The parks I visit change from season to season and depend also on the individual dogs in my care. There are a number of factors to take into consideration, including travel time. Every location has its pros and cons that have to be weighed. While unfenced areas have issues with proximity to roads, foxtails, and garbage, fenced parks have much higher chances of dog/dog altercations due to crowding. That said, here are my top destinations:
John McLaren Park, Mansell Dr at John F Shelley Dr
My absolute favorite place to take the dogs!
Pros: large space, lots to sniff, able to avoid strange dogs and people, a swimming hole, mostly far from busy roads, frequented by great pro walkers
Cons: some foxtails and burrs(not as much as other places), muddy areas year round, extremely muddy when raining, occasional coyote sightings, people leaving trash
Bernal Heights Park, Folsom St at Bernal Heights Dr
Pros: generally dry so there is little mud, high visibility, lovely views, ability to avoid dogs/people for the most part, lots of space
Cons: close to road at times so not good for roamers, coyote den to avoid at east end, summer-fall it’s a foxtail factory on the hillside, people leaving trash, a LOT of bicycles, strollers, and joggers on the main path may trigger reactive dogs
Fort Funston, Fort Funston Drive off Skyline Blvd
Pros: The beach! Huge area to romp in, many beautiful vistas, ability to avoid almost everyone, and the sand and iceberg plant means dogs don’t generally get filthy unless they get in the water
Cons: Foxtail city summer and fall (possibly worse than Bernal!), horse poop and horses, some of the dunes are difficult for the smaller or older pups, the gun range across the street may scare some dogs, and some pups eat all the weird shells and sea life that washes up on the shore. And sometimes dead seals
Dog Park at Saint Mary’s Playground, Benton Ave at Justin Drive
Pros: well-maintained lawn keeps dogs clean, larger for a fenced park, some trees and benches give dogs something to run between. No foxtails or burrs!
Cons: it gets crowded. Lots of dogs of different sizes and personalities mixing can lead to conflicts so I have to watch pups closely. Some dogs get overstimulated or too anxious and become cranky or shut down in these kinds of parks. Toys are also common here so no toy guarders/destroyers. CLOSED IN WINTER AND WHEN RAINING.
Upper Douglass Dog Park, Douglass St at 27th St
Pros: the biggest fenced in park in the city has a huge flat lawn for playing as well as a hillside with trees to hike over for a good 10 minutes. A variety of surfaces from grass to gravel to woodchips. Few to no foxtails or burrs! Dogs usually stay clean here.
Cons: same as Saint Mary’s: lots of dogs of different sizes and personalities means chase and wrestle games can get out of hand, toys can be stolen and destroyed or become points of conflict. Small dogs have to be watched closely when playing so large dogs do not try to join in or mistake them for squirrels. Some dogs just hate enclosed parks and become cranky and snappy, or overstimulated leading to overly rough play or obsessive humping. CLOSED IN WINTER AND WHEN RAINING.
Stern Grove / Pine Lake Park, Wawona Dr at 21st Ave or parking lot at end of Vale Ave
Pros: this is a combination of the large flat lawn in Pine Lake Park and a couple hiking trails north of Stern Grove amphitheater. The lawn has few foxtails and ample space. The off leash hiking trail leads to a much smaller flat play area in the trees by Wawona and 21s Ave. Unlike the fenced parks, there’s enough space to stick to our own corner and mostly avoid dogs we need to.
Cons: foggy wet weather, even when not raining, can turn it into a giant mudpit. Foxtails do grow along the hiking areas, and the hiking trail ends very close to a road. Some dogs may get bored with nothing but the lawn and try to wander off or bug unknown dogs. Coyotes living on the hillside killed two small dogs in 2016 so great caution must be taken if taking littles off the lawn, which I generally don’t do.
Mission Creek Dog Park, Berry Street at Mission Bay Dr
Pros: this very small fenced park is a great go-to for days with really terrible weather when I just need a place to take the group for a short, controlled outing (eg heavy rains, storm warning, excessive heat, excessive smoke, etc.) I have also done trial outings there for dogs I wanted to get to know before putting in group. It has shade, is generally not too busy, and the combo of pavement, astro turf, and gravel means dogs stay very clean.
Cons: it’s really small. Dogs get super bored for longer outings. There’s nothing to do but play with other dogs, and there aren’t always good playmates around. Limit of 6 dogs, although I wouldn’t really want to take more there anyway as it’s such limited space.