Hike Strawberry Hill
Nestled in the east side of Golden Gate Park, you'll find one of San Francisco's most quaint day walks. Strawberry Hill is an uphill climb, but you won't need to break out all your hiking gear because the trail is winding and generally gentle. Features of the walk include a waterfall, a stork-viewing lookout, a sloped footbridge and a view of the park from the top.
Boating on Stow Lake
Just a jog from Strawberry Hill, you'll find the city's largest body of inland water. For a small fee and a deposit, boats are available to take out by the hour. There are motor boats, row boats and paddle boats. Paddle boats can provide hours of fun, and they'll give you an afternoon of good exercise. Points of interest on the boating path include turtle point, koi fish, a gazebo and tunnel bridge.
Lobos Creek Trail
If you're more interested in nature views than city parks, check out the famed Lobos Creek Trail in San Francisco's Presidio district. This day jaunt through the coastal prairie on the city's edge has an easy, wooden boardwalk path, which leads you through a historical and natural tour of the area. Some of the plant life you can expect to see along the trail include buckwheat, coyote brush, yellow bush lupine, San Francisco lessinga and dune gilia.
Fishing off the Wharf
Most people have heard of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, but there are two Fisherman's Wharfs inside the city. The less-touristy, more functional wharf is at the short end of the pier, and if you'd like to see real fishermen bringing in their catch, try showing up around 6 or 7 a.m. If you'd like to spend a few hours or a day outside, with the smell of salt air in the wind, go fishing. Fishing gear is available to rent, or a seasoned fisherman can bring his own. Here, a tourist or a local can fish right alongside many professional fishermen and get a flavor the area. You might catch albacore tuna, striped bass, salmon, rockfish or ling cod.
Article Written By Cam Middour
Cam Middour has an M.F.A. in writing from Columbia University, and has worked for "The New Yorker," "Narrative Magazine," and the Poetry Society of America. Her work is forthcoming, or has appeared in "New England Review," "Western Humanities Review," "Sarah Lawrence Review" and others. She has been writing professionally for seven years.
