San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is more than just a strip of nature in a big city, it is, according to SF Gate, "a testament to the will of the city to preserve a place to play, relax and grow culturally." In addition to world-class art and science museums, Golden Gate Park offers myriad possibilities for active recreation including archery, fly fishing, biking, skating, golf, swing dancing, horse shoes, tennis, petanque and dog runs.
San Francisco Botanical Gardens
Fifty-five acres of Golden Gate Park are dedicated to displaying plants, flowers and trees. The Botanical Gardens, formerly known as Strybing Aboretum, includes more than 7,500 varieties of plants from around the world. Plant specimens are divided regionally, so you can admire native California plants, but also a selection from Southwest Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and even the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest. It's a fine way to combine a walk with a little botany lesson.
Academy of Sciences
The newly reconstructed California Academy of Sciences, designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, was built "green." It was constructed of recycled steel and sustainable lumber resources, and it has energy-generating solar panels and radiant sub-floor heating. The roof of the academy is made up of plants, a 2.5-acre, self-sustaining cover of about 1.7 million plants, all native to the San Francisco area. The roof absorbs rainwater and serves as a natural insulator. Admission is free every third Wednesday of the month.
Biking and Skating
Golden Gate Park is bigger than New York's Central Park, but it is laid out in a long thin rectangle running from the Haight Ashbury section of town to the ocean. Seven miles of paved bike trails run through the park and you can pass museums, picnic areas, rose gardens and lush waterfalls. On Sundays, the principal park road, JFK Drive, is closed to motor vehicles and bikers and skaters take over. Bring your own bike or rent one from the bike shops.
Bay to Breakers
You can jog in Golden Gate park any time, but if it happens to be the day of the Bay to Breakers, you won't be alone. Thousands of runners--many dressed in costumes ranging from interesting to bizarre--take to the streets of San Francisco one Sunday in May for the Bay to Breakers run. The 2011 race will be the 100th year for this annual event. The course starts from the downtown area close to the bay, proceeds through the city including Golden Gate Park and finishes in the "breakers" of Ocean Beach.
Stowe Lake
Stowe Lake, the biggest lake in Golden Gate Park, offers paddle boats and row boats for rent. You are likely to see different kinds of ducks and large turtles in or near the water, and hikers enjoying the climb up Strawberry Hill, the man-made island in the center of the lake. As you circle Strawberry Hill, keep your eye out for a pagoda, a waterfall and lots of picnics.
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