Strawberry Hill

Oh my Goodness! This place always lifts my spirits and the Tony Bennett song, «I Left My Heart In San Francisco» always comes to mind because I spent many many years coming to Golden Gate Park’s beautiful Stow Lake. Strawberry Hill is completely surrounded by man-​made Stow Lake. There are two old bridges that cross over Stow Lake and connects to a scenic trail that goes up and around Strawberry Hill.
On many days I would walk my three little Shih-​Tzus here. I had the father, mother and son. I lived in San Francisco from the age of sixteen until my forties and every single day was a delight. The ballets, plays, concerts, street artists, fairs and parades are like no other city in the universe.
In the 1840’s, San Francisco was just a small port town. Due to the discovery of gold in 1849 and the subsequent Comstock Lode discovery of a rich vein of silver ore in 1859, San Francisco’s population exploded. There were a lot of people that had become wealthy from their profits of prospecting, and mining gold and silver.
1865, San Francisco Mayor Henry Perrin Coon contacted east coast landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmstead, one of the two designers of New York’s infamous Central Park. The idea of designing a man-​made park for the new and prosperous city of San Francisco was emerging as a reality. It took a lot of creative ideas, landscape designing and planning, soliciting the city’s supervisors for approval for the land and boundaries as well as ideas on how to raise the money for this magnificent park, before the actual detailed landscaping began.
Due to politics, It would take a number of additional years before the actual transformation of sand dunes and weeds became bridal trails, rose gardens, the construction of the Victorian architectural arboretum, luscious green ferns, imported trees, and varieties of beautiful flowers and vintage windmills.
The two men who are responsible for the actual creation of Golden Gate Park are horticulturist, John McLaren and engineer William Hammond Hall.
There are many Eucalyptus trees throughout the park. These trees are not indigenous to North America. They were imported from their native land of Australia and planted here, in the park. Today, you will find these green trees thriving throughout the state of California.
Today, there are several art and historical museums, an awesome aquarium and planetarium, rose garden, and a beautiful botanical garden.
There are paddle boats, skates and bicycles that you can rent in and near Golden Gate Park. There is also an enclosed pasture that houses buffalo and a large horse stable as well. Enjoy!

I am from San Jose and was looking for a scenic hike to go on since my son got sick and had to stay home from school. We found this beautiful man made scenic hike on Unilocal and gave it a try. I thought it was going to be more strenuous but it was actually very easy.
I recommend this place to everyone who likes scenic hikes. It was not a very long hike at all and you get to see many beautiful sceneries.
This was quite of a far drive for us because we drove from South Bay but it was worth it. You can find parking along the trails. You won’t have difficult times looking for parking. You can literally find park all around the park. We got lucky and found a spot as soon as we got there. The trail wraps around the park and more.
Those who lives in the area must give this place a try. It’s near The Japanese Botanical Garden.

There’s a little waterfall, small lake where couple boating is allowed, cute ducks and flowers/​animals were live! Cute little park for a stroll. Hiking rate: EASY. Wish it was a little bigger because it just so darn beautiful!

This place is definitely worthy to check out. It is situated in the middle of Holden Gate Park. You can paddle boats for one hours for $ 25. You can see pigeons, birds, blue jay, geese, etc… Short hike for one hour or long hikes for several hours if you want to.

Very beautiful place to boat, hike, and explore! There’s a waterfall, mini bridges, lots of trees, a lake, and so much more to see/​do! It’s a great place with amazing scenery, and also provides good exercise.

Every time I’m trekking through areas that are too flat to be considered «leg-​day», I find myself singing to Clean Bandit: «With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay, strolling so casually.»
This is a casual stroll (15 – 20 minutes there and back) with a bunch of benches, random ducks (particularly mallards), trees, and an Asian gazebo. You’ll find yourself embarking along a whirling path, until you get to the top of the hill with a pretty neat view of the rest of the park.
I guess the shape is similar to a strawberry, but don’t come here looking for strawberries. Come here for a man-​made waterfall and some nice trees without going all the way to Muir Woods.

