Summer 2018 for the Hip and Happening

Summer in San Francisco: A time of the year when we bust out our winter parkas and work on our fog tan! Don’t let the “cold months” deter you from warming the body, mind, and soul with happenings throughout the parks from June through August.

Trail Mixers

Escape indoor doldrums of the workweek with a series of outdoor happy hours. Happening every second Thursday of the month from now until August, these Trail Mixer events are bringing together nature enthusiasts from across San Francisco. Tickets include complimentary beer and snacks (yes, you read that right: Boundless brews and grub), music, entertainment, and more. All while lazing in style at REI’s outdoor lounge.

Give Back Kick Back

Rescheduled from April to June, the Give Back Kick Back at Lands End/Fort Miley will be a workday/celebration you don’t want to miss. Here’s the premise: Volunteer in the AM, party in the PM. It’s that simple.

Greet the day at the “Give Back” with early morning yoga led by  Downward Drinking Dog, followed by a habitat restoration project at Lands End.

Then replenish your body and soul at the “Kick Back” with all-you-can-eat BBQ, live music from Bay Area celebrity Gabe Bondoc, and complimentary adult beverages from Fort Point Beer, Deep Eddy Vodka, and Sufferfest Beer. Wind down and make new friends in an outdoor lounge hosted by REI.

Oh, and volunteers get discounted tickets to the “Kick Back.” If you’re unable to volunteer, you can still buy a ticket to the afternoon festivities. Get your tickets today.

This event is 21+. You must present a valid ID at check-in.

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

StoryWalk

For the pint-sized hip and happening: Read a story, page-by-page, as you stroll along the scenic Crissy Field Promenade. For our fourth StoryWalkⓇ, pages from Her Right Foot, written by Dave Eggers and illustrated by Shawn Harris have been put on signs and placed along Crissy Field. Also, be on the lookout for I Wrote You a Note by Lizi Boyd at Mountain Lake in the Presidio. You may even spot a turtle or two along the way!

National Trails Day

This is a nationwide celebration of the pathways that lead us to adventure: Trails. At Golden Gate, the Trail Crew will be working hard to improve the Tennessee Valley Trail in Marin County. Participants can expect to do some split rail fencing repair, trail restoration, and habitat restoration for the endangered Mission blue butterfly. After the volunteer portion in the morning, fill your bellies with a free burrito lunch and enter to win raffle prizes provided by REI and Parks Project.

Sign up to volunteer!

Presidio

The Presidio has 1,400 acres of possibilities this summer. The military post turned national park is hosting events this summer, ranging from uplifting, family-friendly picnics to a day celebrating soaring kites dancing in the wind. Peruse through their menu of events below:

• Kite Festival | Saturday, June 16 | Noon - 5 p.m. | Presidio Main Post

• Pasados del Presidio - San Francisco’s “Birthday” | Saturday, June 30 | 10:30 a.m. | Pershing Square

• Presidio Picnic | Every Sunday from 11 am-4 pm until October 21 | Presidio Main Post

• Presidio Twilight | Thursday Evenings from May to September | Presidio Main Post

Ocean Beach is Not a Swimming Beach

While the temperatures might not touch 70 degrees in the summer, there might be a day (or two, if we’re lucky) when heat graces our fair city. When that happens, don’t let the inviting surf of Ocean Beach fool you, this shoreline is 2.8 miles of treacherous rip currents and swimming hazards. That being said, Ocean Beach is not a swimming beach nor a safe place to learn how to surf.

See a full list of beaches where you can safely cool off in the Golden Gate National Parks.