7 Magical Spots for Stargazing in SF (When It’s Not Fogged Over)

Let’s be clear: it’s not easy to see stars in the city. There’s light pollution, of course, which can make it near-impossible to see stars at night. And, if it’s not downtown lights killing the dark, we’ve got Karl, the good old fog here to block any visibility of the sky at all. But, there is a healthy medium between the two, and remote spots in the city that, when clear, offer ample stargazing opportunities. While they might not rival the views of the sky in Montana (or, honestly, even some spots in the East Bay), they’re certainly worth hitting up if you don’t want to leave the city and still want to gaze upon the glory of a star-studded evening. Some of these are even ones the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers hold their star parties at, so, you know—they’ve got some legitimate backing to them.

Here are the places to head right around sunset time with your outer layers and your telescope (obviously, if you have one) for a view of the sky that’s simply heavenly.

Point Lobos Near Lands End

This is one of the few places the SF Amateur Astronomers actually hosts their star parties, andthe SF Sidewalk Astronomers recommend it, too. That, and the fact that it’s pretty far from the city toward the ocean guarantees you’re bound to see more above you on a clear night.

Stow Lake

7×7 recommends Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake, where tall trees block out city lights.

Twin Peaks

Good news: there are already telescopes at the top of Twin Peaks. Head up on a clear night for a cool view.  

 Grandview Park

They call it Grandview for a reason: Three hundred sixty degree views of the city give you a high vantage point for looking out below and a great one for looking up at the sky above.  

Bernal Heights Hill

As one Yelp reviewer notes, “Nighttime can feel a little creepy because it’s nature in the dark, but it’s perfect on any fireworks holidays (sans fog) or for some rudimentary stargazing (you’d have to get pretty far out of the city to avoid light pollution entirely), but it’s dark enough in the immediate vicinity for basic constellation-identification.” That’s definitely on the right track for some good city gazing.

We do also have to add an epic review of Bernal Heights Hill on Yelp that we think could be applied to stargazing (it even mentions gazing in one of the verses):

“Up that road
Up that hill
Up into the Heights of Bernal
Where you gaze
Amongst the Gods and clouds
Onto the view that is forever eternal.”

‘Nuff said.  

Presidio Grounds

The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers will head out here, and for good reason: there’s very little development in this area, which is prime for some dark, dark night. Just maybe bring a flashlight, because we’re serious when we say it gets dark. 

The San Francisco Bay

Or, get on a boat and sail away from the city lights altogether. The open water offers some pretty ample darkness for stargazing. Don’t forget to bring a jacket!  

[Featured Image: Eugene Kim via Flickr]

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