Overview
Blue Heron Lake (renamed from Stow Lake in 2024) sits at the heart of Golden Gate Park and is one of the few places in San Francisco where you can rent a boat, paddle out into the middle of the city, and watch turtles sunbathe on logs while your kids steer. The lake wraps around Strawberry Hill, a forested island with a 110-foot waterfall and a trail to the top with views of the Golden Gate Bridge — making this genuinely more than a boat ride.
How to Do It
Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive or Stow Lake Drive — JFK Drive is now permanently car-free, so those lots are no longer accessible by car. Street parking along MLK is free and usually available on weekday mornings. By transit, Muni lines 44 and 7 both stop near the park's inner access roads; the park shuttle also stops at the boathouse. The boathouse (50 Blue Heron Lake Dr) is at the northeast corner of the lake, off Stow Lake Drive.
Rent a pedal boat first — they seat up to four and are more manageable for families than the rowboats, which require real technique. Pedal boats run $32.50/hour; rowboats are $26/hour for a three-seater. Paddle counterclockwise to move with foot traffic and keep the island on your right. You'll pass under two stone bridges and alongside Huntington Falls. For the second half of the visit, dock, cross the north bridge on foot, and loop Strawberry Hill — the full island trail is under a mile and passes the base of the waterfall, where you can walk across stepping stones right through the mist.
Tips & Tricks
Book the first hour of the day if you're going on a weekend. The boathouse opens at 10am, and boats are first-come, first-served — summer Saturday afternoons can mean a wait. Weekday mornings are often clear even in July.
Turtle spotting is best on the eastern and southern shores, especially on logs near the reeds. The turtles are most active mid-morning when the sun hits those spots. Tell kids to look before you're even on the water — some logs have four or five turtles stacked on top of each other.
Don't feed the ducks or birds — it's prohibited and the signage is explicit about it. Bring something else for kids to "do" on the shore: let them collect rocks or toss sticks in the shallows to keep occupied while you wait for a boat.
The cafe at the boathouse serves coffee, snacks, and light food. It's convenient but nothing special — if you want a real picnic, grab food before you come and settle on the grass near the south bridge after the boat ride.
Strawberry Hill has two routes to the top: the paved switchback path and the steeper staircase that runs alongside the waterfall. Take the stairs up (kids love it) and the path down. The top has a small flat area with a bench and the view — on clear days you can see the Transamerica Pyramid, the Bay Bridge, and a sliver of Golden Gate.
Planning
Boat rentals are $32.50/hour for a 4-person pedal boat and $26/hour for a 3-person rowboat. There is no admission fee to the park or lake area. The boathouse is open Monday through Thursday 10am–5pm, and Friday through Sunday 10am–5:30pm; last rental is one hour before closing. No reservations — boats are walk-up only. Bring layers because the SF fog can make it cold even in summer, especially on the water. The lake loop and island trail are both stroller-friendly on pavement, though the waterfall stairs are not. Kids under 14 must have an adult (18+) in the boat. Best months are April through October when fog is lighter and the park is drier; avoid weekends in late June through August unless you go right at opening.
