DK Travel : San Francisco : Outdoor

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49-Mile Drive

This all-in-one driving tour is marked with blue-and-white seagull markers, and winds its way through the most picturesque parts of the city. It can be challenging to follow, keeping an eye out for the markers and the traffic at the same time, but you can get a map of the route from the Visitor Information Center (see Planning Your Trip).
Alamo Square

Postcard central, thanks to its row of perfect Victorians backed by the knock-out Downtown view. The park itself is a sloping patch of green, while the surrounding streets are lined with so many grand old houses that it has been declared a historic site. Two of them have been turned into hotels, although the areas immediately outside the square are not the most salubrious at night.
Alta Plaza

Pacific Heights’s double block of verdant hill is a popular place to take the sun when it ventures to break through the fog. Basketball and tennis courts and a children’s playground are in the center, while to the south there are terraced lawns, onto which some of Pacific Heights’ oldest homes face.
Baker Beach

This one-mile (1.5-km) stretch of sandy beach, with its perfect views of the Golden Gate Bridge, is the most popular in the city. It’s great for sunbathing, dog-walking, picnicking or jogging, but signs warn off swimmers because of riptides. Sunsets here are unforgettable.
Bay Meadows Racecourse

Take the CalTrain to this seasonal racetrack.
Bay Quackers Duck Tour

A wacky land and sea tour of San Francisco in a decommissioned WWII amphibious vehicle called a "DUKW" and nicknamed a "Duck".

Before the tour, the guide distributes plastic yellow “quackers” and leads everyone in a little warm-up exercise. During the tour, passengers are encouraged to quack at passersby, locals, and tourists, many of whom actually quack back (this alone is worth the price of the tour for me, and frankly restores my faith in humanity).

The 90-minute tour takes you through Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, and Union Square. At China Basin (south of AT&T Park), the Duck magically morphs into a boat, and everyone gets a chance to drive (kids included).

I'm a fan of these tours for the same reason I like the motorized cable car tours: you can see something of the city while sitting on your butt. Who doesn't need a little rest while traveling with kids?
Berkeley & Oakland Hills

Blending gently with the Berkeley Hills, the Oakland Hills offer some beautiful parks, such as Redwood Regional Park. Skyline Boulevard provides access to most of this ridge area, with many picnic groves and hiking options along the winding way.
Big Basin State Park, Boulder Creek

Highway 9 is one of the most picturesque drives in the Bay Area, winding its way among the green Santa Cruz Mountains and through little towns where nothing much changes. Life has a backwoods feel here, although it’s only minutes from the hubbub of Silicon Valley.
Biking

Although the hills’ amazing grades overwhelm all but those with legs of steel, bicycling is very big in San Francisco. Rent bikes from City Cycle.
Biking Across Golden Gate Bridge

On Fisherman's Wharf there are a number of bike hire companies that rent by the hour or by the day. As well as 'bike the bridge' a number of other intineraries are available that include ferry connection to Marin County.