Recreational Features
Athletic Fields & Playgrounds
McLaren Park offers a host of recreational amenities to satisfy a
variety of appetites in all age groups. Most are situated around the three
primary areas: the Louis Sutter Playground , the Herz Playground and the
Tennis Complex .
Louis Sutter Playground near the corner of University and Woolsey Sts.
provides the largest area of recreational facilities including: a community
clubhouse, 2 baseball diamonds, 2 tennis courts, a full size basketball
court, 2 modern play areas for children, a junior soccer field and 16 tables
for picnicking.
Herz Playground at the corner of Visitacion and Hahn St. provides an
indoor swimming pool (Coffman Pool) a full size basketball court, a soccer
field, a baseball diamond, 2 tennis courts and a large play area for
children.
The Tennis Complex located on the crest of the park at Mansell &
Visitacion Sts. offers 6 first rate tennis courts.
Two additional 1/2 size courts for basketball arel along the north
perimeter of the park bounded by Burrows St.
Hiking & Jogging
Many people for many years have been using McLaren Park's vast network of trails for hiking, walking and jogging.
The system is comprised of 7 miles of improved trails throughout thte park and an array of unimproved rock trails on the parks southern slopes. The improved trails, primarily asphalt paved, follow the topography's contour lines with very few having grades exceeding 11%. It is possible to walk completely around the park on the path system. There are also several small trail loops for those who like to take shorter walks or design their own jogging circuits.
For those who enjoy staying closer to civilization two bodies of water,
the park's reservoir in the north west corner and McNab Lake in the Sutter
Playground are bounded by paved paths often used by joggers. It takes 5
times around McNab to get a mile's worth of exercise, but only 2.3 times
around the reservoir to get the same result.
Picnicking
75 tables for picnickers are found throughout the park, some in remote
locations for visitors looking for quiet and serenity while others are
located in the playgrounds. Large parties are provided two large picnic sites
at the Group Picnic Area located on the north leg of Shelley Drive.
Golf
 A little known but much prized feature is the nine hole Glen Eagles Golf
Course located along the southern slopes of the park. Managed by a
concessionaire, the challenging course has proven to be a great place to
practice one game while out of the watchful eye of players on the more well
known courses. Entrance to the course is along Sunnydale St. in Visitacion
Valley.
Architectural Features
McLaren Park was largely open space and remains as such to this day. Over the years a few structural and landscape features were added to make it more
useful and a fun place to visit. They include the playgrounds (see
Recreational Features), water features and an amphitheater.
Water Elements
A water tower, a reservoir, and a lake are notable architectural
features of the park . The 80 foot blue colored water tower ,  which sits 495
feet above sea level on a crest in the northwest corner of the park not only
serves as a beacon through which the park can be located from many parts of
the city but also serves as the water supply for the surrounding community.
A stylishly landscaped reservoir just below the water tower provides
irrigation for the park and serves as a swimming whole for the local dog
community. Because the reservoir is surrounded by an improved path it has
become a popular venue for joggers (see hiking and jogging).
The third water feature is the attractive Lake McNab which is located at
the Louis Sutter Playground on the east perimeter of the park.
Functionally, the lake serves as catchment for water draining from the parks
upper reaches. The lake is most noted as a venue for the varied bird life
which have made it their home. .
Theater
 The McLaren Park Ampitheater is one of the more stiking architectural
features of the park and one that is unique to San Francisco. Located in a secluded
and natural depression of the park just off the east leg of Shelley Drive,
it is a modern interpretation of the greek style amphitheater: bowl shaped
with audience seats ascending from stage level up along the hillside to a
height of approximately 60 ft.. Noted for its excellent accoustics and able
to accomodate an audience of 700, it is gradually becoming a popular venue
for theatrical and musical events.
Natural Features
Topography
McLaren Park's topography offers a broad range of elevations ranging from
approximately 100 feet to a height of approximately 520 feet. Some 100
acreas have slopes in excess of 25 degrees. This amount of variation makes
it particularly attractive to hikers who enjoy hill climbing. The less
venturesome visitor still can enjoy roaming the additional 200+ acres of park
with slopes ranging from 0 to 25 degrees.
Wildlife
 Bird fauna is by far the most abundant and visible of the wildlife groups. Over a long period of time, many species have been observed - some now gone, other remaining and yet other coming and going depending on the condition of the habitat.
 Bird list for McLaren Park
The riparian areas provide habitat for an abundant population of hummingbirds as well as many warblers, red-winged blackbirds, hermit thrushes and three species of sparrows. Other species, such as the great horned owl inhabit these areas as visitors for feeding and water under the protective cover of the brush.
The grasslands are large enough to provide habitat for the ground nesting western meadowlark, red-tailed hawk, robins, flickersand California quail. Morning doves and sparrow hawks have been observed in the air over the grassland utilizing it for feeding on seeds or inverebrates.
Trees serve as improtant perching places and nesting sites for the hawks, owls and many other birds. They are also primary habitat for birds such as the chestnut-backed chickadee and red-breaasted nuthatch which gelan insects off the tree branches as well as nest there. Scrub jays and towhees have been observed, but are rare due to a lack of cover.
Vegetation
The parks vegetation is composed of a mixture of trees, grasslands dotted
with a variety of wildflowers, ornamentals and lawns. In the early days of
the park, the hills were predominantly grassland. In order to create a more
 park-like setting and to buffer the effects of wind, the early developers
introduced Eucalyptus which continues to be the dominant tree specie in the
park. Other species scattered throughout the park include Monterey Cypress,
Monterey Pine Blue Gum and others. A beautiful stand of Coast Redwood is
clustered above the Group Picnic Area on the north segment of Shelley Drive.
Arroyo Willows are found in the parks two riparian areas.
While trees have changed the original landscape, they have permitted the
introduction of the many varieties of birds and other wildlife to which the
park now host.
The abundance of wild grasses and flowers are an attraction for many
visitors, especially in the spring when many are showing there best colors..
Of particular interest in the large array are:
Plant list for McLaren Park
Manicured lawns and ornaments are attractive features in the playground
and picnic areas located along the perimeter of the park.
Riparian Areas
The springs dotting a substantial portion of the park's northern slopes
produced two important riparian areas that serve as habitat for wildlife
thought to be unique to the park. The areas are popularly known as Yosemite
Marsh and Fox Creek. Yosemite Marsh located along side the Oxford /Bacon
(Sts) play and picnic area is a particularly important habitat and as such is
protected by state law. Fox Creek is located along the south slope of the
amphitheater seating. While it is thought to be a watering hole for the
endangered Grey Fox, it is more frequently visited by the Great Horned Owl
and, most recently, squirrels.
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