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The rolling lawn above Fort Mason Center, known as the Great Meadow, is a relatively little-used park, but it’s great for taking a siesta, tossing a frisbee, or just strolling through to take in the spectacular views from the cliffs.

The East Bay venue for horse-racing.

An NBA basketball team.

The Lincoln Park 18-hole course overlooks Land’s End, and Golden Gate Park has a challenging 9-hole course. The newest addition to the scene, the Presidio Golf Course, is considered one of the country’s best.

A hair-raising ascent, especially if your car isn’t automatic – it’s very steep.

About 22 miles (35 km) south of the city, the Half Moon Bay shoreline forms a long, gently curving sandy beach accessible at several points off Highway 1. A horseback riding trail runs from Dunes Beach to the bluff area of Francis Beach, and picnicking, kite-flying, surfing, and surf fishing are popular activities.

This gently mountainous region is almost entirely undeveloped. The main town, Boulder Creek, is like a small frontier settlement, where craftspeople sell their wares, and country stores cater mostly to locals. This is an area that time happily forgot.

The Bay Area is replete with magnificent hiking trails for every type of nature-lover. Land’s End offers some wild terrain to scramble over (see A Two-Hour Hike Around Land’s End), and Mount Tamalpais is criss-crossed with trails. But just scaling the city’s hills is enough hiking for most people.

Golden Gate Park and in-line skaters make a perfect match, especially on Sundays, when the main street in the park is closed to cars. Or try the path that runs along Marina Green for smoothly paved surfaces that come with awesome views.