Oak Woodlands Trail-Golden Gate Park
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location:The Oak Woodlands Trail, renamed the Phil Arnold Trail in honor of a local park advocate, at the northeast section of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Starting Point:The Oak Woodlands/Phil Arnold Trail extends from just west of McLaren Lodge at the intersection of JFK Drive and Conservatory Drive East, passing through the Oak Woodlands of Golden Gate Park, crossing Arguello Boulevard and ending at Sixth Avenue. The photo gallery covers from our chosen starting point of Arguello Boulevard near Fulton Street. (A short walk up Arguello brings into sight a trail marker at Conservatory Dr. West marked both as part of the Ridge Trail and the Oak Woodlands Trail/Phil Arnold Trail.)
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Golden Gate Park info link (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park
Golden Gate Park Points of Interest (SF Rec and Parks): https://sfrecpark.org/1116/Golden-Gate-Park-Points-of-Interest
Golden Gate Park by car (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1619/Public-Transportation-to-Golden-Gate-Par
Golden Gate Park public transportation (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1618/Getting-to-Golden-Gate-Park-by-Car
Golden Gate Park free shuttle (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1617/Golden-Gate-Park-Free-Shuttle
Golden Gate Park visitors map (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/7301/Golden-Gate-Park-Visitors-Map
Distance:
The Oak Woodlands/Phil Arnold Trail is noted as being about a mile long, stretching from near McLaren Lodge, through the Oak Woodlands section of Golden Gate Park, and crossing Arguello Boulevard to extend to Sixth Avenue. The trail map states that there are three miles of hiking trails spread throughout the Oak Woodlands section of Golden Gate Park. See map for details.
Considerations:
• See trail map for official parking areas, or use street parking (pay attention to street signs to avoid tickets).
• Public toilet facilities are noted on the trail map.
• For those using public transportation, MUNI bus lines 5 and 33 run along Golden Gate Park.
• San Francisco’s weather ranges between chilly fog and hot sun, often in the same day. Wear layers.
The Trail:
The northeast corner of Golden Gate Park is marked by a residual forest area called the Oak Woodlands, and is home to old coast live oak trees and a variety of other trees, plants and wildlife.
We started out from Arguello Boulevard and Fulton Street, walking a short distance into Golden Gate Park until we saw a trail marker indicating the Ridge Trail/Oak Woodlands Trail, and then turned left, heading east, where another trail marker indicated the newly named Phil Arnold Trail in the Oak Woodlands section of the park, branching off the intersection with Conservatory Dr. West.
Our section of trail started out with tall pines, then shifted to eucalyptus trees. We finally got into a longer section of trail with old growth coast live oak trees and, making for dappled shadows on the dirt pathway.
Wood as well as stone fences line stretches of the trail. The photo gallery includes images of thick patches of bright orange nasturtium, hardy plants that add vibrant color during summer.
We followed the trail out to the east, with an arcing loop to the south and west that brought us past a honeybee tree and out to John F Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park. We enjoyed walking past the Conservatory of Flowers and made our way up Conservatory Dr. West behind the Conservatory to return to our starting point at Arguello Boulevard.
This is not a difficult hike, but it does transport city walkers into an environment that feels like more remote nature trails around the Bay Area, all right within Golden Gate Park.
(Oak Woodlands Trail-Golden Gate Park Hike Notes were originally paired with the “He Ain’t Heavy” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location:The Oak Woodlands Trail, renamed the Phil Arnold Trail in honor of a local park advocate, at the northeast section of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Starting Point:The Oak Woodlands/Phil Arnold Trail extends from just west of McLaren Lodge at the intersection of JFK Drive and Conservatory Drive East, passing through the Oak Woodlands of Golden Gate Park, crossing Arguello Boulevard and ending at Sixth Avenue. The photo gallery covers from our chosen starting point of Arguello Boulevard near Fulton Street. (A short walk up Arguello brings into sight a trail marker at Conservatory Dr. West marked both as part of the Ridge Trail and the Oak Woodlands Trail/Phil Arnold Trail.)
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Golden Gate Park info link (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park
Golden Gate Park Points of Interest (SF Rec and Parks): https://sfrecpark.org/1116/Golden-Gate-Park-Points-of-Interest
Golden Gate Park by car (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1619/Public-Transportation-to-Golden-Gate-Par
Golden Gate Park public transportation (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1618/Getting-to-Golden-Gate-Park-by-Car
Golden Gate Park free shuttle (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/1617/Golden-Gate-Park-Free-Shuttle
Golden Gate Park visitors map (SF Rec and Parks):
https://sfrecpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/7301/Golden-Gate-Park-Visitors-Map
Distance:
The Oak Woodlands/Phil Arnold Trail is noted as being about a mile long, stretching from near McLaren Lodge, through the Oak Woodlands section of Golden Gate Park, and crossing Arguello Boulevard to extend to Sixth Avenue. The trail map states that there are three miles of hiking trails spread throughout the Oak Woodlands section of Golden Gate Park. See map for details.
Considerations:
• See trail map for official parking areas, or use street parking (pay attention to street signs to avoid tickets).
• Public toilet facilities are noted on the trail map.
• For those using public transportation, MUNI bus lines 5 and 33 run along Golden Gate Park.
• San Francisco’s weather ranges between chilly fog and hot sun, often in the same day. Wear layers.
The Trail:
The northeast corner of Golden Gate Park is marked by a residual forest area called the Oak Woodlands, and is home to old coast live oak trees and a variety of other trees, plants and wildlife.
We started out from Arguello Boulevard and Fulton Street, walking a short distance into Golden Gate Park until we saw a trail marker indicating the Ridge Trail/Oak Woodlands Trail, and then turned left, heading east, where another trail marker indicated the newly named Phil Arnold Trail in the Oak Woodlands section of the park, branching off the intersection with Conservatory Dr. West.
Our section of trail started out with tall pines, then shifted to eucalyptus trees. We finally got into a longer section of trail with old growth coast live oak trees and, making for dappled shadows on the dirt pathway.
Wood as well as stone fences line stretches of the trail. The photo gallery includes images of thick patches of bright orange nasturtium, hardy plants that add vibrant color during summer.
We followed the trail out to the east, with an arcing loop to the south and west that brought us past a honeybee tree and out to John F Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park. We enjoyed walking past the Conservatory of Flowers and made our way up Conservatory Dr. West behind the Conservatory to return to our starting point at Arguello Boulevard.
This is not a difficult hike, but it does transport city walkers into an environment that feels like more remote nature trails around the Bay Area, all right within Golden Gate Park.
(Oak Woodlands Trail-Golden Gate Park Hike Notes were originally paired with the “He Ain’t Heavy” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
