San Francisco: Playground for adults

When I refer to San Francisco as a playground for adults, I mean it in the most innocent of ways.

While standard playgrounds are designed strictly with kids in mind, scattered throughout the city are the unofficial playgrounds of slides and swings where kids of all ages can relive their childhoods.

Here’s how to find some of them:

Slides

1) The Seward Street slides are the classic slides of San Francisco. They are centrally located, and you can walk to them easily from the Mission or Castro. I’ve loved these slides in the past, but I’ve been slightly turned off of late by the lady who lives near them and occasionally threatens to call the police on visitors. Read the Yelp reviews for more information.

2) I only recently learned about the Winfield Street slides in Bernal Heights at Esmerelda and Winfield through one of my hikers (thanks Anita!). On Yelp, the first picture alone makes me want to run over there right now.

These slides are located right next to Bernal Hill, so you could visit both spots easily on an urban hike. These slides seriously look so fun that I may have to create an additional urban hiking route based on them.

Swings

1) Billy Goat Hill gives you a downtown and southern city view, and can be reached via the Noe Valley MUNI lines or Glen Park BART. On top of the hill hanging from the tree is a rope swing. The swing has two loops for your feet, and the way the swing is set up you feel like you are swinging high over the city even though you’re only a few feet off the ground.

2) Golden Gate Heights Park isn’t the most central location for many, but it is worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. Or, if need an extra reason to make the trek, head a little north to check out Grand View Park and the always gorgeous 16th and Moraga mosaic steps.

Do you know of any other city slides or swings that fit for adults? If so, I’d love to add them to my list. You can reach me at [email protected].

Alexandra Kenin is the founder of Urban Hiker SF. You can reach her at her website, UrbanhikerSF.com, or follow her on Twitter @UrbanHikerSF.