Great place to walk around, short and long trail.. jog around, pets, kids friendly... Rent the boat and enjoy your ride.. bring your own food do picnic and seems no BBQ places.. celebrate your birthdays and other occasions, good fries and onion rings serves here with beverages.. only one food stall..noticable.. pretty crowded in the weekends and theres difference in the boating fee during weekdays and weekends.. has public restrooms, enough parking space.. beautiful scenic view, love Huntington falls.. walkable distance to other tourists spots.. lots of places to see around at Martin Luther king junior street..

Fun experience with scenic trees and wildlife surrounding the park. The pedal boat was a workout, our calves were feeling it! The staff was nice and you can take it as quickly or leisurely as you like. Theres some nice shaded spots along the lake if you need a break from the sun. Id recommend this for a family or date spot.

Rowing on Stow Lake is a lot of fun, especially when it is sunny. Not so much fun if the fog enshrouds the lake or there is a strong wind. The food at the boathouse is simple (burgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches etc) but is good. Their sides of fries are enormous. You only need one for every 2 people.

If you like to row (or paddle) a boat in the Stow Lake and get lost in nature, this is where you can rent a boat for that. And when you are done and exhausted from all the rowing, you can get some food and refreshment along with some gifts and memorabilia here too.

Great place to stop by to rent a pedal boat to explore the man made Stow Lake. $30/hour up to 4 person boat ($32.55 after sales tax). They will not answer the phone during the busy hours of weekend, so just assume they are open and hopefully the boats will be available for visitors.

Wonderful place to rent paddle boats for a short while with a family.

Lovely walk around the lake. Can do the flat way or climb the hill. Easy parking a bonus!

So gorgeous, was $30 for a boat like in image seating 4 and $24 for a rowboat. Fabulous experience!!

Beautiful lake filled with ducks, turtles, geese and egrets.

Very fun and nice. Loved it. They do a good job disinfecting the boats between use.

Stow Lake was a great place to walk and the scenery was fantastic! Loved it! Cant wait to go back!

The lines for the boat rentals were a bit long. But all the staff was friendly and helpful.Good memories for my kiddo!

Great place for boat rentals on Stow Lake! Placed in a lovely setting direct by the lake.

Its easy to find, good signs. There is FREE parking (plenty). Lovely nature setting with many mallard hen ducks, Canadian geese & seagulls on the expansive, circular lake. Lots of different 🌳. We came Mid-week, during mid-afternoon. Uncrowded, it was easy to check-in to rent their pedal boat, $30/hr. (the time is not strictly enforced). The service (Sam) was efficient & friendly. There are a few benches ...we had our picnic lunch 😃 great walk/hike 🚶‍♂️ after our boating excursion. Highly recommend! Will return.

Great place to have fun for the whole family

One of my favorite spots in the city!

Good food. Several vegetarian options. As someone else said, fries and onion rings area plenty for a few to share. The paddle boat rental was quick and easy too. We were here on a Monday afternoon and there was no line.

I visited golden gate park on Sunday. I went boating. I liked rowing the boat because it was like pushing a bar back and forth. I didnt like the lake because the water is dirty. I think my friends would liked it because boating is fun !

So peaceful ❤

Really good site to pass a good moments with your family or with your date 😁 have boats to can cruise in Lake.If you listen closely, the birds are singing and if you look around flowers are blooming. 🤝This site is in centre about Golden Gate Park.

Peaceful place in the middle of the city. My kids loved the pedal boat.

I didnt go boating, so maybe this is a less useful review. Its based solely on the food which was passable, but expensive. I suppose I should have expected a significant markup. Their garlic fries were particularly good, however. It included a significant amount of minced garlic

Very nice place for boating. We can hire a pedal boat or a rowboat and go for a ride. Nature is wonderful

We got on a row boat and went on our way around stow lake. There was a small line to get the boat, but the lake wasnt too crowded. We had a small scare when a seagull hopped on our boat, but it was pleasant.

The boathouse is open in full capacity, boats rental ( the prices went up so much now pedal boat is $28.5$ per hour), little cafe that sells drinks, snacks and small variety of hot dishes and souvenirs. Parking and restrooms are open as well. One can safely walk around the lake and enjoy the nature.

