Dolores Park is the kind of place that can give you all those San Francisco feels, with green grass covering a slope giving you incredible city views. It’s also much warmer than Golden Gate Park and appeals to locals and visitors. Named for nearby Mission Dolores, the property became a park in 1905 and served as a refugee camp for those uprooted by the 1906 earthquake. You’ll find palm trees, sports fields and courts, off-leash dog play areas and a playground. But the real draw is the expanse of luscious lawn, where scores of people in various states of undress sunbathe, read, do yoga, drink, smoke, play lawn games and socialize on warm weekend days. Bring a blanket and a burrito from nearby La Taqueria.
Why visit? Dolores Park is worth visiting because it gives great views of the city skyline and the bay—and even the East Bay glimpsed across the water. You can take Muni’s J Church line to get here, or the closest BART station 16th Street Mission is a half-mile away. It’s almost 16 acres, giving you plenty of room to roam, which is important since on a sunny day you can find around 7,000 to 10,000 people here sharing the park, according to Mashable. There’s a festive atmosphere when the weather is warm and vendors walk around selling tamales and even crème brûlée.
Fun fact? The park hosts a pissoir in its southwest end on Church Street. This grated hole in the cement has a curving fence around it for privacy—and a white tarp for containment—and was an answer to the problem of people (okay, men) urinating on trees or in alleys. A major drawback, however, was its adjacency to the Church/20th Muni stop. There are 27 toilets in the park, in case your interest in the pissoir doesn’t extend to using it.
What’s that cool building with the towers? You’re seeing Mission High School, but a block beyond that is Mission Dolores, or more formally Misión San Francisco de Asís. Tucked next to the ornate structure is a modest 1700s Catholic church that formed part of a chain of missions along the California coast, each a horse ride away from the next. You can visit this oldest intact San Francisco building and its cemetery which is the only one that remains (with remains) within city limits. Take a self-guided tour Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-4pm, or reserve a docent-led one if you have a group of 10 or more. If you love Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, you’ve already seen some of the mission and its graveyard.
What are special elements of the park? Well, the “fruit shelf” is even marked on Google maps, a grassy ledge that is a popular gay male gathering spot with plenty of gleaming muscles being sunscreened. If you want to don a Speedo and take a “shelfie,” this is where. Another important component is the DoloRainbow Rainbow Bridge at 19th and Church, a pointed-roof bridge painted in rainbow colors and awaiting your Instagram reel. Finally, look for the golden fire hydrant at Church and 20th whose paint gets refreshed every April 18. It was the only fire hydrant that worked after the 1906 earthquake/fire and saved the Mission District.
What’s nearby? You’re walking distance to the Castro and halfway between two French bakeries—La Marais Bakery to the west of the park and Tartine Bakery to the east. The Dolores Park Cafe is at the northeast corner of the park with organic food and drinks served on a spacious outdoor deck. If you want to grab food for a picnic, try Palmetto Superfoods where you can get a plant-based, vegan-friendly Açaí bowl to walk with. Ice cream more your speed? The Bi-Rite Creamery’s practically in the park at Dolores and 18th. Forgot your book? Dog Eared Books is at the corner of 20th and Valencia. Maybe after the sun sets, you’ll walk one block east on 18th for hearty Italian fare at Delfina where pasta is made in-house daily.