I love hills, and this hill was no exception. As an avid hiker, I try to climb a hill in each city that I visit in order to connect with the city’s unique nature and observe the city’s beauty from a high vantage point. So with that goal in mind, I set out for Strawberry Hill.
I made the mistake of arriving at Golden Gate Park hours before sunrise. For those considering climbing this hill, I recommend going at a reasonable hour so that it would be easy to find the paths leading you to the top of the hill. Once you find the paths on the side of the hill, the walk up the hill is extremely easy, quick, and can be done even if you were not dressed in hiking gear.
There is sand on top of the hill, so be prepared to wear shoes that you don’t mind getting sand all over. Also, be prepared to bring a nice camera if you would like to take good quality pictures of the views from the hill. Houses and city buildings of the city below can be seen from the top of the hill; however, they are far away enough that it is challenging to take good photos without a good camera. I was able to see glimpses of the golden gate bridge, but don’t expect to see great views of the bridge from the hill.
One of my favorite parts of the hill was not the hill itself, but the areas surrounding the hill. The hill allowed me to admire the beauty of Stow Lake from above. There is also an artificial waterfall on the way to the top of the hill, as well as Stow Lake Pagoda.
Also, this is a great place to visit with your dog — I was surrounded by people walking their puppies for fresh San Francisco area. Spending time on Strawberry Hill made me really wish I had a dog to walk with!
So overall, if you are at Golden Gate Park, be sure to take a couple of minutes to climb Strawberry Hill! It is an easy climb, and worth the trek. (recommended time — 30 minutes)

Strawberry Hill offers a nice natural break from the fast pace of the City. You get to the hill by crossing over one of two bridges that traverse Stow Lake. The hike up the hill is easy and relatively quick. From the top of the hill on a clear day, you see the Bay Bridge, Ocean Beach, and other landmarks. It’s a really pretty and relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

In a nutshell, Strawberry Hill is the perfect hike for when you don’t want to actually hike. I found Strawberry Hill on Unilocal,like a lot of people, and was surprised that i’ve never heard of it! It’s a quaint little hill, smack dab in the middle of Stow Lake. From the outside perimeter of Stow Lake, there are two bridges you can cross to get to the Hill. Once you’re on the inside perimeter of the lake, just keep walking around until you see stairs or a trail heading up to the top.
The hike to the top was less than 10 minutes and not strenuous at all. I wore flats and I was a-​okay! After passing the water reservoir, we got to the top of Strawberry Hill and saw views of the Golden Gate bridge, Sutro Tower, and Ocean Beach. We also ran into a lot of butterflies, which are apparently popular in this area!
On the way down, we ran into the Stow Lake waterfall, which is gaze-​worthy even though it’s man made. We also saw the pagoda. Both are great for photo-​ops!
Overall, Strawberry Hill is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of SF life and just escape to a place a little more quiet and serene. Definitely check it out if it’s a beautiful day and you have nothing to do!

Now that the hot, hot summer weather has subsided, it’s the perfect time to go on a urban hike in San Francisco. Strawberry Hill is a little hidden gem inside Golden Gate Park, perfect for adventurers of any age.
Pro tip: Head towards Stow Lake and look for the waterfall. There’s stairs leading up to Strawberry Hill from there.
The aforementioned stairs aren’t terribly intense if you’re an experienced San Francisco walker — we’re used to climbing crazy hills and inclines. However, if you’re a tourist and used to flatlands, it’s a little intense. But with a little huffing and puffing.
The view from atop Strawberry Hill? On a clear day you can see all the way to Ocean Beach. Butterflies abound and there’s also picnic tables for a nature party.
As you head back down the hill, there’s stops along the way where you can get a closer peek of the waterfall. And at the very bottom there is the Pavillon gifted to GG Park from the City of Taipei.
Not too strenuous, but worth the extra effort.

Such a pretty place to spend the day in San Francisco, away from the city yet right in the middle of it. You can rent row boats, paddle boats for 20 – 25 dollars an hour and float away on the lake.
There’s a lot of picnic tables around the area, which is nice.

