Hiking the Golden Gate Park Trails, San Fransisco

Golden Gate Park, San Fransisco

Last time when I was in. San Francisco, Er and I visited the Golden Gate Park briefly. This time, with my husband, we had more time and could explore the park leisurely. After a fabulous buffet breakfast at the Petite Auberge, we took the #5 bus at Market Street and Powell which took us straight to the door of the park.

 While we were trying to get the exact change to pay for the bus fare, a lady sitting close to the bus driver asked if my husband was a senior to which we said yes. She told us " then you only pay 75 cents instead of the $2.00 regular fare." 

Thanks to her, we only paid U.S.$2.75 one way for our trip to the park. In fact we found the transit system so efficient in San Francisco that we could either walk or take public transit almost everywhere. There was no need for us to rent a car here at all.

The Golden Gate Park Is a huge place covering more than 1000 acres of land, even bigger than New York's Central Park.

De Young Museum , Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

After about half an hour bus ride, we got off at 8th Ave. where most people start their visit. I love visiting the Golden Gate Park because it is more than a park; it is one of the many cultural destinations for visitors to San Francisco.

California Academy of Science, Golden Gate Park

The  de Young Museum, the California Academy of Science are located right inside the park near the 8th Ave. bus stop.

Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, USA

Since we had half day at the park, and it was a beautiful day, we rather spent the afternoon hiking the trail than looking at exhibits in the museums. If it were a rainy day, people could still go to the Golden Gate Gate Park and spend time inside the buildings.

We started our walk on the John F. Kennedy Drive, passing the Japanese Tea Garden and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. 

We did not go into these two places as they each require a separate admission charge around $ 5.00-7.00 depending on the age of the visitor. We figured out there were so much to see while walking on the trail that we would enjoy the awesome scenery for free first.

Golden Gate Park did not disappoint us at all! 

Walking on the trail around Stow Lake, we saw many wildlife;
Birds of different species, 
Ducks swimming leisurely,
Geese flying around chasing each other,
Rustic bridges built in the 1800's and
Old folks feeding and enjoying the birds by the lake while 
Artists sitting still trying to capture the beauty of the park on their drawing pads.

I

Golden Gate Park - a great place to observe wild life

It was a beautiful walk with breathtaking scenery along the way. 

As a beginner photographer, I loved the opportunity of taking pictures of many scenic spots at the Golden Gate Park!

R.T.
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California, USA