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Metson Lake

4.5 (6 reviews)

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Metson Lake in Golden Gate Park
Adam S.

Golden Gate Park is full of some sexy sh*t. I mean, by park standards. It's pretty easy to get lost in the shuffle in a place that has Tea Gardens, Windmills, Bison, Pot-Selling Hippies, Trees, Flowers, Golf Courses (Frisbee and Real), Statues, Trails, Museums... ETC!!! There's a ton of noise and this little lake is like the Oboe in a symphony - it's always there but you only hear it when the rest of the noise stops. (If you know that reference, I just made the liftoff sign in your direction, friend.) Metson Lake is not exactly a hidden gem. It's kinda exactly what you think you would find in Golden Gate Park. By the way, did I mention that Golden Gate Park is the greatest park ever? There are many beautiful little lakes scattered through out the park and this one is not particularly well used. Metson Lake is located directly South of the Polo Fields, up the hill. It has a trail that runs around it and there are many nice places to sit and take in a peaceful moment. It's not exactly off the beaten path, but it's not in a high traffic area so you can avoid the crowds. I'll add two more things. It's a great place to take in some animal life. You can see a variety of birds and an abundance of turtles. ...I wonder how many pet turtles have ended up in Metson Lake. I also witnessed a great moment here when a painter was set up on the shore painting the landscape. There is something about seeing a painter at work En Plein Air. I think it's in one of the photos I added.

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3 months ago

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4 years ago

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8 years ago

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Lake Anza - Lake Anza at Tilden Regional Park - Berkeley, CA

Lake Anza

4.3(103 reviews)
25.4 km

This is an idyllic place to hike and picnic in Tilden. There is a lake (pond?) that has a swimming…read morearea, but I personally don't think it is especially clean for that. But there are lots of turtles and birds to watch. For picnics, there are tables and a large grassy expanse for laying down a spread and also playing frisbee. For a hike, the loop around the lake (pond?) is perfect for kids and adults who are able to climb rocks and scramble comfortably along a few narrow strips of the trail. There is a bridge and an area where kids like to explore the creek. There are other paths off the lake, but those do tend to have more mountain bikes. This is an especially nice park when we have our late summer weather in September and October. Plenty of parking.

Lake Care…read more Recreational swimming reservoir located in Tilden Regional Park that was named after Spanish "explorer" Juan Bautista de Anza. The Good: *Free *Swimmable *There's a beach area** with actual sand *Fishing allowed (w/ CA fishing license [$62]) *±3/4-mile loop trail around the lake that has some gorgeous almost Hoh Rainforest-like vibes (IYKYK). *Restrooms** *Large paved lot The Meh: *Area has signs about a dangerous algae bloom in the water, so if you do go swimming, make sure not to intake too much water--and keep your pets away from it! *There's also signs telling you how to prepare any fish you catch here. The Ugly: *As the signs state "Rough Trail," and boy howdy is it rough. Especially when it's wet, as some of the trails around the backside were ultra thick, slippery mud which had us fighting for our lives! Bring a hiking pole(s) or a hiking stick to help with steadying yourself. Conclusion: Cool spot with a trepidatious hike that's for a good payoff. Gird your loins and just do it! **area was under construction when we visited in Dec '24, but we're assuming it'll be done by summer?

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Lake Anza - Lake Anza at Tilden Regional Park - Berkeley, CA

Lake Anza at Tilden Regional Park - Berkeley, CA

Lake Anza - Lake Anza

Lake Anza

Lake Anza - Lake Anza

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Lake Anza

Bon Tempe Lake - Coming back to the lake.

Bon Tempe Lake

4.5(28 reviews)
22.4 km

This is actually just one of several reservoirs that make up the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. There…read moreare also creeks and a dam that add to the features. One of the main roads to get up there is just above the town of Fairfax in Marin County. It is a windy road but short, like 10 minutes or so. There are also a lot of bikers who like this area, so watch out on those narrow roads. Once you get closer to the park, the pavement stops and you will have to drive on large gravel for quite a bit, so don't be bringing your high end luxury car here. Lol Once there, an $8 parking fee through a kiosk awaits. I did a 6 mile loop starting at the dam and starting on Alpine lake. Easy start for the first mile or so, with most of it being lakeside. Then the middle 3 miles goes deeper into the forest cover and is more strenous, a constant climb that will speed up the heart rate. Love doing this amongst forest air. Deep in city confines...not so much. The descend will bring you back to where Alpine Lake and Bon Tempe Lake meets, by the dam. The top of hike is exposed and rocky but still gorgeous. Actually reminded me a bit of Tahoe with rocky trails and exposed blue skies. There will be a view of the lower elevations of Southern Marin County. There will also be many glimpses of neighboring Mt. Tam. And after that great morning workout, I was able to have a nice relaxing outdoor meal at one of the many charming independent restaurants in Fairfax, just 10 minutes down the road. Great way to start my stay-cation.

