Park Features:
Edgehill Mountain
- Location: Edgehill & Garcia Street
- Established: 1985
- Size: Park: 2.3 acres/Natural Area: 2.3 acres
- Park Type: Grassland/Coastal Scrub/Exotic Forest
Edgehill Mountain is mostly developed, but a small urban forest remains on the south side. Originally part of Adolph Sutro's San Miguel Ranch, the Edgehill Mountain land was sold following his death in 1898. It became one of the city's first subdivisions, known as Claremont Court. Houses were built on the mountain's western and southern slopes. The first major erosion problems began in 1952-53, when winter rains sent part of Edgehill Way and one home sliding down the mountain. Edgehill Mountain Park was established in 1985, when the city purchased one acre of the mountain's undeveloped western slope. In 1997, a slope above newly constructed homes collapsed during a rainstorm, cascading mud and rock onto the houses below and sending an unmistakable warning that the mountain's steep slopes could not survive the environmental destruction generated by further residential development. Read more >>
Park Features:
Glen Canyon Park
- Location: O'Shaughnessy Boulevard & Elk Street
- Established: 1920s
- Size: Park: 68.8 acres/Natural Area: 60.0 acres
- Park Type: Grassland/Coastal Scrub/Creek/Exotic Forest
Beyond Glen Canyon Park's recreation center, ball field, and tennis courts lies a large urban canyon that has incredible spring wildflower displays, dramatic rock (chert) formations, and Islais Creek, one of the few remaining creeks in San Francisco. This 60 acres of wilderness, formerly referred to as the San Miguel Hills, not only provides critical habitat for a wide array of wildlife, but serves as a relaxing sanctuary from the city's urban bustle. Read more >>
Park Features:
Golden Gate Heights
- Location: Noriega & 15th Avenue
- Established: 1928
- Size: Park: 6.0 acres/Natural Area: 0.8 acres
- Park Type: Dune
Golden Gate Heights combines the amenities of a city park—playground, tennis court, lawns, and trees—with a hilltop dune that provides a good example of San Francisco dune plant life. The rare San Francisco spineflower and San Francisco wallflower both bloom on this small dune patch. Walk west around the trees to see the remnant dunes and ocean views. Similar to Grandview Park but not nearly as large, this sandy natural area also requires a soft touch. Erosion is a serious problem at Golden Gate Heights Park, so please stay on the trails.
Park Features:
Hawk Hill
- Location: 14th Avenue between Rivera Street and San Marcos Avenue
- Established: 1995
- Size: Park: 4.5 acres/Natural Area: 4.5 acres
- Park Type: Dune
Hawk Hill is a magnificent remnant hilltop dune with ocean views of southwestern San Francisco. The shifting sand supports a wide variety of dune plants, including the locally rare California croton and the San Francisco wallflower. Before western San Francisco was settled, ocean winds deposited sand on Hawk Hill from dunes to the west of the park. Now development has spread over most of the Sunset District over the dunes west of Twin Peaks dunes, leaving no source of sand to replenish Hawk Hill. Be careful where you step on the hill, since the sand here cannot be replaced. You should also be careful to avoid the plentiful poison oak.
