Strawberry Hill

Blue Heron Lake and Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park offer a serene retreat with scenic trails, waterfalls, and stunning city views. Paddle on the lake, spot wildlife, or hike up for a peaceful escape. A hidden gem for nature lovers and a perfect picnic spot.

Strawberry Hill is truly one of the hidden jewels of The City that is situated in GG park surrounded by the Stow Lake now Blue Heron Lake where you can rent row and pedal boats from the adjacent Boathouse roaming around the beautiful Chinese Pagoda which is a gift from our sister city Taipei, Taiwan (“ROC” 👏). The vicinity is reachable by multiple MUNI buses line 5, 5R (Fulton Street at 8th Avenue entrance), 7 (Lincoln Way either 9th Avenue entrance or through MLK Jr. Drive entrance), 28, 29 (Lincoln Way and 19th Avenue through MLK Jr. Drive entrance), 44 (8th Avenue from De Young Museum/ Academy of Sciences or 9th Avenue entrance at Lincoln Way ) 43 and LRV N (just a few blocks walking distance from Judah/Irving street through 9th Avenue/ Lincoln Way entrance). Strawberry Hill is said to be named after strawberries found nearby, of which two are known for being “edible” according to AI. And interestingly is also synonymous with native name of San Francsico: Yerba Buena. The Hill has astonishingly beautiful panoramic views of San Francisco, GG Bridge in a distance from topographic Richmond District including Presidio to the north, the dome of St. Ignatius of USF to Transamerica Pyramid to Salesforce Tower and other downtown landmark high rises to the east, Sutro Tower (*weather barometer of SF*😉), Twin Peaks, Forest Knolls, Forest Hill and topographic Sunset to the south and Ocean Beach to the west although the view is often obscured by "Karl the Fog” and deteriorated old trees surrounding the center of the open area, which are the ruined foundations of the Sweeney (often spelled as “Sweeny”) Observatory built circa 1891 as a public viewpoint insisted by Mr. Sweeney who is local landowner and real estate developer for his fame in exchange for monetary donations. However, ironically, it was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake after a lawsuit contesting the observatory brought by his heirs after he died in 1900 which was countersued by the park commission that did not want to name it after Mr. Sweeney to start with in exchange for his tzedakah without being anonymous. [Does it sound familiar to you if you remember the story behind renaming the SFGH?] The Hill has trails that are easy to climb up; however, if you are up for some “combat climbing” burn out more calories you should look for two hidden natural trails without any steps somewhere near or between the two stone bridges. Of course, be aware to avoid stepping on vegetations. The average distance depending on your height is about 18-20 flights, similar to climbing up Lombard Street from Van Ness Avenue. On weekends, mostly Sunday around 11 am, you will run into a self-tai chi group led by an old Chinese man demonstrating his soft slow moving Yang Family Style Tai Chi 楊氏太极拳, subtlety renowned for its soothing caress the infamous “White Lady” ghosting in the morning mist somewhere in the lake where “East meets West” in our beautiful, diversified and harmonious City. Enjoy it!

Beautiful! There was decent parking around the area and wasn't overly busy. Lots of seating and benches to set up a picnic! Great way to spend a Saturday! Parking garage gets really busy the later you wait, so go early! Also pay for your parking immediately after parking. This helps you avoid the long lines later in the day.

Tranquility and beauty are the words that best encapsulate what Strawberry Hill has to offer. Beyond outstanding views of the city, Strawberry hill offers a peaceful environment to relax and disconnect from the city bustling and chaos. Great place to read a book and reflect on matters. Highly recommend!

I came up to Strawberry Hill accidentally and have to say this is the best spot in Golden Gate Park to see the city view of San Francisco. It is a very nice little hill surrounded by Stow Lake. If you don’t cross the bridge, just like me before, you’ll never know Strawberry Hill’s existence. There are a few trails gradually winding up to the hill top. Just follow the main paved trail, you won’t get lost. The hike is short, easy and beautiful.