Happy 100th Birthday, McLaren Park!
Boy Scouts and others plant trees in the newly-dedicated McLaren Park, 1927. (photo: Western Neighborhoods Project)
Nature in the City Executive Director Amber Mahlberg recently visited the SF Gov TV recording studio with Christopher Campbell to record a story about McLaren Park, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Christopher, who just retired after many years as SF Rec & Park’s Natural Resource Manager and probably knows more about SF’s most wild parks than anyone, shared these words:
“Welcome to McLaren Park, San Francisco's second-largest park and one of the city's most important natural landscapes. For decades, these hills were shaped by grazing and other land uses. Today, through decades of restoration led by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, volunteers, scientists, and community partners, native habitats are recovering, and wildlife is returning.”
“Although McLaren Park was established in 1926, it took 34 years to assemble the land that became today's park. Whether you've walked these trails for decades or you're visiting for the first time, you're now part of McLaren Park's continuing story.”
Join us in wishing McLaren Park a very Happy Centennial Birthday! And stay tuned to hear more from Christopher when we launch our McLaren Park Interpretive Project, including audio tours, later this year.
Crowds gathered on a grassy hillside for McLaren Park’s dedication in 1927. (photo: Western Neighborhood Project)
We were also honored to hear these beautiful words from Daniel Choi, SF Rec & Park’s Park Service Manager, at Nature in the City’s Annual Community Picnic, held at McLaren Park’s Redwood Picnic Area in July 2026:
Dawn
Before the City fully wakes up, McLaren Park already has her first cup of morning dew, as the crowns of the trees dampen the ground beneath the dripline, making those who notice second-guess if they saw rain in the forecast or not.
The Muscovy ducks nestle their unique, beautiful faces onto their back feathers, huddling on the island of willow trees in McNab Lake.
The coyotes return to their dens after a night out roaming and hunting, but they can't reach those ducks at the lake.
The gardening and custodial staff arrive at the park to start their shifts, rattling the chains as they unlock the gates in the dark.
Older folks walk the Shelley Promenade, chatting away as the first peek of sunrays warm up the pathways.
Long before the joggers, dog walkers, school children, and commute traffic arrive, the park is already alive.
And that reminds me of something important: McLaren Park isn’t simply a place we visit; it’s an ecosystem that never sleeps.
Daylight
As more people arrive, McLaren Park starts its morning commute traffic, with people using the Shelley Drive east entrance to Cambridge Street to cut through the park.
Kids are dropped off for summer camps in the park. The children at the weekday forest school begin their day under the Shelley Drive redwood grove.
More neighbors start their morning walk with their dogs and strollers.
Nightfall
As the sun begins to set, the gates on Shelley Drive swing closed and are locked by the Park Rangers.
Families go home.
The soccer fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds empty out.
The trails become calm and quiet.
The custodial team finish up their routes and close up the Caretaker’s Cottage Maintenance Facility.
The Great-horned owls call and hoot throughout the night.
The Coyotes start their night shift park patrol.
Nature continues working through the night until tomorrow morning, when the cycle begins again.
People often ask me what it means to manage a park. For me, it means caring for something that belongs to everyone, but also belongs to no one. It is our responsibility as staff, park visitors, neighbors, and community members to care for this piece of nature in the city. Managing a park isn’t simply mowing the grass; it’s managing an entire living system for those plants, birds, animals, and people who use it!
Nature in the City, and nature in this city, thank you, Daniel, for sharing this lovely poetic speech with us!
NTC community picnic attendees stroll through mature trees at McLaren Park, July 2026 (photo: Masaki Omori)