Where is the best location to park my car if I want to visit the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park? I'll be coming from South San Francisco. Or should I take public transportation? Thanks!

There is parallel parking along most of the roads in GG Park. Last time we were there we found parking pretty quickly.

From S San Fancisco, I guess you are going to be coming via 280/19th Avenue - right? Once you make that right into the park (after Lincoln Ave), there's parking both all along the road as well as a dedicated lot near the Musical Concourse. Some photos of the park are at http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/ggpark.html

The parking along the roads is very available before 11 (and definitely before 10) but gets harder to find after that. So plan your trip accordingly.

Thanks everyone for your help. We'll try to arrive early in the day to get parking along the roads.

raghu: Yes, that's the route we'll be taking. Thanks for letting me know about the lot near the Musical Concourse.

Also know you cannot take cars in on Saturday and Sunday particularly near the tea garden.

Like PamSF states, there are NO CARS allowed in the park on Saturday and Sundays which means that the parking on the outside side streets is pretty bad as well. There is a parking lot at UCSF (about five or so blocks away from the tea garden) but it may be a little pricey.

Is the no cars in the park on weekends a seasonal thing? I ask because we have always gone on Sundays and always park along the roads in the park. Last time we were there was on Valentine's Day and there were cars all through the park. Maybe the ban on cars is only on weekends in the summer?

J_Correa: That's an interesting question. I would like to know the answer too because we'll be going there during the summer.

I'm wondering if it wouldn't ultimately be better (i.e. less crowded) to do the park on a weekday, even though the roads are open to cars, than on a weekend when the roads are closed to cars? My wife and I are going to be in S.F. this summer, and had slated Golden Gate Park for a Sunday because the roads are closed. Also, aren't there shuttles that run through the park?

I was just there this last Saturday and definitely you could take cars into the park. I've been there in the weekend before and driven in. In fact, I've never NOT been able to drive through the park, maybe not to the area near the tea gardens because they do close that street, but on the other streets, definitely I've driven in and parked.

You know I was wondering about this because I had thought there was construction going on???
Anywho, this is from the Conservatory of Flowers website:

"Parking

Surrounding Streets
The streets which surround the Conservatory are John F. Kennedy Drive (south) and Conservatory Drive (north, west and east). Though most parking is free within Golden Gate Park, spaces can be limited.

Please note that on Sundays, Golden Gate Park closes many of its roads to cars.

Weekend and Holiday Parking
On weekends and holidays only, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department charges for parking on the Music Concourse, which is located nearby in front of the California Academy of Sciences. The fee is $1.00 per hour, with a 1 hour minimum and is enforced from 8 am to 6 pm.

Other paid public garages nearby include St. Mary's Hospital at 450 Stanyan and the University of California, San Francisco on Parnassus St."

...."spaces can be limited"....."closes many of it's roads"....(Which ones?????)Other than the info about the Music Concourse and outside parking
this info seems 'bout as clear as mud...
R5