Golden Gate Park is a huge park whose main portion is bordered by Fulton Street to the north, Lincoln Avenue to the south, Great Highway to the west, and Stanyan Street to the east. It has a long strip protruding from the eastern edge that is bordered by Fell Street to the north and Oak Street to the south, coming to an end at Baker Street to the east. The neighborhood north of the panhandle is called NOPA, with the The Richmond and The Sunset to the north and south of the main body, respectively.
A map of the park showing amenities.Golden Gate Park is home to several gardens and museums:
- California Academy of Sciences
- Conservatory of Flowers
- Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers
- Japanese Tea Garden
- M.H. de Young Museum
- San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum
Lots of wild animals and native plants can be found at Golden Gate Park. Its ponds hold turtles, fish, ducks, more ducks, and plenty of flies. The land has squirrels and fun insects. Visitors may occasionally see native quails, too.
In September, the park's wild blackberry bushes give fruit.
There also are several statues and memorials in the park:
Picnics
Golden Gate Park is a great place to host a picnic. There are two types of picnic areas there: general and premium. Most of the sites are general, which cost $27 to rent for the day. There are only two premium sites, which cost $55 for the day. You can reserve an area by calling the Recreation and Parks Department's Permits and Reservations Division at (415) 831-5500. Spots fill up quickly, so be sure to reserve at least a month in advance.
