Cancel

Open app

Search

Bernal Heights Park

4.6 (349 reviews)

Bernal Heights Park Photos

You might also consider

More like Bernal Heights Park

Recommended Reviews - Bernal Heights Park

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Celina T.

We love this dog play area and so does Gustav & his friend, Milo! Wished we have something like this in Seattle...will def go back & bring Gustav for another doggy play date.

Roop K.

The perfect perfect perfect most magical place to be at sunset in SF. When I lived in the area I would make the trek up (LOTS OF STAIRS) as often as I physically could for that sense of peace and calm up here.

Morning at Bernal :)
Mila E.

Beautiful City Views, Especially During Sunrise & Sunset. Stunning Flowers in Spring. Clean, Maintained Trail. Customizable Trail from Hilly/Long to Pretty Flat/Short. Swing on Tree for Cool Experience/Pics. Free to Visit, No Entrance Fee. Free Residential Parking.

Dale S.

This park is lovely. It has great views and best if all (for me) it is full of dogs. The first time we came here, it felt like home. I saw a dog walker with 15 dogs and almost every person had a pup with them. I love that you can have your dog off-leash here so the whole family can explore together. We had a particularly terrible incident here on one visit where I wandered down a hill and left my sweet pup with her father, thinking he had the same voice control over her that I did. When she saw me from the top of the hill, she instinctively jumped. It was one of the worst moments of my life. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I watched her roll and hit a rock. Ultimately she was ok, other than a bloody lip and began playing with a dog near me at the bottom of the hill while I fussed and screamed but I will never forgive myself...or my husband. Of course this park has the iconic swing but sometimes it is there and sometimes it isn't. I will say that when it is there, there is typically a line for it, but it is quite sturdy, as I weigh 300+ lbs and it holds me just fine. The hike can seem steep at points, but again, I am large and I don't have an issue, so just know that it looks harder than it is. Parking can be tricky, like everywhere in the city, but people and their dogs are always coming and going so honestly, if you're patient you should be able to find a spot. It's worth it for a lovely walk with your pup in the heart of the city.

Helen L.

This is an awesome place. Park and walk. Beautiful vistas. Love this city skyscape. Saw quite a few people walking their dogs. There's a swing. There's a bench. Such a great neighborhood walk.

Me on the tree swing at Bernal Heights earlier in Novemeber
Vijay N.

I have so special many memories of this park. Before I moved to SF earlier this year , my first introduction to Bernal Heights was with a friend. We stopped by here after picking up Tortas in the south Mission, and spent a good hour looking over the city as our day started. After moving here - literally an hour after I landed, the first thing I did was visit Bernal Heights. That's when It really hit me that I had finally made it out here (that day has a lot of sentimental value to me) The park itself is beautiful - plenty of room for you to go with a group, sit on the hill and enjoy a sunset or hangout while looking at the city. It does get cold later I. The day, so I'd recommend bringing a jacket. The view from Bernal heights is quite incredible and, if you're lucky, you may even get the opportunity to get in the tree swing This is a must visit place for anyone visiting or living in the city

Rocky maze
Sharon H.

Hiking: pretty short trails that lead to the top of the hill where you can pretty much get panaroma views of the whole city/bay on a clear day The swings at the top of the hill pictured have apparently been gone for a few years! boo! Trails: can get pretty steep, are dirt/rocky/unpaved and can be pretty slippery even when dry. The terrain at least when we went was all dry rock, so there wasn't anything scenic about the hike itself other than the views of the city. Tons of dogs, I'm not sure what the exact rules are but most of the dogs were off leash No bathrooms Parking: a joke of a parking lot on one side with 3 spots, otherwise there are trailheads all around the park, so it's not too hard to find street parking.

Kat Y.

Still liking this place a lot! Good hike and nice view ..... plus .... the swing is back !!

Kim T.

