5 Incredible Locations to Visit on Your Next Trip to San Francisco

Stephanie & Mike - San Francisco Half-Day Engagement Session

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with San Francisco. I spent a lot of time commuting in and out of the city for college and exploring up and down the surrounding coast. While I’ve no doubt there is still a lot more to be discovered, here are a few must-see spots that I was able to explore with Stephanie & Mike on our half day session!

1. Golden Gate Park - Stow Lake

Golden Gate Park is a huge park area with tons of areas to explore - botanical gardens, Conservatory of Flowers, boathouses, lakes, and LOTS of greenery. If you only have a short time to spend in Golden Gate Park, I’d recommend checking out Stow Lake. Head over one of the bridges and do a loop on the inner island to see a manmade waterfall, the Chinese Pavilion, good views of the lake, and stone bridges. There’s a boathouse nearby if you’re wanting to take out a rowboat or paddle boat as well!

2. Ocean Beach Sand Dunes

Ocean Beach is only a short drive from Golden Gate Park, but is one of my favorite SF Beaches. Sand dunes, surfers, and long open stretches of beach make for some gorgeous backdrops. On this particular day, we drove down and walked into some of the sand dunes to take advantage of the different colors of the plant-life.

3. Lover’s Lane (in the Presidio)

Lover’s Lane is definitely a hidden gem. While it can be harder to find, it’s a small hike up along some winding logs that make for a really iconic background. The trees and dirt paths, wedged in between a neighborhood and the road, are beautiful and very iconic to SF.

4. Palace of Fine Arts

Palace of Fine Arts is a beautiful architectural wonder in the heart of the Presidio. It can get pretty busy, but is one of the most popular backdrops for SF visitors. You can walk around the Palace and find a lot of beautiful backdrops, but I recommend heading here on a weekday during off-hours to miss the crowds.

5. Baker’s Beach

Both located on the West Side of SF near the Presidio, these two beaches are great backdrops! On clear days, you can see a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate and there is lots of greenery in the above hills to check out. The sand is soft, but remember that SF beaches tend to be cold so bring a jacket. On the plus side, if it’s foggy, you get more of the beach to yourself! Sunny days bring out the crowds!