Sigmund Stern Grove

While Stern Grove is well known for its summer concert series, it also boasts arguably the city’s finest dog park, as well as a beautiful natural lake. The dog run is incredible. It’s essentially two football fields – connected lengthwise – nestled in a valley surrounded by mature eucalyptus trees, which allows even those of us with dogs with less than perfect recall to play off leash without excessive paranoia. My dog loves the ability to run on long stretches of grass, chase and play with the many well-​behaved dogs that come on the weekends, and barnstorm through the woods surrounding the main field. Most days, you’ll find enough dogs and friendly dog lovers to make it social for you and your pup (s), without the park being overrun. The park is also very family oriented, with people of all generations enjoying romps, and very few dog walkers. The one concern I would note is the increasing number of sightings of and encounters with coyotes, so you may want to avoid going too close to dusk or dawn, when coyotes are more active, particularly if you have small dogs. Pro tip: enter the side parking lot on Vale Avenue and Crestlake Drive for easy access and plenty of parking.

Good place to walk dogs and to go on walks or jogs. They have some amazing festivals which are mostly free to all and sometimes have a very minimal entry fee. Great place for family and friends to hang out.

Nice park and looks like it also an excellent wedding venue. Has a large concert area also. Didn’t see too much of the place but what I did was cool and relaxing. Lots of people walking dogs off leash. Not sure you «can» do that but seemed like the norm for most people.
Lots of redwood trees and a cool little pond also. Lots of trails and nature in a valley. Little bit of parking in the park down a tricky to see entrance and hill. Maybe 15 spaces tops so dont count on it being available but lots of parking on the street so should be fine and not a long walk down.

The Scare Grove Event was terrific! The descent down the path through the eucalyptus trees made for a perfect setting for the Halloween party. Scare Grove is definitely the best kids Halloween party in the city. The wide expanse of the park and the stone seating around the amphitheater gave us ample room to relax, eat or just enjoy the show. In accordance with custom, the kids eagerly flaunted their costumes, breaking them in for a night of partying. We give our son as many opportunities as possible to spend time in his costume before All Hallows’ eve. To be sure that he’s comfortable in it before the 3 hour dark trek through our neighborhood.
The craft tables were terrific. My son made quick crafts while I held his place in line for the other activities. His fav. activies were definitely the «make own magic wand,» the face painting and the scamper through the hay maze to the toddler friendly haunted house. We especially loved the carnival rides. The ride staff were extremely friendly, definitely making it a more of a celebration than a mere event. A Juggler and Characters kept the tots occupied in the lines. Older kids weren’t left out either. In the clubhouse, adjacent to Pine Lake, a creepy graveyard path through the trees led you into the haunted house. The live actors dressed as ghouls appearing in front of you and some lunatics stabbing body parts provided enough excitement for terror lovers. I do regret not getting zombie face paint. I was indecisive, as I am partial to being a vampire.
The food truck choices were also diverse and didn’t break your wallet. The heat lamps in the dining section were a bonus. Luckily, the night was warm and we were well sheltered from the wind by the trees. Thanks for another great year SF Rec & Park!

Really nice play area for dogs. If you park near the dog play area it’s an easy (and safe) walk for your pup over to the play area. There are water bowls for the dogs and a path around the lake if you want to take a walk. The one downside is all the foxtails here, but you can mostly keep your dog away from them as long as you stay to the grassy areas.

I’ve been here a few times for shows (Tuneyards (2015), Andrew Bird (2014), and Rufus Wainwright (2014)), and it is always quite something. Here are some thoughts:
I’ve always gone in through the Wawona/​22^nd entrance, and the walk is gorgeous and delightful. So much greenery, and especially big on the tiny flowers everywhere. But beware! Getting to a free Stern Grove show even two hours before the opener comes on = you will be seated on hilly, angled dirt, despite your picnic blankets. Maybe the latest time to arrive for a 2pm showing should be 10am!
Otherwise, I’m always amazed that the city’s able to put on these spectacular shows. The sound is impeccable, and the overall quality brilliant. I imagine it’s nice just to take a little hike in the area when it isn’t ridiculous summer festival time, too! A true SF gem of a place.

Lots of trees and dirt. Definitely a park. Fun place to have a lunch followed by some outdoor fun.

I live near this park and it’s pretty good. Mostly I just run through it on the weekends. There are a lot of Eucalyptus trees, perhaps a little too many actually. There are also a lot of dogs because there’s a dog park, just watch out for them when you’re running.
The park is in a depression elevation wise. On the east side of the park there is a cottage and a redwood grove where some people have their weddings.
There is a nice amphitheater and stage where you can find some older Asian or white hippy people doing tai-​chi early in the mornings. In the summer there are free concerts on Sundays. However, you should definitely get there way early for these concerts, otherwise there will be no space for you to set up your blankets.
At the west end of the park there is a little lake with ducks and turtles (Pine Lake). People are supposed to have their dogs on leash near this lake area but no one ever does this.

