Where Duboce Park Is
Duboce Park is at Duboce and Scott Street in San Francisco, CA 94117. From Twin Peaks Hotel, it’s about a 9-minute walk, so it can fit easily into a day when you want a short break outdoors.
The park was established in 1900. After the 1906 earthquake, it became a tent city that sheltered people displaced from across San Francisco. Before it became a park, the site had been designated a public reservation and later labeled a hospital site, but the proposed hospital was never built. The park was named for Colonel Victor D. Duboce.
What to Expect in the Park
Duboce Park has space for play, sports and a picnic, along with areas for dogs. Listed features include accessible parking, an accessible children’s play area, an accessible restroom, a playground, an outdoor basketball court and a picnic area. The park also has restrooms and an off-leash dog play area.
The Harvey Milk Recreational Arts Center is in the park. Children have separate play areas for tots and older children, while the Scott Street labyrinth, built by Friends of Duboce Park, offers a quieter place to pause.
For a game, the basketball court can be used as one full court or two half courts. Use is first come, first served.
Friends of Duboce Park is a nonprofit started by neighbors from Duboce Triangle and Lower Haight. Its volunteers organize cleanups on the second Saturday of every month, and the group holds an annual tag sale to raise funds for park improvements.
Getting There on Foot or by Transit
Walking is one straightforward way to reach the park from the hotel. If you’re planning a wider route through the city, see this guide to getting around San Francisco by transit and on foot.
SFMTA’s N Judah route serves Duboce Avenue and Noe Street at the Sunset Tunnel East Portal, as well as Duboce Avenue and Church Street. The J Church and 22 Fillmore routes serve Church Street and Duboce Avenue. Transit routes and service can change, so check SFMTA updates when planning your trip.
Pairing the Park with a Neighborhood Walk
A residential-street stroll can pair naturally with time in the park; the paths and green space make an outdoor pause along a neighborhood walk. For another park to compare with Duboce Park, the guide to Corona Heights Park covers a different San Francisco green space.
The park’s history also gives you a sense of how the site changed over time: it was established in 1900, then served as shelter for residents left displaced by the 1906 earthquake. The current mix of recreation areas and shared open space reflects its role as a neighborhood park today.
Access and Visitor Etiquette
Duboce Park has both off-leash and on-leash dog areas, plus a section designated “people only,” where leashes are optional. Pay attention to which area you’re using.
San Francisco Recreation and Parks asks dog owners to leash dogs in on-leash areas, pick up and remove dog waste, keep pets attended, and prevent excessive barking, digging or other destructive behavior. Dogs should have current vaccinations and licenses. Dog walkers are welcome, with a limit of eight dogs under one person’s care.
If you’re planning a group picnic, the picnic area allows one reservation per day for up to 50 people. Applications go through the city’s Large Picnic Application process. Alcohol and barbecues aren’t allowed in the picnic area. Street parking has limited availability.
Timing details vary by facility and listing. The park-hours listing gives “6 to 10 a.m.” without clarifying the schedule.
Restroom hours are listed as 8 a.m.–8 p.m. in spring and summer, and 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. in fall and winter; a separate picnic-area listing says restrooms are closed on Sundays. The dog play area is listed as open from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Before you go: For the current interpretation of park hours, restroom availability and transit service, check the official site before you go. Use San Francisco Recreation and Parks for park details and SFMTA for transit updates.