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Strawberry Hill

4.8 (119 reviews)

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Steve A.

Climb up here to get a good look at San Francisco and the whole Bay Area. In Golden Gate Park in the middle of Blue Heron Lake is this hill with a good view of all around it. Strawberry Hill is the top of a long climb on the island in the lake. At the top is a flat area to rest for a bit. There's sights and good opportunities for selfies. Best view of the city. It's a long way to get to the top. The hill is in the middle of an island in this man made lake but it's worth getting to for the whole city and whatever. On the way is winding trails going up the hill. You can also check out the waterfall. At the top is pretty much flat. The views are kind of obscured by trees. Check out the ruins of the Sweeney Observatory, which was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. There's only the foundation left but it's a cool artifact to look at though. Has a lot of natural beauty about it. It's funny though because the lake and everything in it was man made. This still doesn't mean everyone can't get to the top and enjoy the great views.

Pretty wildflowers on the walk up
Dale S.

Strawberry Hill is a great place for a nice walk to take in nature. There is a mostly even trail up and places in the shade to lay a blanket and relax a while. There are lots of pretty things to see along the way as well and if you want to tire out the kids or dogs, I recommend making the trek. Parking can be a challenge and this location gets pretty busy, even on weekdays so don't expect total peace and quiet or you will be disappointed. Also be sure to check out some of the other great places nearby like the lake.

Nancy C.

Quick take: tiny island This is a tiny island in the middle of Stow Lake. Steep and short hike up the stairs or the trail way will bring you to the top. Strawberry Hill is also butterfly hill at times. The Golden Gate Bridge is visible at the top. The Star Wheel and the deYoung observation deck are also visible from the top. Decline and veer to the right to catch the waterfall and staircase down to the lake and the Golden Gate Pavillion. This is a nice area to visit if you are already inside GGP.

strawberry hill
Amrita N.

loooved this place, it was like a cute hike within the city! not very hard and really pretty views. we went on a cloudy day but on a sunny one, its very worth going to the top!

Montage of images from Strawberry Hill
Ed U.

Wasn't it Richie Cunningham who sang "I found my freedom on Strawberry Hill". OK, it was Fats Domino, and he was actually reminiscing about finding his thrill on Blueberry Hill. I wouldn't say I found my thrill on Strawberry Hill, but a pleasant walk around this manmade island in Stow Lake awaits your bucolic pleasure. I didn't even know the island had a name since it was all Just Stow Lake to me. It's named for the strawberry patches that used to grow wild on the island, but they disappeared a long time ago. Indeed it's Strawberry Hill that has the Chinese Pavilion as well as Huntington Falls. Gee, I didn't know the waterfall had a name, too. Walking up to the top of the hill isn't that challenging on the circular path, but the panoramic views you would expect are somewhat obscured by the trees. It's really the flora and fauna that make the short hike most worthwhile. There are two bridges that connect the island to the mainland, so you won't be stuck. Perhaps you can find your freedom on Strawberry Hill. A thrill not so much. RELATED - Exploring Golden Gate Park? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37IV1wZ

Joan W.

This hike encompasses many of my favorite things: views, wildflowers, and waterfalls. At the top you can see the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin in the distance on the north end and the southern end Mt. Sutro, Grandview Park, and the Ocean. During the spring expect to see a lot of miners lettuce, yellow oxalis, and lilies. The name is confusing because there are no strawberries there yet apparently back in the day there were many strawberry bushes before non-native plants took over. I read somewhere that Lars Ulrich of Metallica would go to keggars on the top of the hill with his friends back in the early 80s; amazing times. The hill is the highest point in Golden Gate park at about 420 feet. To walk around Stowe Lake with Strawberry hill is around 2 miles.

May the 4th be with you!
John G.

Strawberry Hill is an actual hill in the heart of Golden Gate Park and acts like an island surrounding the man-made Stow Lake. There are two bridges that connects the island hill to the mainland of the park. If you grew up in the city, you're aware of the urban legend regarding the White Lady of Stow Lake. Supposedly, in the early 1900's, a Victorian-era mother of three was enjoying the park and had her youngest child asleep in a stroller. As she was chatting with another mother, she didn't realize that the stroller had rolled in the lake. Panicked, she was searching for hours and was unable to locate her child. Grief-stricken, she took her own life in the lake leaving her two other children behind. Since then, visitors of the park have encountered a lady dressed in white begging for help to find her child in the lake late at night. I don't know if this is true, but back in High School, a group of us went here late at night to search for the white lady. As we crossed the bridge and proceeded up the hill, we encountered a ghostly figure at the top, which scared the bejesus out of us. The dark figure suddenly started moving as it wailed expletives towards us. It turns out it was homeless person sleeping on the hill. Talk about wetting your pants. The hill is named after the wild strawberries that once lined and decorated the exterior of the hill. In it's heyday, the sweet smell of wild berries and strawberries was intoxicating to the senses, especially after a downpour of rain that unleashed the pleasant smell in the air that locals fondly remember from their childhood memories. The hill measures about 430 in the air, which makes it the highest point in Golden Gate Park. On top of the hill is the Sweeney Observatory ruins, built in 1891 as a public viewpoint and was subsequently destroyed during the 1906 earthquake. However, locals still enjoy the views from the top, although the surrounding trees now obscure most of the views. There's still lots of activities do to here where people jog or walk the trails and steps surrounding the hill. It's a pretty easy trek, but being on this hill feels like a nature oasis in the middle of the city. One can spend hours here just to enjoy the fresh air or watch and listen to the birds and ducks flying and swimming, calling this home. If you need a break from the shelter-in-place, head to Strawberry Hill to escape this madness as it offers tranquility and some mental relief from all the negative energy surrounding us.

