There's a park renaissance happening in the City and if you require proof, look no further than…read moreIndia Basin Waterfront Park. A ton of money has been well spent to turn what was a scrappy industrial waterfront site into a destination. Here, you'll find artfully landscaped (and maintained) paths that loop down towards the water. Along the waterfront, an enormous, clean, concrete platform is stenciled with art and filled with Adirondack chairs and tables. This space can be reserved and given the sunny weather that can often be found here, it should be. A dock extends out into the bay with more seating. A plethora of well-maintained public restrooms have been added to the site along with, on the upper level, a small museum in the old shipbuilder's house as well as a weekend dining pop-up in the "Food Pavilion", featuring a new chef each month. A big (closed on my visit) building on the site is the place where they teach kids to build boats then get them on the water. Swimming lessons are also provided for community members and the little museum lends life jackets for the asking. Within the next couple of years the park here will expand exponentially (the plans can be seen in the museum). They'll include a full-size basketball court, walking paths, a ramp that ends at a clean beach and a whole lot more. But what's here now should be enough to get you there. I wished only that I'd come with a book or a game as those tables and chairs were a perfect place in which to let a sunny afternoon pass. Because I'd brought neither, I settled for a big bowl of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo ($20), prepared by that week's chef. I enjoyed it at the tables up top, then sat around enjoying the big swinging seats they've installed, with gorgeous water views. This newish, continually improving park is worth experiencing. This waterfront will be reclaimed and what's there now provides an excellent taste of what's to come. Good job, SF!

Beautiful park newly remodeled - unexpected in this neighborhood - nice views and pleasant place to…read morebe The general area around here is industrial and not particularly nice - but this park is in sharp contrast to the rest of it. Nearby there is a community center type area with dead lawn and trash but this just a few blocks away is perfect. I give the designers and builders of the park lots of credit. If you live in the city drop by one day - its not that far no matter where your coming from. Take your dog for a new place to walk. They like that. Sniff, sniff, sniff!!!

A good sized park with play area for children, basketball court and ball field. Views and old trees…read moreand lots of space. Lots of benches to snuggle with your boo thang. I remember I once took my Piggy Piggy here. In fact, that was my first visit to this fantastic park. She loved it but didn't like the stairs. She would do five stairs and then need a 45 minute rest. I wanted to go to the top and see the views so I just carried her - she didn't mind - shameless - I loved how based she was - I found that so attractive - so confident. The views here are incredible near the top - you can see in all directions once you clear the trees - all the way to the bay. Its usually got some wind blowing through the old trees and you can hear that as you relax at one of the many well placed benches. Its very romantic. The park is circular in shape and hilly - around the perimeter there is tons of parking - I sometimes dream of living across from a park like this where I can enjoy all the green and have none of the work. Probably a park where you would never see it unless you live nearby. The best part of having a dog is that if forces you to try something new every day as they like to sniff around and act as if they are Christopher Columbus with this instant attitude like they were the first to find this place and now own it if they tinkle or sprinkle around here and there. How far would I drive to come here? Maybe 14 minutes. 4 stars.

Holly Park literally has to be on my Top 3 list of favorite parks in San Francisco. What I love…read moremost about Holly Park is how you truly get a 360 view of San Francisco as Holly Park structurally is a round park. Whether you are doing a morning walk with your dog with a cup of coffee in your hand, hanging with your friends, taking your child to the playground, basking in the sun reading a book, or sweating off your energy with a basketball game or pickleball rally, Holly Park has space for it all. I could be wrong but I believe there is only 1 playground, 1 basketball court, and 1 Tennis court. There are public restrooms. There is an ample amount of parking despite being a residential area.

Great views and the skate park are the highlights. Perfect for walking your dog or kid. Playground…read moreand varied areas at different elevtions. Unexpected to have such a nice park in this neighborhood. Hunter's Point doesn't bring to mind anything so beautiful - usually you just hear about the toxic levels of pollution that they build affordable housing on top of - but that is a totally different converstion. The park has an elevation that is just enough to get great views from anywhere you look. I think this is the highlight. Hard to believe that such prime real estate was utilized for just a park. Newer everything at this park. Structures and landscape. Nothing is super perfect but it has a certain level of care that is more than good enough. I wouldn't hesitate to drive 5 or 10 miles to get to this park. Dogs and kids will love it.

This must be a hidden gem because it was empty on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon. We found this…read morepark by following the yellow sundial which we noticed sticking out of the trees from miles away. There is a very cool skate park and equally awesome playground, plenty of picnic tables as well all around the park. Views are amazing up here, the city with Sutro tower on one side and the Bay on the opposite side.

I remember this place being sketchy when I was growing up, pretty sure it was a community garden…read morethat was maintained by the neighborhood until it got the funding it needed to open as a park. My nephew and cousin saw this park from the window of Roosevelt's Tamale Parlor and asked if we could go there after we got ice-cream. Sure, why not? So we walk over and have a seat while these pre-teens I'm with are swinging and giggling like little kids. It's nice to see them enjoying the weather outside and physical activity instead of their phones.

