Rose Garden – Golden Gate Park
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: J.F. Kennedy Drive and 14th Avenue in Golden Gate Park
Starting Point: The main entrance to the Roes Garden is on JFK Drive parallel with 14thAve. and close to Park Presidio. JFK Drive is sometimes closed to traffic even as far as the Rose Garden. We often use the back Rose Garden entrance at the southeast corner of the Fulton/Park Presidio intersection, either parking or taking the MUNI bus along Fulton Ave., and stopping near Park Presidio.
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 Rose Garden itself is not a large space to cover, but is a nice easy stroll or a place to sit on a bench and contemplate. Visitors can use the Rose Garden as one section of as long a walk as they wish by taking the other paths and roads around Golden Gate Park, which can add up to several miles. You can walk east through the adjacent redwood forest leading to a WWI Memorial and the museums, south across JFK Drive to the Japanese Tea Garden, or west toward the Log Cabin, Pioneer Mother Memorial, and Stow Lake. Ambitious walkers could go all the way to Ocean Beach and back through the park.
Considerations:
• Toilet facilities are not available at the Rose Garden. Check the maps link above and click on the restrooms map for restroom locations.
• Parking rules vary, with some Golden Gate Park roads closed to weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Follow parking rule signs for street parking or parking on roads within the park.
• An option for park road closure days is to park or take public transportation (MUNI line 5 stops here) and stop near Fulton and Park Presidio.
• Heed health and safety or parking and traffic information signs.
The trail:
As noted above, the Rose Garden itself does not make for a long walk. Those not up for a big walk can take a nice stroll here and enjoy a rest on a bench. For those wishing to make a longer hike of it, adding the Rose Garden as a starting point, or midway stopping point, is a great way to enjoy this part of Golden Gate Park.
A look at a map shows a dense concentration of visiting spots near the Rose Garden, particularly to the east and south. Heading west from the Rose Garden means sparser stopping spots but makes for nice longer walks, all the way to Ocean Beach of you’re up for a long hike.
Though roses of course have a peak season, it’s still a nice place to walk through on the way to other sites, even if it is totally off season for roses.
Other Golden Gate Park sites not far from the Rose Garden covered in HikingAutism: Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Stow Lake inner loop and outer loop, Oak Woodlands Trail, AIDS Memorial Grove, Conservatory of Flowers, Lily Pond.
(Rose Garden – Golden Gate Park Hike Notes were originally paired with the “The Fallen Petal” 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: J.F. Kennedy Drive and 14th Avenue in Golden Gate Park
Starting Point: The main entrance to the Roes Garden is on JFK Drive parallel with 14thAve. and close to Park Presidio. JFK Drive is sometimes closed to traffic even as far as the Rose Garden. We often use the back Rose Garden entrance at the southeast corner of the Fulton/Park Presidio intersection, either parking or taking the MUNI bus along Fulton Ave., and stopping near Park Presidio.
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 Rose Garden itself is not a large space to cover, but is a nice easy stroll or a place to sit on a bench and contemplate. Visitors can use the Rose Garden as one section of as long a walk as they wish by taking the other paths and roads around Golden Gate Park, which can add up to several miles. You can walk east through the adjacent redwood forest leading to a WWI Memorial and the museums, south across JFK Drive to the Japanese Tea Garden, or west toward the Log Cabin, Pioneer Mother Memorial, and Stow Lake. Ambitious walkers could go all the way to Ocean Beach and back through the park.
Considerations:
• Toilet facilities are not available at the Rose Garden. Check the maps link above and click on the restrooms map for restroom locations.
• Parking rules vary, with some Golden Gate Park roads closed to weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Follow parking rule signs for street parking or parking on roads within the park.
• An option for park road closure days is to park or take public transportation (MUNI line 5 stops here) and stop near Fulton and Park Presidio.
• Heed health and safety or parking and traffic information signs.
The trail:
As noted above, the Rose Garden itself does not make for a long walk. Those not up for a big walk can take a nice stroll here and enjoy a rest on a bench. For those wishing to make a longer hike of it, adding the Rose Garden as a starting point, or midway stopping point, is a great way to enjoy this part of Golden Gate Park.
A look at a map shows a dense concentration of visiting spots near the Rose Garden, particularly to the east and south. Heading west from the Rose Garden means sparser stopping spots but makes for nice longer walks, all the way to Ocean Beach of you’re up for a long hike.
Though roses of course have a peak season, it’s still a nice place to walk through on the way to other sites, even if it is totally off season for roses.
Other Golden Gate Park sites not far from the Rose Garden covered in HikingAutism: Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Stow Lake inner loop and outer loop, Oak Woodlands Trail, AIDS Memorial Grove, Conservatory of Flowers, Lily Pond.
(Rose Garden – Golden Gate Park Hike Notes were originally paired with the “The Fallen Petal” 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
