Feb 1, 2022
If you’re looking for ways to enjoy time with your sweetie this Valentine’s Day, we’ve got six great ways to let love bloom in the park.
Bring your sweetie (four-legged ones included) on a hike or a bike ride along one of 12 spectacular trails ranging from flat and paved to challenging climbs. If dramatic coastal views make your heart go pitter-patter, the Batteries to Bluffs Trail can’t be beat, especially at sunset.
If nothing else, a hike will make you fall in love with San Francisco all over again. Inland, the picturesque Lovers Lane Trail is made for strolling hand-in-hand. So-called for connecting love-struck soldiers with their sweethearts in town, the Presidio’s oldest footpath slopes between the stately Presidio Gate and the Main Post. Download our new trail map and go exploring.
The Presidio is home to several art pieces by world renowned, place-based sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy. The curvy Wood Line (2011) installation, made from eucalyptus branches laid out in a sinuous curve through a standing eucalyptus grove runs parallel to Lovers Lane. Access it from near West Pacific Avenue and Presidio Boulevard.
Treat yourself or your Valentine to a picnic on the Main Parade Lawn, Presidio Tunnel Tops, or at one of the Presidio’s eight scenic overlooks, including Immigrant Point with its beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and (on clear days) Point Reyes National Seashore. Stop by the Transit Center for picnic supplies at Il Parco or grab some food from one of the vendors at Presidio Pop Up.
With expansive patios as well as indoor seating, Sessions at the Presidio provides a magical setting, perfect for seasoned lovers, or a first date! Colibri and Dalida are fan favorites and Il Parco café at Presidio Tunnel Tops offers grab-and-go and picnic-ready Italian-inspired dishes, perfect for a picnic with unbeatable views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
From teeing off at the Presidio’s historic 145-acre, 18-hole golf course, to hitting the lanes at Presidio Bowl or trying indoor rock climbing at Movement, having fun is a great way to inspire romance.
Even locals will feel special spending a night or two in their national park site at one of the Presidio’s two historic boutique hotels, the Inn at the Presidio or the Lodge at the Presidio. Get cozy around one of the hotels’ outdoor firepits – the darkest night sky in the city is perfect for stargazing, and the sound of owls hooting in the trees provides a romantic lullaby.