Explore: The Presidio and Aquatic park

Explore

The Presidio and Aquatic park
With beautiful weather in October, now is the perfect (if not only) time to get outdoors and run your littles before the winter rain starts. The Presidio in San Francisco makes for great family fun with a little something for big and small. If you visit Mountain Lake playground near Park Presidio Ave., make sure to bring bread for the ducks. Or try out one of the dozen trails that criss-cross the park. Hiking highlights include the California Coastal Trail that leads to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Batteries to Bluffs Trail where you can explore lookouts that were built in the late 1800s to watch for enemy ships trying to enter the Bay. Bring some snacks for a stop in Tennessee Hollow, or grab a bite at Presidio Cafe near the Arguello Gate. For more low-fi (and low-cost) fare, there’s a little eatery with take-away juices and sandwiches located near the Letterman complex at the Lombard Gate. Wherever you go in the park, the Presidio is the perfect in-city place to get that out-of-city feeling. www.presidio.gov

Bonus: Almost directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge is Crissy Field, a large grassy area that includes some beach and marshes, giving your kids varying environments for discovery. The Warming Hut Bookstore and Cafe is a scenic stop for lunch or hot chocolate. Before you visit, be sure to check out the calendar for the Crissy Field Center which stages many kid-friendly events chocked-full of environmental learning and fun. www.parksconservancy.org/our_work/crissy/

More to Explore (with kiddies in tow):

Solano Ave, Part 1

Solano Ave, Part 2

Hyde Street Pier and Aquatic Park

the Presidio and Crissy Field

Farmer’s Market & China Camp State Park

Marin Organic, U-Pick

Elmwood

Presidio Heights

Lakeshore

Larkspur’s Magnolia Street

Mt Tam and the West Point Inn

San Francisco’s Bernal Heights