If you still call it Stow Lake, you're not alone. San Francisco Recreation and Parks now calls Golden Gate Park's largest body of water Blue Heron Lake, and its island, Strawberry Hill, is an easy place to spend a fall afternoon.

An 1893 lake

The lake was created in 1893 for leisure boating, as a promenade for horse-drawn carriages and as a reservoir to irrigate the park, according to Rec and Park. The 12-acre, doughnut-shaped lake surrounds Strawberry Hill, named for the wild strawberries that once grew on its slopes.

What to see on the loop

  • Huntington Falls: A 110-foot artificial waterfall on the hill that spills into the lake. It was the park's first artificial waterfall. It's named for railroad baron Collis P. Huntington, who gave $25,000 to build it.
  • Golden Gate Pavilion: A colorful Chinese pagoda given to San Francisco by its sister city, Taipei, in 1976.
  • Two bridges: The Stone, or Rustic, Bridge, built in 1893, and the Roman Bridge both connect the shore to the island.
  • Blue Heron Boathouse: On the north shore, it rents pedal boats and rowboats and has a snack bar. The current building dates from 1946 and replaced the original 1893 boathouse.

The summit

Trails circle the island and climb to the top, the highest point in Golden Gate Park at more than 400 feet. In the 1890s the hill had sweeping views. In 1891, Sweeney's Observatory, an elaborate castle-like vista point, was built on the summit, and carriages carried visitors around the lake and up to it. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the observatory, and its foundations still mark the top. Trees block much of the view now, but you can catch glimpses of the city.

Paths on the island are closed to cars and are popular with joggers, dog walkers and high school cross-country teams doing hill repeats.

Tips

Rec and Park's page links to the Blue Heron Boathouse website. Check there for current boat rental hours.