John McLaren Park — Attraction in San Francisco

This is one of the best parks I've ever been to. Spread over 300 acres there is something for everyone whether you love nature or like to take the pet dog out for a walk on a trail surrounded by cypress, pine, and eucalyptus trees. There are paved and unpaved trails for walking where you can get a stunning view of parts of the Bay area. There are a couple of duck ponds where you can see the ducks waddling away as well as the Jerry Garcia amphitheatre used to stage plays by school kids and to have other community events. There is also a separate play area for small children as well as space for family picnics. On the perimeter of the park you have the wonderfully named paved looped trail called the Philosopher's Way where people can rest and take in the view. There are several tennis courts, a large baseball practice area, and a nine hole golf course. Toilets are clean and conveniently located. People living in the area may complain about the amount of local and community taxes they have to pay but when you have places like the John McLaren park in your neighborhood you should count your blessings. A daily walk or jog here is a real joy that you'll be hard pressed to find in other urban environments. It's a well kept secret for the neighborhood residents who probably want to keep it that way instead of having crowds come and spoil the rustic charm...

This park is two blocks away from my children’s school. They spend a good portion of their educational time in and around this park. My oldest class has often built TP like structures, so that they can have classroom instruction outdoors in their own little space. Even when they’re not in school, they ask to come here and explore. My children are amazing little hikers and have shown me much more of the park than I ever would’ve discovered on my own. There are numerous playgrounds. Our favorite is the newly refurnished Redwood Playground. But there are several ideal for all ages of kids. In addition to decent picnic areas you may reserve with Rec and Parks.

While we are there, one of our favorite activities, if we are not hiking or playing, at one of the several playgrounds is to construct fairy houses out of found fallen limbs, leaves, moss, eucalyptus leaves, and other found things. When my youngest gets especially creative, he asks me to bring my bow saw, hatchet, and mallet so we can manufacture the pieces we need for his grand ideas. So between the little teepees the classes build together, and my children’s thoughtfully built færie houses, you will find little structures throughout the park. Be careful! They are færie houses after all! Also great for doggos and finding peace. Drive...

Great very large park. It has a large area for dog walking. Large areas for tennis, soccer, and basketball. The trails are very beautiful. They have ducks in one of the lakes. Several "hidden" bridges are nice. The Jerry Garcia Amphitheater is a welcome site. There are great views of the city to which you can take pictures.

There is a blue water tower that you can go to which offers a great view of the whole Excelsior, Glen Park, and Ingleside neighborhoods. The McLaren Upper reservoir is a nice place to to take your dog and relax. There are picnic tables there. It is an ideal place to bring children and have a picnic.

There is a mystery maze on top of one of the hiking paths. The Jerry Garcia Amphitheater is cool because you can do impromptu singing or acting on the stage if there is nothing scheduled that day.

At one area of the park there is hiking trails which give a good view of the Cow Palace and Brisbane. It is on the other side of the park where the soccer fields are. Overall, it is a great park that has something for everyone.

Note: there are a lot of hiking trails since this is a very huge park. You can spend the whole day here and not get to all the trails. It definitely takes multiple days to get all the...