Mission Dolores Park

A sloping lawn, a skyline, and a Saturday to kill

Hours: Daily 6am–10pm
Tickets: Free
Address: Between Dolores and Church Streets, 18th to 20th

The lawn tilts toward downtown, so spread a blanket and you end up facing the skyline. On a sunny weekend the slope fills with picnic groups, dogs and someone strumming a guitar. A playground and tennis courts at the bottom make it feel like the neighborhood backyard. The usual move is to grab food from Mission shops nearby and settle in.