Beautiful little park- I was awed by the murals that covered the walls, the lovely flora, and the…read moreornate snake statue that kids could climb on. There's a splash pad area, a see-saw, and a saucer swing swing and that's really it, but it's impressive what they've done with a thin space between buildings- it's really a gorgeous little oasis from the street. There's a shaded area with picnic tables as well. No bathrooms

What I love about this place is that it's a quiet, hidden, well -conceived gem nestled in an…read moreindustrial neighborhood of unfinished afterthoughts. The approach to this recreation area will dare you to turn and flee for your life and offer you multiple opportunities to do just that. DON'T DO IT. If you can just hang in there a little longer and ignore the blight and poverty stricken neighborhood, endure the roads[?] I guess, I don't know what else to call them, if you can just keep telling yourself that some guy on Google Maps said there's a treasure beyond the signs reading "ABANDON ALL HOPE" and "AHEAD, PERIL AWAITS THEE", if you can brave this gauntlet of doom harbingers, you will be rewarded with a paved parking lot with plenty of parking spaces, restrooms, a number of trails with access to multiple day-use picnic areas, and some of the most stunning sea-level views of the San Francisco bay that Northern California offers. And I should know, I'm a black guy. It's a big enough recreation area for every visitor to feel they have the entire place to themselves. Oh sure, there's the occasional naked guy sitting in his car doing drugs and watching porn, but I'm only there on random weekday mornings and occasional Sunday evenings. Just mind your own f**king business and there won't be any problems. In fact, now that I think about it, this place is awful. You should never visit. Your instinct is correct and you should heed every warning. The fresh air and peaceful solitude are toxic for your health and mental well-being. If you want to live a long and happy life, stay away from this recreation area, and definitely don't bring a dog, or some friends, or ribs for the grill, or a drone to fly, or a bike to ride. Just stay home and watch tv because tv is good for you. A 2023 study I just made up shows that 9 out of 10 avid watchers of television were not responsible for the devastating hurricanes that battered communities along the Mexican Gulf. In fact, the study goes on to prove that all 10 out of 10 avid watchers of television were not responsible for anything at all. So, television is your safest bet. Leave the parks and recreation areas to the deadly hook-bearing fishermen with their eerie patience and their "lite-beer", and to those barbarians who partake in the brutal act of the afternoon stroll. They offend me the most.

You are really at the end of the city. I tend to come here only if I'm all hiked out elsewhere…read morebecause it's so far south. It seems like there are 2 areas to park, there is a lot at Harney Way which has a small patch with a trail that is about a .7 mile loop which is good if you wanted something very short. The other parking entrance is off of Gilman Avenue. You used to be able to drive to that entrance from Harney Way but they've recently closed Hunter Point Expressway to cars though you can still walk along the road which is worth it because the trail goes along the water and there is an old fishing pier. A few years ago this street was lined exclusively with RVs so it was a little intimidating to come out here. Now they are gone, and I think plans are to develop the old Candlestick Park into something. To add both trails is about a 2-mile easy walk with minimal shade. Normally this isn't an issue with SF's weather but just to keep in mind if you go on a rare hot day. I love the ocean and being so close to it. There are a couple of little beaches to walk along but it's mainly rocks. The park has kind of a quiet eerie industrial feel, it looks out to Hunters Point and Gantry Crane. In the spring there are tons of amazing wildflowers like mustard, yellow daisies, orange monkey flower, etc. For a list of more SF hikes and walks: https://bit.ly/43PhQtL

Simple, little park within residential blocks. No frills, just a little big of Mother Nature next a…read moreschool, but it breaks the neighborhood up of its houses and concrete.

Great community little park to enjoy watching the sun set over the ocean on a summer day…read more There's a cool community atmosphere here with the garden, a place you can grill food with tables to eat on top of the hill, plenty of tree cover and some short dirt pathways to walk or jog. Parking will likely be tricky - so it's really more for locals within walking distance, and also the playground may be closed if you're wanting to bring family / kids.

It has a water element, a meandering-path element, and a mysterious clubhouse/rumpus room/community…read morecenter element. There are dogs. It's close to honest-to-goodness houseboats. It's close to a library. It's the perfect place to walk, jog, lie on the grass, and people-watch. Did I mention there are dogs? I'm not normally one to recommend spending too much money, but you could do much worse than picking up overpriced sandwiches, chips, and drinks from nearby Gus's, walking to Mission Creek Park, and making a picnic out of it. There's no readily apparent--wink, wink--easy parking nearby, but lucky for you, there's plenty of public-transit access. There are many things I hate about Mission Bay as a new neighborhood, but its park game is right up there with the best of San Francisco neighborhoods. Now if only the esplanade area (north of Mission Creek Channel, between 3rd & 4th Streets) were part of this park, it would be perfect.

I love walking around here and looking at the houseboats. There are about 20 houseboats, and it…read morelooks so quaint. The park itself is very grassy and nice to sit and chill and read or just people watch. Lots of people bring their dogs here. I love being around water and the calmness it brings. It's a nice break from the classic tourist SF waterfront. For a walk it's about 1.5 miles for a loop up to the ballpark and back to the houseboats. I don't like this much as a loop since it's a little industrial for a bit when going under the freeway area, so I tend to just walk through the park across the bridge and back. For something longer, you can add China Basin Park and the Bay Trail to Crane Cove Park. This is better for someone that lives around here or already doing something in the area. Parking on Channel can get very expensive on a meter if there is a game going on at nearby Oracle Park. For a list of more SF hikes and walks: https://bit.ly/43PhQtL

This quaint little park is perfect for relaxation as it's nestled away from the noise. There are…read moreshade trees for us humans & plenty of poop areas for the dogs (and the humans clean up so nothing around to step in) Clean, shade & quiet. It's a great little park for humans with dogs, not so much to for kids as the play area is tiny (and not covid safe right now). There are "regulars" at this park which make conversations intriguing to say the least. Good people with great conversation makes for a nice visit to this hidden gem.

Small park next to the sidewalk. Appreciate the red chairs laid out for anyone to take a seat, just…read morehang out or take a break. Relaxed vibe under the tree for shade There's a play structure for kids