Dog, and dog-​owner, heaven. One of the main reasons I stay in the city as techies and billionaire Ron Conway take over our beautiful, generous city… turning it into billionaire-​city-​by-​the Bay! (Ronnie Con is best friends with Mayor Lee and he tells Lee what to develop and because of Ronnie’s deep pockets, Mayor Lee always listens!)
Stern Grove is a safe place for small dogs to run free… even though there are many large dogs here too. This park is so big and friendly that small dogs can roam without feeling scared of the bigger dogs. So many great dog owners here too… I’ve learned so much about caring for my dog from the many friendly folks who go here. I strongly encourage anyone who loves this place to join the Stern Grove Dog Owners group on Facebook
… to keep up on what’s happening at the park and to be alerted to any threats from SF Rec & Park who is always looking for ways to privatize our publicly funded parks! We need to keep our dog community strong so we can protect this park from the evil-​doers at Rec & Park and City Hall who pander to billionaires in the name of «activating» our parks.
If you think this park is safe, be aware that several years ago, the City tried to turn a large part of this park into a parking lot!!! Thanks to the dog owners group at that time that didn’t happen! Thank you to those who saved this park! This is such an important spot for dogs and the community that we have to guard it from the greedy politicians.
BTW, the Chihuahua meetup is the «FIRST Sunday of every month at Stern Grove Dog Park! EXCEPY July and AUGUST which is the FIRST Saturday of the month.» It starts around noonish and there’s always a crowd of maybe 75 – 100 dogs. I don’t own a Chihuahua but I have a small dog and this is her favorite party of the month. The Chihuahua people are very inclusive, friendly and know how to part-​TAY! Check it out if you have a small dog, as your dog will enjoy all the sniffing and greeting of dogs their own size. My dog comes home from these meet-​ups exhausted and so happy!

This place is rad.
I mean you walk/​drive/​bus by this spot so many times and then when you actually walk IN to Stern Grove… it’s like the «woah, who knew» factor.
During the summer, the free concerts are so fun! Bring a blanket, food, wine/​beer/​water, and sun screen (you’re welcome)!
Such a fun place to go for a lovely stroll, peace and quiet, or a rad free show! :)
Keep this place lovely SF

One of the most beautiful places in the city to get married.
One of the most beautiful places in the city to watch a live concert.
One of the most beautiful places in the city to go for an afternoon stroll.
One of the most beautiful places in the city to dance by yourself.
One of the most beautiful places in the city to just sit and relax.
One of the most beautiful places in the city…
Trust.

Parking may sometimes be an issue, but this place is totally worth it. My dogs love it here! The San Francisco Chihuahua Meetup group is here the first Sunday of the month from noon –2pm. The dogs love to be off leash and socialize.

Coming here for a quiet weekday walk really hits the spot. With lots of gems like this in the city, one can truly acknowledge how amazing and unique SF is as a city.

I have no idea how we missed going to this place during several several visits to SF. It has always enticed me from outside and we decided to stop by this place, amazingly serene place. It has a concert venue just can’t wait to come back here in summer. Its a pet friendly grove and one can see several pets enjoying the lushes. Its an excellent hiking spot, or to just lay around with a book on a beautiful day. Please do yourself a favor and bring along some good music to amplify the ambiance. Trust me you will thank me later for the experience. Beautiful Place in all.

I’ve been here many times over the past years for the Stern Grove festival. This is a great venue. A natural amphitheater that carries the sound evenly wherever you sit, laid back crowd and great scenery from everywhere. Not to mention the excellent festival itself. Big name bands, big sounds and people dancing everywhere you look.
If you haven’t been here yet, what are you waiting for?

I love everything about the free summer concerts at stern grove. Tips: there are more women’s restrooms in the yellow house (as opposed to the buildings directly to the left of the stage area), get there around 10:30 with books to read for good seating– show up at 2 and you’ll be hiking up into the hills, and of course, bring blankets and snacks!

This place is as beautiful as it gets. I almost want to call it a hidden gem in San Francisco.
The Sunset district has become my new favorite area to explore, this place is like doggy heaven because of all the dogs running loose in the dog park area.
I’m still wondering how you can escape the city and get into this park walk a good 15 – 20 minutes and come out in a new part of the city.
It’s super peaceful to be here, my advice is to stop taking photos after a minute and just enjoy the atmosphere, fresh air, tall trees, friendly people and all the dogs.
There is a whole stage in the middle of the park for Summer concerts that seems to seat a lot of people and it’s just an overall amazing place that makes you feel entitled to write a review about it.
I want to visit every time I’m back in the city.

How does this exist in the middle of the city!!! This park is beautiful, very peaceful and kept very clean. I attended a wedding here in the «clubhouse» that is on the property. It was an amazing venue for a wedding. I think all the guest’s were shocked that this little haven existed like I was. It’s also situated near the amphitheater which is a really cool site to see.
The place they held the ceremony was under huge trees. Our group was about 85 people, which fit very nicely and was still intimate. The house had a wrap around balcony/​patio which was perfect to have drinks and apps on. The inside is small so I don’t think you could fit a group much bigger than ours. It was truly an adorable space.
My only –1 star was for the parking lot being a little far from the clubhouse area. During the day its easy, but at night its a little scary to walk so far with no lighting at all unless you bring your own. Street parking if you walk up a big hill might be the better option.

Once again 5 stars for nature-​Wooo-​hoooo! Stern Grove is a favorite of mine in SF and although there are parks a-​plenty in the East Bay, where I live, there is just something so darn magical about the various parks in SF. Maybe it’s because one moment you are in the city and then once you enter, there is a sense of peace and solitude in the midst of all the urban fervor.
Things I love most about Stern Grove: easy parking and highly accessible, the scent of the trees surrounding you, and the fact that it’s so spread out even with a lot of visitors you still feel the sense of space and calm.
There are various trails you can meander around as well as wander around the ampitheater section, which, this time of year has some beautiful flowered trees blossoming. There was actually a wedding party taking photos when I was there this last weekend and it seems they were setting up for their ceremony in the redwood grove up past the parking lot. It was all very serene and felt miles away from the hustle and bustle of 19^th and Sloat.
If you walk through the grove and concert area, you will reach Pine Lake Park which in and of itself also a lot of fun, with an offleash dog area and lake with tons of birds to look at (separate review on that to come.)
Overall, just another gem in SF and a reason for me to wish I lived in the city so I can take advantage of all these various wonders any day of the week!

Love this place.
Don’t come here. This my own piece of paradise. Stay away.
Go play over at Golden Gate Park instead.