Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco

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By Karen

Updated November 15, 2024

San Francisco's mild weather and beautiful, natural setting give visitors tons of fun outdoor activities to choose from.

Explore all the possibilities, with tips from a local.

San Francisco Bay Cruises

Sailboat cruise on San Francisco Bay

Go sailing out on the Bay, with so many fun ways to get out on the water. Enjoy the amazing views of the city skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Isalnd.

See all the Bay Cruises.

Bike the Golden Gate Bridge

SF Bay view biking the Golden Gate Bridge

Get amazing views from the bridge, and tips for riding a bike down into the town of Sausalito. Route maps, and bike rental advice.

See Bike the Bridge.

Lands End Hike

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Lands End Trail

Enjoy a beautiful nature hike at Lands End, with super views of the entrance to SF Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. A wild area of the city, scene of many shipwrecks.

See Lands End hike.

Go Car Tours

Renting a Go Car in San Francisco

Ride around the city on your own personal audio tour in these fun little Go Cars. Now you can even cross the bridge! Check out the route maps.

See Go Car tours for our experience, and what you should know.

Heron Lake Boating

Paddle boats at Stow or Blue Heron Lake

Rent a paddle boat or row boat to sail around the island at Blue Heron Lake in Golden Gate Park. Great for walks, climb Strawberry Hill.

See Blue Heron Lake (aka Stow Lake).

Lyon Street Steps

View of SF Bay from Lyon Street Steps

Climb the pretty, Lyon Street Steps in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, for some gorgeous views and a bit of exercise.

See the Lyon Street Steps.

Botanical Gardens

Moon Garden in San Francisco Botanical Gardens

Acres of beautiful plants to explore. Check out the Scent Garden and the Moon Viewing platform.

See SF Botanical Gardens.

Seward Street Slides

Seward Street cement slides San Francisco

Fun for all ages! Zoom down the vertical cement slides on a piece of cardboard. Check out the video of my first trip down the slides.

See Seward Street Slides.

Disc Golf in the Park

Disc golf player at basket Golden Gate Park SF

Play a few rounds of disc golf in Golden Gate Park. Check out our experience, and photos of the course.

See Disc Golf in the park.

Mount Sutro Hike

Mount sutro San Francisco hiking path

San Francisco has mountains in the city limits! Explore the woodland trails on Mount Sutro.

See Mount Sutro.

Archery in the Park

Shooting arrow at Golden Gate Park archery range

Golden Gate Park has a nice archery range, open to the public for free.

See the archery range.

Filbert Street Steps

Lush vegetation on the Filbert Street Stairs

Climb the quirky Filbert Steps, view the quaint houses, and maybe get a glimpse of the wild parrots. Plus great views of the Embarcadero and Bay Bridge.

See the Filbert Street Steps.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding in Golden Gate Park SF

Horseback riding in Golden Gate Park is a lot of fun!. It comes and goes so check with us to see what's happening.

See Horseback Riding in the park.

More to explore:

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