One of the routes to the top
Elaine N.

I love this area of Golden Gate Park! This is my favorite place to visit since you get nice views of the city as you go up this hill! It's an easy and short trail with a waterfall too (~15 minutes to hike up to the top). There's also no fee to get into this area of the park unlike how there's a fee at other areas of Golden Gate Park. Since there's no fee, I always bring my friends, family, small dog, and others here with me. They all loved this area of the park because of the easy hike up to the top where you can reward yourself and take a break by enjoying a picnic at their picnic tables. I'd recommend this place! I've been here many times and it's a nice little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the busy city life without actually leaving the city! People I bring here are always shocked that a lake and hill like this are in this city and tell me it doesn't feel like they're still in San Francisco. If you need a quick way to de-stress, then this would be a great and cheap way to help with that!

October 2020: dirty lake
Jocelyn C.

So, we actually parked a little bit far from the actual waterfall. We went up hills, then down, to get there, not knowing that there was actually parking near the pagoda and the waterfalls. Oh well, next time we know. Getting to the waterfalls, was pretty nice and breezy, because San Francisco was actually pretty hot that day. So, managed to take our photos and videos, and it was just nice to see nature like this. The 4 stars goes to the beautiful waterfall. I didn't give this area 5 stars because, The Pagoda was nice along the way, but when I looked at the little pond around it, there was no sign of any fish at all. We saw one dead fish. Gross, and they need to keep up with this, because this is such a beautiful area to be in. Plus, that is bad for the tourists to see. I am from the bay area, but to show that to others, is kind of embarrassing. So, please take care of that lake whoever is in charge of this, and if you are reading this. Other than that, I was satisfied checking out the waterfall. Beautiful.

Lydia Z.

A perfect and quick trail to do in the morning right before lunch or dinner in the sunset. It's fast, nicely shielded, serene, easy, and yields amazing views of the city. In addition, there are a ton of birds, ducks and flora to appreciate. At the summit (~20min to reach at a leisurely pace) you can see the golden gate bridge peaking over the Presidio, the grad UCSF Parnassus campus perched at the foot of Mount Sutro, and of course, the pacific ocean lining the jagged box-filled hills of SF. There is also a small (slightly hidden) and more direct path down the summit (near the burnt hollow tree stump).

Samantha L.

This was hands down the most beautiful hike I've ever been on. There is a lot of parking surrounding the lake. When on the outside trail of Stow Lake there was heavy foot traffic. Still everyone wore masks and kept their distance. Once you crossed one of the foot bridges onto Strawberry Hill there was less people. Also the earlier you come the less people. When we got to the park around 10:30 there wasn't many people but leaving around 1:00 there were a good amount of people. We came on such a beautiful day. So rare we came and it was 75 degrees and sunny no wind or fog. Literally a perfect day. If you follow the main trail the hike is pretty easy. Mostly a small incline. If you hike up through the stairs on the waterfall that's a little more tough because the steps are tall and narrow. Still not bad because the elevation is not much. You are given amazing views through the whole hike. The water fall is amazing, the lake is stunning with wildlife and paddle boats. Once you are at the top you can see the golden gate and have great views of the city and ocean. Stunning. This is a most go! I will be back. Absolutely spectacular.

View of Sutro tower
D.wight L.

It's unfair to review Golden Gate Park as a whole IMO. There are so many pieces to it that make up the whole. Strawberry Hill is one of those pieces that add so much charm to this legendary urban park. It is a small hill that can be walked around in less than an hour. It elevates a little of 400 feet into the air so there are some nice views up on top. With Sutro Tower and the hill it stands on in glaring view from one angle. On the other side you can see the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge with the trees from the park and probably The Presidio to obstruct the bottom part of the bridge. There's a steeper route (stairs) to get to the top and there's a more gradual grade (trail) that goes more along the circumference. So you get a choice on intensity. Now this hill is also an island. The whole hill is surrounded by Stowe Lake, which is more like a moat than a lake IMO. So the stroll around the hill has a constant water feature that will include water fowl and a couple of bridges to mingle with. I love to come early in the mornings when it is easier to park and the crowd density is really thin. For being dead smack in the middle of urban living, one can still find a level of peacefulness that you would have to otherwise drive out of town to experience. To that my fandom retains at Strawberry Hill.

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Ask the Community - Strawberry Hill

Can you have a picnic?

Yes, there are some picnic tables around on the island.

Are dogs allowed?

Yes, there are many dogs around.

Is there an entrance fee?

No fee, I went around 8am less people.

Is parking free? Is there a sign designated for parking to know where to park?

You can park around the lake and then cross a bridge to get on the center island.

How much is the entrance?

There is no entrance fee.

Is it worth going to at night?

Yes, except you can't park here at night.

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Review Highlights - Strawberry Hill

You must first cross over one of the two bridges over Stow Lake to get to the island with Strawberry Hill.

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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.

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Mission Creek Park - A nice stroll along Mission Creek Park's promenade will lead you to Oracle Park.

A nice stroll along Mission Creek Park's promenade will lead you to Oracle Park.

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This park along Mission Creek is for walkers and dogs with nice sloped lawns for children and pets.

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Strawberry Hill - parks - Updated May 2026

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