I discovered Strawberry Hill unintentionally. My friend and I were taking a stroll around Golden Gate Park after visiting the Japanese Tea Garden. She loves ducks, so we were just circulating the lake. We went to that pagoda nearby and just kept walking and walking… until we ran into this gorgeous waterfall in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. I completely forgot that I was in San Francisco.
We hiked up the stairs then realized there was more to be seen. We continued hiking until we got to the top of the hill and saw the sign that said STRAWBERRY HILL. How fascinating. There is a flat section at the top for a nice picnic (there are tables) but the view is alright. The waterfall is definitely best part. That and all the exercise from walking uphill. I love this hidden gem within Golden Gate Park. It’s absolutely gorgeous and picture-​perfect.

I didn’t even know this place existed. But I am very happy that I didn’t miss the opportunity to explore it whilst at Golden Gate Park.
The trek upward is very easy and short and you reach some picnic tables at the very top. So if you want to have a nice picnic with a scenic view featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, this is a great place to do it!
We found our way up the hill via the bridge — crossed it and followed the trail. I was confused about getting to the waterfall because when you hike up Strawberry Hill, you are taken to the top of the fall.
But there are stairways that lead you down alongside it and once you reach the bottom, prepare yourself for something gorgeous! Coming up the opposite direction resulted in a pleasant surprise. And everything about this part of our itinerary was magical. Don’t forget to visit this place next time you come to the park!

Strawberry Hills forever? I think I’ve got the wrong song stuck in my head. Sorry Mr Lennon, but this has nothing to do with you apparently. Anyways, I’m getting way off topic as usual. Strawberry Hill is a pretty neat little spot in Golden Gate Park! One of those little hidden treasures that only locals seems to know about.
It’s really just a tiny little island on the south side of the park. Pretty easy to get too, and plenty of parking. The hike up isn’t too terrible, but it can surprise you if you’re out of shape (which is most of us, don’t kid yourself). It’s really one of the nicer things to do in the city if you’re with a date, because you can hike up it and explore and see the falls, and afterwards when you’re all hungry, you’re just blocks away from some darn good restaurants.
Very chill little spot in Golden Gate Park!

One of the few places that are free to explore and lots to offer. Fell in love with this place, a must for anyone in the area!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE STRAWBERRY HILL!!! For starter’s it’s SO beautiful and lovely Stow Lake surrounds this beautiful hill. It’s accessible by only two bridge’s on each side. The stroll around the hill is peaceful, if people are obeying the leash law, and there are always little ducklings and geese to feed. The climb to the top is worth is because you get awesome view’s of the Golden Gate Bridge, and downtown. Strawberry hill is not to far from 19^th avenue with all it’s shops and restaurants. Muni is present with the N, 28,7,7R.

Must check out this place if in SF!!! Like many here, we came across this place on Unilocal.Such a beautiful place. Short hike, beautiful butterflies, duckies & a perfect weather made this place on our top ten list for frugal getaway!

This is definitely one of the highlights of the park. It is as if it’s straight from a Nicholas Sparks movie. Everything for a romantic afternoon from boats to rent to waterfalls, pagodas, beautiful flowers, you name it, it’s here. You can easily spend 2 – 3 hours in this breathtaking area. It is truly unlike any other area of the park. If you haven’t been yet, you’re really missing out.

A real nice walk. Not vigorous and just beautiful all around. It’s a hidden gem and I know I will be coming back with my mom and dog.

I don’t want to write this review because this place is so amazing and I want it all to myself. Probably my most favorite place in golden gate Park.
Walk around the hill surrounded by water and ducks.
Over the bridge and up the hill to a 360 view of the city, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Pacific Ocean.
You can rent row boats or food peddled boats on the north side of the hill. I’m not sure about the rental times, but I’ll be sure to rent out a row boat someday soon.
On the south side of the bridge you can find swarms of squirrels running along the walk ways and even running up to you to see if you have nuts for them.