Sigmund Stern Grove and Pine Lake Park owe their existence to a family of Gold Rush-era squatters and a nature-loving female philanthropist.

Once a treeless hill, San Francisco's highest natural point is an urban forest with a controversial past -- and future.

This Lakeside District playground serves up a dose of recreation in the neighborhood.

Get to know Lake Merced Park and choose from a variety of adventures along its shores.

Turk-Hyde Mini Park and Sgt. John Macaulay Playground are both getting makeovers, and now's the time for neighbors to weigh in.

Named after a celebrated local poet, this park offers some of the best views in the city.

Head to the hills to find a little country in the city.

How these two parks were formed is woven into the city’s complex and controversial land use and redevelopment history.

Delight in the hidden sanctuary of Hyde/Vallejo Mini-Park.

One of the city's first mini-parks is still a favorite neighborhood retreat over 50 years after it was created.

Beckoning from above, Tank Hill is a small park that boasts big views.

If you dream of having your own private garden in the city, look no further than Allyne Park.

SoMa's concrete jungle hides a lush maze of garden greenery.

Designed and cared for by residents, the park and garden have become a key green space for the Lower Haight and Hayes Valley.

Designed to look like a child-sized city, this protected play area invites children of all ages.

The most exclusive address in town welcomes everyone to bask in its beauty.

Historically a place of prominent exhibitions, the Marina Green continues to be a grand stage.

Fort Mason is both neighborhood park and national treasure.

The oldest public plaza in the city is "The Heart of Chinatown" and much more.

A small sliver of open space preserves a piece of Noe Valley’s wild landscape.

One of the city's most notorious land title disputes shaped this Pacific Heights park.

A corporate gift to a neighborhood is treasured open space.

The neighborhood park invites a wide variety of play, for kids, adults, and canines.

Take some time to relax in Bernal Heights’ front yard.

The park and playground offer stunning views of the city and beyond—including a rope swing over the skyline.

Guarded by an army of hand-carved wooden figures, the playground owes its magical appeal to the devotion of a single city gardener.

Tucked off of Taraval, the playground is a long-time family destination.