Halloween 2026 Halloween in San Francisco with kids: free trick-or-treating, festivals and museum days → Día de los Muertos is Monday, Nov 2
Skip to main content
Skip to content
Submit an event

Parks and Recreation in San Francisco: What the Department Runs

San Francisco Recreation and Park by the numbers: parks, playgrounds, pools, courts, Golden Gate Park, and how to contact the department.

A lake framed by trees in Golden Gate Park.
A lake in Golden Gate Park.

The Recreation and Park Department says San Francisco has 233 neighborhood parks and 184 playgrounds and play areas.

Golden Gate Park covers 1,017 acres, per the department.

Read on sfrecpark.org, 27 October 2026.

233Neighborhood parks
184Playgrounds and play areas
9Swimming pools
142Tennis courts

By the Numbers

From the department’s Who We Are page
Facility Count
Neighborhood parks 233
Playgrounds and play areas 184
Swimming pools 9
Golf courses 5
Tennis courts 142
Recreation centers and clubhouses 98 (the same page elsewhere says 25 recreation centers)

Golden Gate Park

The department describes lakes and meadows, gardens, groves, car-free roads, golf, tennis and pickleball, playgrounds and concerts at the Golden Gate Bandshell. Its offices are at McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan Street. Our Golden Gate Park day and the park comparison use the same park system.

Reservations and Programs

The department has a Permits and Reservations page for picnic areas, athletic fields, indoor facilities, and tennis and pickleball courts, and a Find a Program page. The main office is 415-831-2700. Program registration is 415-831-6800, with translation available.

Related

What We Could Not Confirm

  • The recreation center count: the department’s page gives two figures, 98 and 25.
  • Step-by-step steps for reserving a facility or registering online were not on the pages we read.
  • A single park finder page was not confirmed; the homepage links a playground search.

Questions People Ask

How many parks does San Francisco have?

The department says 233 neighborhood parks, and describes more than 230 parks, playgrounds and open spaces overall.

Sources

  1. SF Rec and Park, Who we are: https://sfrecpark.org/419/Who-We-Are (read 27 October 2026)
  2. SF Rec and Park, Golden Gate Park: https://sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park (read 27 October 2026)
  3. SF Rec and Park, Permits and reservations: https://sfrecpark.org/387/PERMITS-RESERVATIONS (read 27 October 2026)
  4. SF Rec and Park, Find a program: https://sfrecpark.org/386/FIND-A-PROGRAM (read 27 October 2026)

Cite this page: Project SF, “Parks and Recreation in San Francisco: What the Department Runs”, projectsf.com/living/parks-and-recreation/ (updated ).