The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) has a variety of picnic sites in San Francisco and Marin County. Most of these sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis in order to ensure availability of picnic sites to the widest array of park visitors. Because of the park's proximity to an urban area, sites can fill up early whenever there is warm weather. Sometimes sites fill up as early as 10:00 a.m., so the earlier your group arrives, the greater the chance for securing a picnic table.
Large Group Picnics (50 or more) in First-Come, First-Served Sites Groups of 50 people or more are considered private special events and a permit is required. Permits are to ensure compliance with park regulations, establish a contact person and alert park maintenance and law enforcement units of upcoming special events. Special use permits may be denied during periods of heavy use, (e.g., peak season weekends from March 15-October 15, holidays, and Fleet Week). Please remember that permits do not guarantee space will be available. For more information on having a large group picnic in the GGNRA, please go to our home page to find the correct specialist. If you require guaranteed availability of a picnic site, we recommend you use one our our reservable sites or contact other Bay Area park agencies that have reservable sites. Check out our link to Other Bay Area Parks.