This place is great for a walk/hike since it is not crowded at all. I came here for the swing! The road is easy to go up to the swing once you park your car and walked up about 5 minutes to the swing. I came here on Saturday afternoon and the swing was waiting for me. I saw couple people enjoying the views but no one seem to focus on the swing at all so I had it by myself for hours. The view was breathtaking! You can see the whole Bay Area of San Francisco. It wasn't cold the day I went up there. You can hike up here since the road is easily to walked. The view is just amazing!

Tell me somethin', girl Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?
Maria P.

Everyone's giving me wanderlust vibes with their Spring Break photos, so I'mma write about one of my favorite views from a past trip. I've been to San Francisco numerous times and wanted to try something different. It was our last full day in the city and I knew I wanted to get a different vantage point of San Francisco without having to invest a whole lot of time hiking. Bernal Heights Park offers just that! We took an uber and was dropped off near the entrance of the park. We walked for maybe 5, not even 10 minutes, before reaching the highest point of the park which culminated in 360 degree views of the city and came complete with a fun swing. We spent at least a good 30 minutes here and took 100s of photos and just sat and people watched. We probably could have taken the other route to soak in the outdoors a bit more, but we headed straight for the swing that day. I wanted to capture a specific photo and we went during a weekday morning so we pretty much had the swing all the ourselves. Sad to say that the swing is now gone apparently, which I think was the best part and drew a lot of visitors here for that "signature swing photo." I'm happy we were able to capture those memories before the swing came down. The views are still amazing though and I still would recommend a stop here.

Say it all!
Jragon U.

Beautiful view and even swing too. You can enjoy swing same time view of city and skyline too.

Mayu H.

It's such a good park with great view. I enjoyed walking with my senior dogs and they didn't mind walking up there. I love the view and nice breeze. Parking on street no problem.

Night views
Shayla B.

Some people will argue that this place has even better views of the Bay Area than Twin Peaks. And while I won't confirm or deny this, I will say that it provides one of the most stunning views of the City that I've seen around these parts. It can definitely rival that of Twin Peaks, but I feel like Bernal Heights is just a completely different feel. For one thing, it doesn't have the touristy feel that Twin Peaks does. Not that it's bad or anything, but sometimes you just want to experience something without the crowds. Something that not too many people know about. This is that place. Tucked away on a big hill in Bernal Heights is this small little local park. There's a tiny parking lot with maybe enough spaces for about 4 cars max. From there, there's a wide fire road that inclines up a hill to the top of a vista point. I came here during the night time after spending the day in the City, and it was the perfect way to end the evening. There weren't many people there since it was dark, but the views of the city were so gorgeous. They just kept getting better and better as I moved higher up the hill. When you reach the semi-top, there's a rest bench where you can sit and take in the views. I've only been here at night, but I can only imagine that the views are just as stunning during the day time. The whole jaunt is maybe about a mile or so roundtrip. There are also some other short hiking trails on the other side of the hills, but would definitely do those during the daylight hours instead. I did see a few people still hiking those hills with a few flashlights. A little too bold for me in this area, but I'm sure locals do this all the time. People walk their dogs and bring their little ones for a brisk walk here, but you should definitely be very careful because there are coyotes in those hills. I heard something rustling in the bushes behind me, and sure enough when I turned around, a coyote was literally crossing the trail right behind me. Kind of scary, but more so for those who decide to bring small dogs and children (especially at night). Just be aware of your surroundings and you should be alright. Didn't see the oh so popular swing, but it was dark out and the city views were enough for me. Would love to see this park during the daytime and even during a sunset. If it's anything like it is at night, I'm sure those views would be just as stunning.

