Golden Gate Heights Park

Discovered this park last Fall, while out climbing the Secret Garden Steps on Ortega. AMAZING!

Great little park. Scenic views. Perfect for dogs.

Just happened upon this site today after a walk up the Moraga Staircase. It is a very tranquil spot up in the Golden Gate Heights area. It is a hidden spot up above the Sunset district which means it is very quiet. Looks like a nice area to live or just to walk around. The GGH Park is a nice park. Not crowded at all. It is like nobody knows this area exists. There are some nice homes in the area and some windy streets which means not too much traffic. If you are in the area take the Moraga staircase and go up the block to the right and you will hit the Casecade Staircase and take that and keep walking and you will hit GGH Park. Happy Hiking!

Best secret gem neighborhood in SF = Golden Gate Heights. If you’re looking to buy property, this place is it.

After I moved to the area, I was delighted to find this wonderful spot, perfect for a picnic, some exercise, or a quiet (albeit slightly bumpy) tennis game. There’s a small playground for children, and a water fountain. The park also contains a shocking amount of natural forest for its size with some trails and an excellent view. There are always people walking their dogs here, or throwing a ball.
The tennis courts are seldom full, which is awesome, but the courts need resurfacing badly and often have significant debris from the trees overhead.
Because there’s a water fountain, this is a particularly great spot to pause your sunset stair-​climbing adventure or hill run. It’s a great place to know about, and somewhat hidden. I’ve never seen it crowded.

This is the greatest park I have ever been, and I am from New York City. It’s perfect for spending your weekends, for go running, for longboarding… Look for the waterfall and the botanic garden.

Tucked away somewhere in Inner Sunset District (or Golden Gate Heights District) and hidden behind Grand View Park and the Moraga Steps is this place; Golden Gate Heights Park.
The neighborhood is nice, peaceful and very tranquil. I think only the locals who live around this area know about it, so now its on blast because I just found it!
I feel bad for the tennis courts because the concrete is uneven, cracked and aging. Dept of Park and Rec just failed in keeping it up to date. I saw a few kids get some scratches when they tripped over the cracked concrete.
There is a children’s play structure here, a bit old and outdated, but this small patch of space is enough for someone like me to sit and take a break from the bustling metropolitan life. Ahhh nature.
OH AND THERE’S NO SMELLY CRAZY HOMELESS PRICKS AROUND HERE EITHER!!!

This is a nice little neighborhood park. Youngsters train in the tennis courts, young families bring their children to the miniscule playground, people use the field to play frisbee or throw the ball around with their kids. And yes, people bring their dogs here and some keep the leash on the dog and others let their dogs off leash. People and dogs share the field, it’s not a big deal. There are plenty of baggies and trash cans to clean up after the pooches. There is one paved trail which is a little uneven and some little dirt paths that are fun to explore. In the lower field, there is a nice old fashioned swing hanging off a tree.
Alas, not all is well in paradise. There are some huge mosquitoes what bite right through your jeans. Most people who use the park are fine sharing the park with dogs while others feel compelled to spread feces on the benches, steal the poop bags or verballly harass/​assault elderly people and or women.

This park is SO beautiful. And it has so much life inside it, too. But it doesn’t feel packed with people like it would in most cities.
We had lunch here after a trek from La Fromagerie in Dog Patch, and it was totally worth the wait. We just walked around until we found a nice place to sit, which didn’t take too long. So gorgeous there. I’ll definitely want to visit again.

Yay! I’m a fan!
This was a destination on a walk we started in the Mission. So pretty much 4 miles — all up hill.
And was it worth it? Yes.
This park is small, tree-​lined and has a few winding paths that snake through the woods. You can see the ocean from the benches when you catch your breath.
There are dogs there! They are friendly!
And there’s a swing. How lovely.

Likes: I stopped here when biking around SF one day and thought it was really pretty. There’s a park with green green grass around, a small beach, residential houses (maybe someone famous too), you can see the golden gate bridge, people bring their dogs (or other people’s dogs I dunno). Just bring a sweater because it gets windy

Great spot in San Francisco’s Sunset. Ideal for dogwalkers, kids, tennis players, joggers. A hike if you’re walking, but worth it for the views of the ocean and the surrounding neighbour hoods. Spend some time on your tai chi in the wonderful trees, breathe in that clean air and look around at the beautiful oceans, hills, and let life pass you by in the wonderful city of San Francisco!

