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Explore: San Francisco Parks & Public Spaces

Panhandle

The Panhandle is a stretch of park that extends from the east edge of Golden Gate Park to Baker Street.

Bordered by the Haight-Ashbury and Western Addition neighborhoods, the Panhandle features a children’s playground, basketball courts, and exercise equipment and more. Biking and jogging trails wind along both the north and south borders of the park.

Directions

Neighborhood

Haight Ashbury

Address

Stanyan St & Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Hours

6am-10pm

Features & Amenities

  • ADA Accessible
  • Bench
  • Bike Racks
  • Grass
  • Picnic Tables
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Water Fountains

  • The Panhandle is one of the oldest parks in San Francisco, originally designed as a test lab for trees for the larger Golden Gate Park. Every tree was planted to see how it survived, making the trees in the Panhandle some of the oldest in the area. There was once a roadway through the Panhandle that served as an entrance to Golden Gate Park – this was initially the carriage entrance to the park. At one point there were plans for a Panhandle Freeway, but they were defeated by citizen activism in the 1950s and 60s. There were large protests in Golden Gate Park against the proposed freeway. The protests garnered support from UCSF and local Unions and triggered the formation of the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council. On March 21, 1966, the Board of Supervisors voted 6-5 to reject the Panhandle and Golden Gate Freeway.

  • The Panhandle has a community group called Panhandle Park Stewards. Learn more about how to get involved with this space by visiting their webpage.

  • SF Parks Alliance is proud to have transformed the Panhandle playground as a part of the Let’sPlaySF! campaign. The campaign is a collaboration between SF Parks Alliance and SF Recreation & Park that’s transforming 13 of San Francisco’s most timeworn playgrounds. Click here to learn more about the campaign.

  • Read more on our Bench Commemoration page.

  • 311, for all other inquiries contact 415-831-2700 (RPD)