See all

3 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 31
Thanks 11
Love this 38
Oh no 1

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 3
Love this 5
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 7
Love this 8
Oh no 2
Photo of Paul V.
0
43
17

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 4
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 2
Photo of Kim T.
91
608
4380

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Maria P.
1026
850
13129

4 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 0
Love this 12
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mayu H.
274
501
1184

5 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 12
Thanks 0
Love this 11
Oh no 0
Photo of JA M.
9
351
0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Shane S.
108
1050
5704

6 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Neng A.
2
285
582

2 years ago

I can never get tired of this beautiful view of San Francisco. I wish it was closer to my house! Its dog friendly too

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Great place to visit. Relaxing and quiet to take in the view . A sense of peace in the hustle and bustle of being in the city.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 22
Thanks 0
Love this 22
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 17
Thanks 2
Love this 14
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Lily L.
669
195
1358

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Scott H.
140
3974
4369

5 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 26
Thanks 0
Love this 24
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 9

Bernal Heights Park Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Bernal Heights Park

Is the swing still over there?

I went a few weeks back and didn't see the swing!

Can we watch the fireworks here today?

Is there still a swing at the top of the hill now during Covid?

The swing is gone now, sadly. I went and checked yesterday.

What address should we uber to for the swing?

In my experience the quickest way to get to the swing is starting at 39 Ellsworth Street (cross street is Bernal Heights Blvd). Take the small set up steps that lead to a trail and you'll see the swing at the top.

Is the swing still there?

The swing is gone.

Is this place kid friendly? It's hard to see from the pictures where there is any fencing around the park to control kids and dogs.

The only fencing is around the top tower. Many dogs are usually off leash.

View All 8 Questions

Review Highlights - Bernal Heights Park

Bernal Hill a unique place in the Mission area, where everyone can enjoy an extraordinary view toward the city.

Mentioned in 23 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Dog Parks 2,357 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Mission Bay Dog Park - View from the dog park. You can see the bay bridge, bike path, and dedicated pedestrian path.

Mission Bay Dog Park

4.2(14 reviews)
2.3 miMission Bay

Small but very busy park in a perfect, safe and clean neighborhood…read more I'm not a big fan of artificial man-made dog parks with fake grass. I mean... why fake grass if you can give your dogs the real experience instead of touching plastic with their paws.... anyways that's another topic. This dog park is small but gets very busy. Most people are residents or live nearby. If you're not sure where to find a lot of dogs for yours to play with, this park might just be it. Watch out. Because it's fake grass, even if the owners pick up the poop it'll leave doodooo residuals EVERYWHERE on the grass.

We love Mission Bay Dog Park!…read more The dog park itself is a long rectangle situated between apartment buildings in the Mision Bay area. The park is covered primarily in astroturf and includes two fire hydrants, some benches, a three port water fountain, and 3 poop bag dispensers (one on each end and one in the middle). The park itself is pretty much always clean. Many of the dogs are from the neighborhood so there are a lot of regular. Practically all the owners we have met are also pretty nice. If you're driving to the park, there is a ton of parking in the area. Only downside is that meters in Mission Bay go until 10pm, but that's no fault of the park. The park is open from 6am until 10pm and we have found that the best time to go is in the morning before work or in the later evening, post 8pm. The park can be especially busy right after working hours and, for us, we try not to go during this time. We love this park and go to it almost daily!

Photos
Mission Bay Dog Park
Mission Bay Dog Park
Mission Bay Dog Park - Neighborhood off-leash park for dogs - of all sizes, along Long Bridge St leading up to Mission Creek.

See all

Neighborhood off-leash park for dogs - of all sizes, along Long Bridge St leading up to Mission Creek.

Centennial Way Dog Park

Centennial Way Dog Park

4.1(162 reviews)
6.3 mi

This is a very spacious dog park especially for the larger dogs. The posted hours I found online…read moreare 8am-8pm but it doesn't seem to actually close, like the gates aren't locked. It was still light out past 8pm and we stayed until about 8:30pm. There are no outdoor lights. We are not local to the area and only visited the one time. My single visit was really nice and I would definitely return if I'm in the area again.