Golden Gate Heights Park is tucked away in the quiet residential area in the Inner Sunset (or specifically known as the Golden Gate Heights district).
This park offers decent views of the inner and outer sunset districts, but a lot of the trees tend to get in the way. Anyway, this is more of a strolling-​around-​type of park because there are a lot of trails. The open grass area isn’t that large, but it’s large enough for dogs and kids to run around. The playground for kids is small, and there’s only two slides. However, I really like the wooden swing hanging from a tree branch. It’s pretty sturdy (for the time being).
The two tennis courts are a shame. The ground is uneven (lots of cracks), and the color is faded. Nevertheless, these are usually free when the nicer, well-​kept JP Murphy courts are occupied. Also, because of all the surrounding trees here, you have a lot of shade even when it’s still early in the afternoon. In other words, these courts are decent enough to play tennis on a warm day in SF without the sun exposure.

Great trek to the top. I try and make it every chance I get for excercise and a wonderful treat at the top while I pass out into darkness.

Sweet little park with spectacular views — I have gone here since I was able to drive. A friend and I would catch the sunset and think we were cool.
Now we just now know we’re cool. ;)
I do love playing tennis here. It’s never crowded at the times we’ve ventured which is earlier than most people think of waking up. The area (Grand View) is absolutely gorgeous, very special and yes, your trip here is not complete without hopping your butt on the tree swing that beckons and promises fun.

This is not Turtle Park aka Grand View Park, no, it’s not.
I can’t say I was overwhelmed with this park, but it is pretty cool for a tiny piece of greenery up in the sunset hills. I walked through the park down to some short trails through the trees to get a glimpse of the whole Sunset district sprawling out before me.
I did see the swing on the hill below, on my back to my car. I did not trek down there to swing in it though. Maybe next time.
There seemed to be some kind of dog social event going on when I was here on the weekend, so silence and stillness it was not. I felt like it was some neighborhood shindig mixed up with something else; there were snack and drinks being sold, and it all seemed very odd, so I made a bee line through it and past it. The end.

My favorite thing about this park is that there’s a swing attached to one of the trees. You must be thinking, it’s just a swing. but swinging to me is like the closest thing to flying.
Plus, you can get a great view of the sunset here.

shhhhhhhhhh.
Till all you can hear is the sound of your flip-​flops aching to get up the steep side-​walk incline, and the sound of your heavy-​ing breath.
Each step — the air becomes more robust. More clear.
You stand beneath a statuesque pillar of grey steps — with the words Golden Gate Heights Park carved into them.
You begin to ascend them.
Quick steps. Two sets of them.
Until you’re staring at a massive grassy mound of lush-​ness, which winds up to pure serenity.
Feeling the dirt pass through your flimsy flops as you make your way up it — you find a solitary green bench.
Just sitting there. Still. Lovely. Looking onto one of the most spectacular cities. Beyond rectangular pastels — to glassy sun kissed water. To rolling green. High arching red.
Don’t talk.
Just sit.
Take it all in.
With big breaths.
Let your shoulders down.
Let the wind cut your hair into sharp blown wisps.
And remember.
That when things get busy.
Get stressful.
That there is more.
More — than what keeps us up at night.
More — than the stuff that fills up our E-​mails boxes.
There is more than the bubble of our lives — which we cling onto — gasping for air.
Climb Golden Gate Heights Park and let your lungs open up and inhale… more. More.
then Exhale.
Honestly.
Trust.

This is our dog’s new favorite park. Or maybe it’s his owners new favorite park because it’s only a few blocks from our house. We also love this park because we get a combination of a park setting, trails, and a jaw dropping ocean view of the setting sun — all while exercising (aka tiring out) our dog.
Don’t get me wrong, our pup still goes ga-​ga over Stern Grove Park!!! GG Heights is on our growing list of amazing dog friendly/​human enjoying parks in the city.

Grand View Park, with its iconic profile easily visible from the Sunset neighborhoods, is for many the symbol of Golden Gate Heights. This has, in fact, led a number of people to refer to it as «Golden Gate Heights Park», which does a great disservice to the *real* Golden Gate Heights Park, about half a mile to the south. Then again, maybe that helps keep this place a secret for the locals.
While Grand View Park is primarily a vista point, GGH Park is a true neighborhood park, with picnic tables, tennis courts, a playground, meadows to let your dog run around in, and a surprisingly extensive forest that, on a foggy day, is just as atmospheric as anything on Mt Sutro or Mt Davidson. Highly recommended for those trying to find a tranquil, forgotten spot to relax in this bustling city.