A post on NextDoor.com caught my attention. Someone had just moved to the neighborhood and was…read moreasking how they could hike without paying the $8 parking fee they'd noticed in some areas. The deluge of responses made it clear: if you're paying to park in Marin County, you're doing something wrong. With only a single exception in memory, I don't think I've paid to hike anywhere in the county and these days all I do is hike. But, if you want to hike the grounds of the Mount Tam Watershed it is true that there's a $8 cost to that. You can get around this by purchasing an annual parking pass or checking a pass out from the Marin County Library system. Bon Tempe Lake is my favorite hike within this area of the Mt. Tam Watershed. With an easy to follow, well-trod, 4.8 mile path around the lake's perimeter, and situated only minutes from downtown Fairfax, Bon Tempe is a quintessential Marin experience. You're in nature, beside a gorgeous, placidly serene lake yet only 10 minutes from a good brunch or latte. There's nothing difficult about the hike around the lake and though it isn't flat, it's elevations are quite gentle. If you need more, add a loop around Lake Lagunitas (the two paths intersect) to increase your hike by another 1.2 miles. Fishing is allowed here (but no swimming) and the parking area - for Bon Tempe in particular - fills up early on weekends. All the more reason to make time for Bon Tempe on a weekday. There's lots of hiking options here in the Watershed but for my money, the half-shaded-half-sunny path around Bon Tempe is the loveliest of them all.

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Bon Tempe Lake - Morning Blues. (That's Mt Tam out yonder)

Morning Blues. (That's Mt Tam out yonder)

Bon Tempe Lake - Start to climb. Through redwoods.

Start to climb. Through redwoods.

Bon Tempe Lake - Gloomier morning, but it cleared up within an hour.

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Gloomier morning, but it cleared up within an hour.

Mount Tamalpais State Park

Mount Tamalpais State Park

4.8(435 reviews)
17.2 km

Just past SF this park has so many different trail options perfect for all hiking levels. The…read moredownside is this place gets PACKED! My sister and I arrived before 8am at the Watershed parking lot and barely found a space. We did the trail that took us to the West Point Inn for the pancake breakfast and round trip was close to 5 miles so it was a great workout. There's gorgeous views and well! On the way back to the 101 however it's a mess. The road on the way down is crowded with parked cars, which makes driving through challenging. That's the only thing about this park, other than that I'd love to come back in spring when everything is green and vibrant!

My first association of Mt Tam is from Cowgirl Creamery's best seller, Mt Tam Triple Cream with…read moreHeart cheese. Ever since then, I've wanted to hike this peak, today I have achieved my wish. Early June with mild coastal temp, 50s-60s. Started up Matt Davis Trail in the foggy forest, to Pantoll Campground, to West Point Inn where we can look down to the top of the fog layer, to the Fire Lookout building at the Peak. Then we came down reverse but split off to Steep Ravine and Dip Sea trail after the campground. I've also always wanted to climb that ladder. This hike provided views of the Pacific ocean on the West as well as views of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on the East side. I thoroughly enjoyed the cool lush forest, but actually my favorite section was the single track along the slope of the open area after the Mt Tam State Park sign.

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Mount Tamalpais State Park - Yummy time for critters

Yummy time for critters

Mount Tamalpais State Park
Mount Tamalpais State Park

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Blue Heron Lake - Bridge

Blue Heron Lake

4.6(136 reviews)
1.4 km

Pedal boat fun, beautiful waterfall views, a charming pagoda, picnicking by the lake, birdwatching…read more(especially those adorable ducks and geese), appreciating the peaceful atmosphere and surrounding nature... what a great place to be on a calm and cool spring day! This is a lovely area of Golden Gate Park, with a short concrete trail behind the restrooms connecting to the JFK promenade through the trees and greenery (I've trekked nearby parts of GGP many times before and never realized how close I was to this amazing lake and its many features). The food stand at the boathouse was open on a Thursday afternoon, offering a diverse menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and other snacks cooked to order. There are a couple stone/concrete bridges you can cross if you want to climb to the top of strawberry hill at the center of the lake (an easy hike). The parking lot in front of the boathouse has a limited number of spaces available, but there's plenty of free parking on the side of the road as well, bordering and leading up to the lake.

Now Called Blue Heron Lake, this is a favorite with tourists and locals…read more This is a nice easy walk. Great for runners after work as it's very level but might be harder on the weekends because it gets more crowded. I like coming when they have the snack bar open, it's in this cute little Swiss Chalet building which closes around 4:30pm. The snack bar also rents out peddle and row boats by the hour. There are lots of ducks around. I used to come here just to walk around the lake but then realized how close it is to other things in Golden Gate Park like the Rose Garden, and Conservatory of Flowers. You can make a long walk of it. For more hiking ideas, here's a collection of other trails I've reviewed: https://bit.ly/43PhQtL

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Blue Heron Lake - Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Blue Heron Lake
Blue Heron Lake

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Metson Lake - lakes - Updated May 2026

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