Great San Francisco Sanctuaries for You and Your Dog

Rebecca K. Sang

Even more than wanting companionship, sometimes we get dogs to reconnect to nature. Nowhere else is the separation-from-natural-world epidemic more evident than in large cities like San Francisco. Many of us urban dwellers find ourselves locked in sheetrock rooms the majority of our days. Too many weekend getaway plans get pushed off into the oblivion of “someday.”

Getting a dog, however, can change that. Just being in their waggy-tailed, panting, slobbery presence helps us remember the greater-than-human world so easily forgotten in our daily day planners-dictated grind. Their need for the great outdoors forces us to stop ignoring ours.

Luckily for us who live in San Francisco, 17 percent of our fair city is devoted to green spaces, from parks to community gardens to nature preserves. The plethora of places perfect for you and your pooch to reacquaint with Mother Earth can make you dizzy, so we polled some of our city’s esteemed dog-walkers to discover the best picks. Here they are for your enjoyment.

Baker Beach: bare beauty

Baker Beach holds the dubious distinction of being the only beach in Northern California at which it is acceptable for both two and four-legged friends to go au natural. While this may deter some (yet motivate others), it is only one of the milieu’s many intriguing qualities. Fishing poles are a frequent feature here, sticking spear-like out of the sand, as are surfboards. Swimming is not encouraged because of a strong undertow.

The north end of the beach graces dogs and their owners with spectacular views of Golden Gate Bridge, which seems nearly close enough to taste, as well as the Marin Headlands, which curve around the bay like a friend’s arm over your shoulders. Hiking down to the South end of the beach takes you past nasturtium-clad cliffs to craggy rocks covered in mussels and seaweed.

Crissy Field: Nature for the social butterfly

Once when I told a friend of my interest in becoming a dog-walker, he asked if I was trying to find a way to meet other singles. I wasn’t, but if that was my aim I’d certainly take Fido to Crissy Field. In addition to sporting lovely views of the Bridge, Alcatraz, and a stunning array of sailboats, Crissy Field on a sunny day is often almost overrun with people: families with small children, romantic couples strolling along the boardwalk, and, of course, leashed Labradors and their languid owners.

This area was a originally a rich salt marsh where native tribes gathered. Many types of wildlife once made this strip of seaside dunes their home; your chances of seeing one today are slim, but the staff claims the occasional seal still stops by.

More interested in people-watching than seal-spotting? Crissy Field offers shade-grown coffee, fresh organic orange juice, and cozy outdoor seating at two small cafés along the boardwalk in addition to picnic tables and benches galore for you and your dog to sit a spell.

Fort Funston: Vast vistas for the weekday warrior

Urban-adventurers will find Fort Funston nothing short of jaw-dropping spectacular. Labyrinths of brush and trees, sand dunes that conclude in cliffs covered in sea fig blooms, and vast vistas of water and sky, at times dotted with hang gliders and/or cavorting hawks, beg exploration.

Any place where two ecosystems meet will have unparalleled diversity; Fort Funston’s beauty is certainly a case in point. The seaside cliffs melt into disheveled abundances of eucalyptus and willow, creating a fragrant sanctuary far removed from car exhaust. Your furry friend may have trouble staying focused, so you’ll want to be watchful near the highway and cliffs that soar above Ocean Beach. The story of a dog that fell half-way down (later retrieved by a search and rescue squad) has had many a dog-walker firmly gripping her leash even though the park permits off-leash walking.

In the golden post-workday hours you’ll find the park rampant with delighted dogs and sanguine owners, especially near the “Watering hole” just above the Sand Ladder that leads up from the parking lot. If the call to adventure is more appealing than yet another game of fetch, you can take the Sunset trail at the rear of Battery Davis for views of Golden Gate Bridge and the Cliff House or follow the trail that runs southerly along the bluffs for a more meditative stroll.

McLaren Park: South side hidden gem

Like the bratty kid-sister of Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, McLaren is often overlooked and under loved. This park possesses the kind of beauty that residents in less spoiled cities yearn for.

The 318 acres of sprawling grasslands, stands of pine and cypress, and cultivated native and non-native plants are located handily close to the Mission and Bernal Heights. McLaren boasts two large bodies of water, the reservoir and McNab Lake, which keep city hikers and their canine friends cool and relaxed during hot summer days.

Seven miles of improved trails, which contour gently along hillsides but never get too steep, make a great gentle walk for an older dog or an overworked and under slept human. The surrounding scenery proffers a plethora of sights to spice things up: honeysuckle vines, blooming asters, scrub jays, hummingbirds, and the occasional egret.

The Presidio: the dog walker’s paradise

The Presidio gets props for its sheer size: over 1,480 acres of rolling hills, springs, redwoods, wildflower meadows, and historic buildings, this national park is the world’s largest to grace a city.

In winter, this park can seem like the world’s largest mud puddle, especially if you happen to be visiting with your favorite shaggy golden retriever or (God help you) a fluffy Pomeranian.

When skies clear, you can see that all that water has gone to good use. Open fields erupt with bold golden field and tidy tips, spunky orange poppies, and rambling blackberry vines; beneath trees, calla lilies and wild irises wave with elegant simplicity. I’ve seen many a dog standing haunch-high in the springtime grasses, happily nibbling and looking for all the world like a cow at pasture.

The Presidio is the place for dog-walkers, so you’ll have lots of company. If you’re especially keen on socializing, try parking near the baseball field on Portola or near El Polin Spring, both accessible via the Lombard Gate on the East side of the park. With some luck you should be able to find Inspiration Point which offers a stunning view of the Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts, and grove upon grove of redwood trees planted by the Army years ago. Otherwise, feel free to play it by ear. You’re bound to come across something to delight your senses no matter where you go.