This is a truly fun experience for the family. There is tons of breathtaking nature to look at and the ducks at the lake can be quite amusing (lol) so I definitely recommend this.

Fun for the whole family! Bring lunch!

Perfect day and experience and the weather was right. An eye full of natural beauty and a destination off my bucket list for sure! Prices range from $28-$30+ with tax per hour for peddle boat as seen in pictures taken. Parking is free and pretty abundant here depending on which part of this place you choose to explore. Their is restrooms & a snack shack here with souvenirs & sweat shirts if you get cold.

Magical experience pedal boating around Stow Lake. One of mine and my husband’s favorite family activities in the city. Bring some corn to feed the ducks and they will trail behind you! My daughter was giddy with delight watching the birds follow us and being out on the water. They have life jackets of all shapes and sizes. My daughter wore one for a child under 30lbs and it fit perfectly and made me feel she was safe so five stars for them!

If youre in SF, do yourself a favor and walk around Stow lake at Golden Gate park. You will NOT be disappointed! Beautiful. serene, feels like worlds away!

Wonder calm lake. Helpful staff. great place to unwubd onvthe weekend

This is a unique place in San Francisco where you can row a boat or pedal a boat around the lake and watch ducks and geese and turtles. Great place to take kids.

We took a day trip and this place was wonderful. Great atmosphere and amazing sushi! Will be visiting again

A small lake for pedalling boats. It takes around 45 minutes to do a round however there is not much for guests to see around the lake. Perhals a small layering waterfall (Huntington Waterfall?) is the only attractive part of this lake. No direction around the Lake that tells you how to get to the Waterfall.

Highly recommended. You can rent a couple of different types of boats. We rented a paddle boat and it was a beautiful trip around the lake. Tons of turtles, birds of various sorts, and a lot of really cool things to see.I highly recommend renting a boat for an hour and just enjoying the lake.

Staff always courteous and helpful. Tasty cheeseburgers and fries. Lots of fun on the paddleboats. Always a beautiful trek around Stow Lake. So much new wildlife. Especially those 5 foot birds

Great Place, can rent either a paddle boat or a row boat, as well as get a bite to eat not a big selection but definitely enough to fill the void....lol. Beautiful scenery and lots of Geese and ducks. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and make enough time to take in everything.....this is part of the Golden gate park so Huge area

Amazing place to boating + family pinic in nearby area .. it has mutiple boating options from family paddle boat to individual 2 people paddle boats . Its 40-60 min boating activity.

Nice selection of of boats, from rowboats to peddle boats. Also the cafe has a grill that does great garlic fries and hot dogs, etc. Oh, and they also wine!

Excellent time! Very scenic and relaxing. Besides being able to rent a boat there are food and coffee options. There are also bathrooms, picnic tables and benches placed around the property. Wonderful scenery!! Bicycle parking is available and dogs are welcome. You can even take your dog on a boat ride! So much fun!

Some employees have some growing up to do. Maybe its jisy another summer job thing to them.

Great, peaceful area full of wildlife. Love seeing the great blue herons, especially their nests during the springtime. The goslings are great, too!!

The stowlake boat house is amazing. Theres good food and you can also rent paddle boats for a relaxing ride around the lake!

Nice quiet place to grab a bite to eat and watch nature go by

The prices for the pedal boats and row boats are very reasonable and it’s worth hiring one for an hour to get you around the Lake and see all the wildlife around. We saw turtles, heron, fish and plenty more. The food at the cafe is all freshly cooked to order and tastes great.

A fun way to spend an hour or two

Most Romantic Afternoon You Could Imagine!!! Rent a boat, and go around the lake! It really is Magical!

So peaceful and great spots to hang out. Really fun rowing on a boat with friends. Feels otherworldly, even though cars are parked on the perimeter and people walking faster than you can row. Geese are a bit aggressive when you first get out of your car...

It was fun to spend this unique experience with my husband, son, daughter and her husband and daughter, my grand daughter.

Exploring boat, great service, food shop too. Have fun!

You would never know that this piece of heaven is in the middle of one of the most congested and busiest cities in Cali. The view is beautiful as you row your boat along the calm lake listening to local birds chirp. This is a must visit for anyone !! Prices are cheap, staff is friendly. My family had a great time here.