Park Features:
- None
Lake Merced
- Location: John Muir Drive, Skyline Boulevard, and Lake Merced Boulevard
- Established: 1930
- Size: Park: 614.0 acres (including water)/Natural Area: 395.0 acres
- Park Type: Dunes/Wetland
Lake Merced, a freshwater lake in the southwest corner of San Francisco, is a major water, recreational, and natural resource for the City and County of San Francisco and the surrounding area. It is also an important stop for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. More than 250 species of birds can be seen throughout San Francisco during the year, most of which migrate from as far as South America to the Arctic and back. Many of these migrating birds stop only briefly at Lake Merced to feed and rest as they continue their journey to the north or south; others mate, build nests, and nurture a new generation of young birds in San Francisco before returning to their wintering grounds elsewhere. Read more >>
Park Features:
Lakeview & Ashton Mini-Park
- Location: Shields & Orizaba Street
- Established: 1976
- Size: Park: 0.5 acres/Natural Area: 0.5 acres
- Park Type: Grassland
This rocky outcrop is part of a ridge of sandstone in the Merced and Ingleside Heights neighborhoods. While the park is very small, its grassy and rocky slopes are home to a variety of native plant species, including buckwheat, dudleya, farewell-to-spring, coast onion, and soap plant. This diversity of plants means there are flowers in bloom at Lakeview-Ashton Mini Park through most of the spring and summer. This wide window of flower availability provides a crucial long-term food source for many local butterflies and other insects. In 2003, a locally rare arboreal salamander was found hiding amongst the rocks. This relatively large brown salamander, four inches long when mature, has a whitish belly that in juveniles is darker and covered with light-blue spots. Arboreal salamanders have tails that are well adapted for grasping branches to help climb trees.
Park Features:
O'Shaughnessy Hollow
- Location: O'Shaughnessy Boulevard & Elk Street
- Established: 1986
- Size: Park: 3.8 acres/Natural Area: 3.8 acres
- Park Type: Grassland/Coastal Scrub
This steep cliff towering above O'Shaughnessy Boulevard has beautiful grasslands and magnificent rocky outcrops. The folds and fractures within the chert are some of the most dramatic in San Francisco. Although technically a different park, O'Shaughnessy Hollow is only separated from Glen Canyon by a road, and its grassland and scrub plant communities are quite similar. See the description of Glen Canyon Park [make this a hotlink] for more information.
In the early 1980s, the area was considered for the development of 16 single-family homes. Ultimately, these parcels were purchased by the City and County of San Francisco with Open Space Funds to preserve this area's natural biodiversity.
Park Features:
Pine Lake
- Location: Crestlake Drive & Wawona Street
- Established: 1930s
- Size: Park: 31.9 acres/Natural Area: 8.4 acres
- Park Type: Wetland/Riparian
Pine Lake Park, in western San Francisco and contiguous with Stern Grove, is an elongated valley with steep, forested slopes. Pine Lake is one of the few remaining natural lakes in San Francisco and is fed by the same aquifer as Lake Merced. The willow, tule and other wetland plants that ring the lake provide habitat for a variety for resident and migratory bird species. A trail encircles the lake providing opportunities for viewing birds. Read more >>
Park Features:
Rocky Outcrop
- Location: 14th Avenue and Funston Avenue
- Established: 1988
- Size: Park: 1.6 acres/Natural Area: 1.6 acres
- Park Type: Dune
This steep, rocky park has beautiful examples of Franciscan chert. The rocks are home to a variety of plants, including two native succulents, dudleya and stonecrop. Stonecrop is the host plant for the San Bruno elfin butterfly, a federally listed endangered species. Rock Outcrop is a small park, but it offers habitat for a variety of wildlife. Read more >>
Park Features:
Twin Peaks
- Location: Twin Peaks Boulevard
- Size: Park: 34.1 acres/Natural Area: 31.1 acres
- Park Type: Grassland/Coastal Scrub
At 922 feet in elevation, Twin Peaks is second only to Mount Davidson in height, offers spectacular views of the Bay Area, and is a world-famous tourist attraction. Originally called "Los Pechos de la Choca" (Breasts of the Maiden) by early Spanish settlers, these two peaks provide postcard views and a treasure trove of animal and plant diversity. Most visitors to Twin Peaks drive (or take a tourist bus) to the north peak parking lot to enjoy 180-degree views of the Bay Area. Unfortunately, many of them miss an opportunity to experience the coastal scrub and grassland communities on this 64-acre park. Similar to the Marin Headlands, Twin Peaks gives us an idea of how San Francisco's hills and peaks looked before grazing and then development changed them forever. Read more >>
Park Features:
City & County of San Francisco