1 – Especially Pretty

 

Golden Gate Park is filled with pretty places large and small.  This chapter highlights some of the places that are particularly attractive because of their foliage, terrain or view, as well as the privacy these spots afford lovers. 

1 - Mallard Lake

Mallard Lake is a small, pretty lake along a section of MLK Jr. Drive where people usually drive too fast to enjoy the view.  But prettier than the lake is the wooded area on the hill behind the lake to the south.  This area is a large, infrequently visited forest, and the hillside affords a delightful view across the lake and beyond. 

This place is best reached from MLK Jr. Drive by going a few hundred yards west of the lake (to the right as you face the lake from the road), and going up the hill.  Turn left (east) on the footpath that runs east/west at the top of the hill, and walk back behind the lake.  When you're directly above the lake, turn left off the path toward the lake.  Go just far enough down the hill to be out of sight from the path. 

This is a grassy area with a pretty view of the lake and the forested area across MLK Jr. Drive.   There's little reason for anyone to walk down the hill from the path toward the lake, so you're likely to have this place to yourselves.   While you may be a bit visible from afar at the lake below, more discreet play is likely to go completely unnoticed.