As you can see, theyre piling up to get a sunny spot to lounge!

The lake is beautiful and you get to do some boating with your friends and family. Loads of ducks in here that will follow your boat along. Tends to get chilly here because if the water body no matter how sunny it is, so grab a warm jacket. Unfortunately, there are not too many places to sit around the lake except for a few benches as its mostly a walking area.

Fun to row your boat for an hour to enjoy the lake and ducks.

Stow Lake and Boathouse and the concession stand are wonderful! Did several laps around the lake and the island with a friend, excellent! And shared a cup of coffee with a friend from the concession stand afterwards, where the barista was very helpful and friendly, even making us a fresh pot of decaf.

The first thing that caught my eye when I arrived was the paddle boats. So I took a ride and they were easy, fun, and also a little calming. the staff was very nice there but the bathrooms couldve used some help. The food, wasnt anything special. Fries were soggy and dry and the grilled cheese again couldve been made so much better.

Serene and picturesque time on the water. Delicious black bean burger at the cafe.

We had a family outing last night to this wonderful place infact by default only we went there as the Japanese park was very much crowded we had a excellent experience it terms of enjoyment service and social distancing the boa ride was very pleasant only thing they have to give life jackets to adults also instead of only kids the whole staff team were so good soft and courteous it was a pleasant time to see them always smiling and helping people when we wanted to change the boat with a smile only they did it the boats were all clean and new they cleaned them well after every ride in front of us the cafeteria also was good overall I will recommend to every one for a whole day of good family outing

Good BLT sandwich here. The vegan wraps are also excellent. We didnt boat as the water looks quite green, but enjoyed the food and the view. Good times

Lovely spot! Boat, hike, explore this fun part of the Park, and visit this nice old Boathouse and snack bar. Been here for decades!

Love this place on a lazy Sunday. Picnic and Paddle boats ❤

Beautiful lake, great place for everyone walking and relax, drawing.

Stopped off at Stow Lake to rent a pedal boat. Get there earlier in the day. We waited a hour.There is a snack bar with food and alcohol, including fully functional restrooms.When we returned from our pedal boat we heard the wait was 3 hours.I enjoyed seeing nature while touring the lake.

Cute lake area within Golden Gate Park to rent paddles and row boats. There is a place to get lunch and a drink after too.

Ok watering hole and recreation point on the side of the lake. Food and drink (snacks) available. Boats for hire if you feel energetic.

Very friendly staff and a nice overall experience!

Great activity with the family! The lake was beautiful, there were lots of birds and turtles to keep little kids engaged.

What a great place for a boat ride, a hike, a picnic, and for relaxation in the middle of Golden Gate Park! The Boathouse rents row boats and pedal boats (4 and 6 person versions), and sells food, wine and beer. There are great trails around Stow Lake, across bridges onto the island in center, and and around and up to the top of the island. On the island, you can explore the Chinese pavilion and the waterfall.Get there earlier in the day if you want to rent a boat because the line get longer and longer the later it gets in the afternoon, and they stop renting boats 1hr before they close.Every time that I have brought friends and family here we have all had a wonderful time.

This is an open area next to Stow Lake inside Golden Gate Park. Lots of grassy areas and trees around the lake. You can rent a boat, take a leisure stroll, exercise, people watch....its an open and tranquil outdoor space for all to enjoy. Theres a waterfall about a 10 minute walk away.

Beautiful lake in the middle of the city!

Beautiful.fun.its really neat.❤️👌👌❤️👍👍

The lake Is beautiful and the boating experience has become a family tradition.

Great garlic fries and always such a pleasant walk around the lake.

Great place to enjoy some wine and snacks on a row boat or peddle boat. They sell wine and snacks there. I bring my own! Lovely ❤️

Stow Lake, Strawberry Hill and the Boathouse are some of the many Crown Jewels of Golden Gate Park. These places are fantastic and beautiful. Enjoy your visit!

The pedal boat prices are little pricey but this is a beautiful place inside golden gate park

We had a blast for renting a pedal boat for 1 hour. We went around twice around the lake in 1 hour. Clean public bathroom is available behind the boathouse.

