Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove is located in the Sunset District of San Francisco. It is located along Sloat Avenue between 19th and 34th Avenues.
The park was donated to the city in 1931 by Rosalie Meyer Stern and is named after her husband. Stern Grove is made up of three distinct areas: there is the Concert Meadow, the West Meadow, and Pine Lake Park. At 33 acres in size, it provides a wonderful place to take the dog or just go for a walk or picnic. The park is wheelchair accessible.
To get there:
From 19th Avenue, turn West on Sloat. Continue on a few blocks and turn right on Vale. Vale will take you to the gate and drive that leads to the parking lot.
The Concert meadow is where they hold the Stern Grove Festival. Since 1938 there have been free weekly concerts and performances in the amphitheater. It is the nation’s longest-running free, outdoor music festival.
Just East of Concert Meadow is the grove. The old Trocadero is there. There is a pond and picnic tables amongst the redwood trees. During San Francisco’s wilder times there was a shootout at this building and the bullet holes are still visible in the front door.
According to the SFGeneology website:
The story of the Trocadero rancho is a richly colored one, full of melodrama, bloodshed and thrills. It was here that the celebrated Greene feud was fought—fought not with bullets alone, but with dynamite and scalding water. Here, with the urbane Hiram Cook as host and proprietor, came the sporting bloods of San Francisco to dine, to dance, to play gentlemanly poker—hundred dollar change-in, table-stakes games.
If you are a dog lover, you will find the West Meadow to be a great place to go. No leash is required, but there are some good common sense rules. Don’t be surprised to see plenty of professional dog walkers. The meadow is very spacious and there is plenty of room for the dogs to run.
At the West end of the park is Pine Lake. Of the 10 natural lakes that were here in San Francisco, only 3 remain. Those three are Lake Merced, Mountain Lake, and Pine Lake.
The lake is pretty, but has been invaded by the water primrose. At some point, removal will be necessary before the lake is completely engulfed. For now, it is home to ducks, fish, squirrels and other birds and wildlife. In the spring, blooms and blossoms can be seen everywhere.
