Parks in San Francisco Near Russian Hill

Mission Dolores Park combines open lawns with courts, a playground and designated off-leash dog areas. It covers nearly 16 acres and is bounded by Church, Dolores, 18th and 20th streets; the city gives its address as 19th and Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.

Facilities include a soccer field, six tennis courts, a basketball court, a multi-use court and a playground. If you’re meeting friends or bringing a dog, note that the two off-leash areas have their own rules: dogs must be leashed near the athletic fields, playground and tennis courts.

The park is named for nearby Mission Dolores. Before the city bought the land in 1905, it was a Jewish cemetery. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, the park served as a refugee camp for more than 1,600 people who had lost their homes.

Mission Dolores Park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Restrooms have seasonal hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in spring and summer, and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in fall and winter. The dog play areas are open from 5 a.m. to midnight. For current hours and park rules, check the official site before you go.

Plan for limited street parking and use the park’s location to choose your approach: its western edge runs alongside the Muni Metro J-Church line. If you’re bringing a picnic, designated areas can be reserved, but amplified sound, barbecuing and cooking are not allowed. Picnic waste must be bagged and taken off-site, and glass is prohibited.

Mission Dolores Park follows a “Leave No Trace” rule, so take away what you bring. Dogs can run off-leash only in the two designated dog play areas; elsewhere, keep them leashed near athletic fields, the children’s playground and tennis courts.

Golden Gate Park’s car-free route crosses the city’s large park from Stanyan Street at the east end to Ocean Beach and the Great Highway at the west end. The eastern section includes parts of JFK Promenade and Conservatory Drive; farther west, the route includes Overlook Drive, Middle Drive and parts of MLK Drive.

The route is closed to vehicle traffic around the clock, but it intersects or shares roads with traffic at places including Transverse Drive, the Polo Field loop, Chain of Lakes, Lincoln Way and Nancy Pelosi Drive.

Keep those crossing points in mind as you plan your route through the park. For a separate trip beyond the park, you can check how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge from La Casa Inn.

If you want to cover the eastern section without walking the whole way, the free park shuttle serves that area, primarily along JFK Promenade from Transverse Drive to Haight Street at Stanyan Street. Stops include the de Young and Tea Garden, Music Concourse and Bandshell, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, and Haight and Stanyan.

The free shuttle runs seven days a week throughout the year. Its schedule varies by day: Monday through Friday, service is listed from noon to 6 p.m. at 25-minute intervals; on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, it runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every 15 minutes. Some evening service may run during special events.

For connections beyond the park, the Haight and Stanyan stop is shared with Muni lines 7 and 33. Shuttle stops at 8th Avenue connect with Muni lines 44, 5, 5R and 21; stops at 10th Avenue connect with lines 5 and 5R.

The Music Concourse Garage has 800 underground spaces serving the park’s museums and gardens, and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check the official site before you go for current shuttle and parking details.

Lafayette Park is about a 17-minute walk from La Casa Inn.

The park also makes a natural stop on a Russian Hill and Nob Hill walking route.

The waterfront also fits into a walk to Aquatic Park and Fisherman’s Wharf from Russian Hill.