If you show up anytime after 2pm, don’t bother coming for the boats. The concession line to rent the boats is longer than the boats line itself, and there is no indication that there are two separate lines, either.Add to this that there was a 40 minute wait for the paddle boats and that we moved 3-4 people in 20-30 minutes... show up in the morning or find another activity to do nearby.Bit of a disappointing experience overall because we tried calling twice before heading over and they never answered the phone, and their website doesn’t mention the two-line process.

Incredible spot. Boating is $27 for an hour. Little cafe here also.

Paddle boat rentals are fun and convenient. $30 for an hour (minus 1 star for cost) Make sure you bring $5 cash. They require this as deposit to ensure you return the boat to the dock. While paddling or rowing you may catch a glipse of a great blue heron.

Boats are a little expensive, but otherwise fun

Very nice place! Great for team building!

This was an amazing experience. Such great scenery. Look out for some turtles in the water

Excellent park and lake for kids & adults for casual walks outdoor, paddle boat ride and Pokemon GO trainers :))

Took my girl here and we rented a rowboat 🚣‍♀️. Beautiful and calm. Enjoyed watching the ducks, blue herons and turtles. We had a good time.

Randomly decides to close early with no warning

The communication of the people work on getting people on and off the boats is horrible. First, there was confusion as to who was supposed to get which boat. Two families who were sitting WELL far away ended up getting the family boats before us, when we had waited in the designated area that one of the people told us. What I also surprused about was how one of the attendants was not shy to air his gripes and grievances to any customer who was standing there. It made standing there waiting feel awkward.Once we did get our boat, all we were told was stay away from bushes and trees, and see you back in about 45 minutes to an hour. We had to figure out 100% on our own how the boat steered, which ended up causing the whole experience to be more frustrating than it was enjoyable. I dont expect a whole lesson about how the boat works, but a simple explanation about how to direct the thing would have been helpful. After about 20 minutes and an unpleasant encounter with a low hanging tree, I started to figure out how to navigate the boat for our party for the remainder of our journey.Upon arrival, we were then told that since there were some leaves in the boat that we had to pay a $5 fee, which I (begrudgingly) paid. But more importantly, when I got my daughter out the boat I noticed that her whole back was covered in white paint flakes! I then had my fiance look at my back, and behold I had it too.Long story short: I found out after this (awful) experience that many other families have expressed problems similar to ours when it comes to how horrible the family boats function. If you do decide to give your money to this poorly run establishment, I HIGHLY suggest not using the larger boat and instead opting for two smaller ones.

I had a good time

This place is about the only thing open in all of Golden Gate Park (circa August, 2020). Food was surprisingly good, if a bit pricey. Some of the best hot dogs Ive ever eaten. Foot longers on whole wheat buns. Very satisfying.Some of the best sweet potato fries weve had, and the spousal unit is pretty demanding of her sweet potato fries. Great regular fries also-- but one order of either is plenty to share between two.Pleasant place to stop and grab a bite while perching along the lake shore.Actually quite pleasant to visit the park during quarantine times. Almost more dogs than people. Landscaping still lovingly maintained. Been visiting GGP as long as I remember, stretching back to at least 1956. So many lovely memories...

Great for morning runs and afternoon hikes.

Always great being h

Great picnic spot.

The first time me and my wife (now) came here I proposed to her while going under a bride we went in as boyfriend and girlfriend came out the other side engagedA yea later we went back went the other way around and got married that dayIt has become very Symbolic place to me and my wife and holds a very special place in our hearts the times we’ve gone she’s always cries and gets emotional while I row the boat she really loves it and I love it as well

Amazi g went w a friend to check.it.out saw lots of birds and turtles

Lovely place to walk but good luck getting your order straight! There is usually a long line for the boats. The kids working behind the counter are kind but flustered :) they seem understaffed on the weekends

Fun for adults and children! Great BLT and sweet potato fries!

If you say you are open till 4, rent a boat for 45 minutes at 3:15. We even checked earlier in the afternoon and were told closing hour.

This place is great. I spotted the stow monster in the deep.

I love this place it’s so much fun and serene and you get to be around the ducks and turtles and geese.

Excellent service