The best things to do outside in San Francisco

Tucked along the southern edge of Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Botanical Garden is a riot of color and botanical diversity. More than 8,000 different species of flowers, trees and shrubbery from around the world bloom within its 55-acres in collections that include ancient plants, Latin American and Southeast Asian cloud forests and a Japanese-inspired moon viewing garden. Keep an eye out for the garden’s magnolias — they are the most important assemblage of the trees found outside of China.

Rent a bike at Crissy Field or bring your own for an iconic San Francisco ride to Fort Point, a national historic site at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way catch views of Alcatraz Island, Angel Island and Tiburon across the bay. If you crave a ride longer than the four-mile round trip, head to the pretty lawn at the Palace of Fine Arts for a picnic or cruise to Fort Mason for a bite at the OG farm-to-table restaurant, Greens.

While the weekly Friday-night food-truck party Off the Grid is on hiatus, the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture is filling the void with Fort Mason Flix, a pop-up drive-in theater on the waterfront. Movies, ranging from kid-friendly animation to comedy classics to film festival darlings, play Tuesday through Sunday nights at 5:30pm and 8:30pm. Advanced tickets highly recommended.

Though the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is less than 30 miles from San Francisco, an expedition to its shores feels worlds away. The collection of rocky isles and sea stacks in the roiling Pacific Ocean attracts a massive colony of seabirds, five species of seals and an alarming number of great white sharks. All-day boat trips to the Farallons also frequently encounter gray, blue and humpback whales and orcas that feed at the islands as they migrate to the north and south.

Throughout the Presidio, there are surprises both beautiful and fascinating but none so charming as the nature-inspired land art of world-renowned British sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy. Walk the park’s trails to get a look at his two most famous San Francisco pieces, Spire, located on the Bay Ridge Trail, and Wood Line, located on Lover’s Lane. Two more recent Goldsworthy works, Earth Wall and Tree Fall, are found at the Presidio’s Main Post. Free.

After years of planning, the San Francisco Crosstown Trail officially opened in 2019, a 16.5 mile route from Candlestick Point State Recreation Area at the southeastern end of the city to Lands End at its western edge. Divided into five sections, the trail traverses through a number of neighborhoods and open spaces including McLaren Park, Glen Canyon Park, the 16th Avenue tiled steps, Golden Gate Park and Baker Beach. Signage is limited so download the route map before heading out on foot or via bike — it’ll also tell you where to find restrooms along the way. Free.

Over the last year, DistrictSix has evolved from a street food park into a one-stop outdoor destination for everything from food to fitness to haircuts. Every Friday night, though, DistrictSix elevates their game, turning their 11th Street space into themed mini-festivals complete with local vendors, live music and carnival games. Beer, wine and a curated selection of food trucks are also available on site. Entry is free.

There aren’t many places in the city where you’ll find better people watching than on this grassy knoll in the Mission. While Dolores Park is lively any day of the week, the best days to visit are warm Saturdays and Sundays when the lawn becomes a patchwork of picnic blankets, frolicking canines and overly-indulgent 20-somethings. Grab food and drink from a local market or restaurant — Bi-Rite is less than a block away on 18th Street — and while the afternoon away in true SF fashion. Free.

Among the most heavily touristed areas of the city, Pier 39 and its neighbor Fisherman’s Wharf are a kitschy collection of seafood restaurants, street entertainment and amusement park-style attractions. Best of all is the pier’s sea lion colony, which arrived in 1990 and made itself right at home. Throughout the year, you can watch the rotund pinnipeds sleep, play, grumble and holler from the docks but they peak in the winter months, when as many as 900 animals make a pitstop at the marina. Free.

An 80-year old San Francisco tradition, the free Stern Grove Festival brings musical acts of every genre to the park’s outdoor amphitheater on weekends throughout the summer. Past years have included performances from everyone from Mavis Staples to Ziggy Marley to Fantastic Negrito. The San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Ballet also appear annually. Space is limited so arrive extra early to secure a spot.

Rope swings are hidden all over San Francisco but arguably the most exciting one hangs from a eucalyptus tree in the middle of Billy Goat Hill, an open space on the northern side of the Glen Park neighborhood. The views from the hill, which stretch across the city to downtown and the bay beyond, are nothing short of spectacular. And the feeling of swinging through the air? It just can’t be beat. Free.

Once upon a time, on the western precipice of the city, an enormous swimming pool complex sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Sutro Baths were one of San Francisco’s most popular attractions around the turn of the 20th century and when the site burned to the ground in the 1960s, its ruins were left to molder in the fog in homage. Clamber over what remains then make a stop nearby in Lands End. What’s left of a train that once carried swimmers to the baths can be found there, along with a picture-perfect rock labyrinth.