Lots of space for your fur baby to run around. There are two parks, one for dogs under 25pounds and…read more one for larger dogs, but not everyone honors it.The park is large, and it could also mean a high chance of dealing with irresponsible owners that doesn't watch their dogs or picks up their dog's feces. I have encountered aggressive dogs that picks on or constantly humps my dog with the owner nowhere to be found and this is me with a neutered 90pound huskymix. On most days, there's a lot of friendly and playful dogs too. While it is nice on a sunny day, the area surrounding near the AstroTurf puddles up and forms a muddy mess. I like the paved pathway around the park, although it's been covered up with tanbark during my last visit. When there are uncontrollable dogs at the park, I like to walk far away from the trouble while my puppers follow while exploring at the same time. I just wished that there more shaded areas across the dog park because it gets crowded in the small shaded area on sunny days.

Photos
Centennial Way Dog Park - Smaller dog park

Smaller dog park

Centennial Way Dog Park - Smaller dog park

Smaller dog park

Centennial Way Dog Park - Puppy

See all

Puppy

John McLaren Park - Nevermore.

John McLaren Park

4.3(181 reviews)
1.7 miVisitacion Valley

I ventured to this park in search of a stroller friendly environment for my 6 week old. This park…read morepopped up on a recommended list found online. I loved the convenience of parking and the greenery and view. A car parked beside us and a group of people started smoking weed so I suppose this is a meeting spot to do that as well. Found the philosophers trail but quickly realized that it was not stroller friendly so headed towards the other side of the park with picnic tables. The rocky path was decent but still caused my baby's head to wobble a bit. I looped up the paved path between picnic benches and ended my walk there since it was incredibly windy and chilly. I recommend this park for a lunch date or a stroll (without a stroller).

An underrated park for sure! As a Bay Area native, GGP is generally my go-to park, but McLaren…read moredefinitely falls second, slowly becoming one of my favorites. There is a ton of free parking available at different points of the park, along with restrooms, picnic tables, and benches. There's a variety of different terrain (flat concrete, grass, hilly dirt trails) in the park, making it suitable for dog walks, running, hiking, cycling, and recreational sports. It is far less busier than GGP, which can be great if you're opting for a peaceful stroll in nature. Although not as polished as GGP, the park is maintained fairly well. I would highly recommend this park if you're looking for a quieter, less crowded peaceful retreat in the city. I also suggest previewing the map first, as there are tons of different parks within the park, based on the activity you're going for.

Photos
John McLaren Park - Jerry day

Jerry day

John McLaren Park - Jerry day

Jerry day

John McLaren Park - View of the city

See all

View of the city

Philosopher's Way Trail - Plaque along trail

Philosopher's Way Trail

4.5(4 reviews)
1.8 miVisitacion Valley

The Philosopher's Way trail, designed by artists Peter Richards and Susan Schwartzenberg, goes in…read moreand around John Mclaren Park in SF. On a Thursday afternoon, I started my exploration of this unique pathway in the small parking lot on Mansell Street. Stone markers with arrows (more like triangles) led the way through the trail, which consisted of changing terrains and settings, from lookout points with magnificent views to dirt pathways through the forest. It was a nice hike with plenty of detours and lots of sights to see, like the ducks swimming in the mclaren upper reservoir, and climbing the philosopher's hill to check out the labyrinth rock pattern. And of course, about 14 "musing stations" to be found along the route, featuring plaques etched with thought-provoking quotes and images, sharing words of inspiration as well as descriptions about the interesting history of the surrounding area. Some of these plaques were dirty and scratched up, but most were legible and worth taking a moment to reflect. All in all, a great trail.

A lovely trail with my dog walking along tall grass and wildflowers. I chose the short path. Dog…read moreowners please be aware there's lots of foxtails on the path and some parts are narrow. I redirected and picked up my dog on those parts. Hike was short, peaceful with birds chirping along the way. At some point there was a view of downtown framed by trees.

Photos
Philosopher's Way Trail - Plaques along trail

Plaques along trail

Philosopher's Way Trail - Plaque along trail

Plaque along trail

Philosopher's Way Trail - Trail (John Mclaren Park)

See all

Trail (John Mclaren Park)

Bernal Heights Park - dog_parks - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...