The Best Spots to Hang a Hammock in the Bay Area

Other than “between any two available trees”

The Best Spots to Hang a Hammock in the Bay Area
Max Vertsanov/Unsplash

Hammocks always look relaxing.

But where to hang one? Especially in a city? It’s a dilemma.

With relaxation season arriving in approximately 35 hours, we wanted some answers — so we went to Yellow Leaf Hammock, the local brand behind new luxe hammock option the Hammock Throne.

The Hammock Throne answers the “where to hang” question by rejecting the premise: It suspends a hammock from a 46”-base. Stick it somewhere with a view (indoor or outdoor) and you’re good.

But what if you’d like a more classic hammocking experience? Yellow Leaf also has those answers.

According to founders Rachel Connors and Joe Demin: “All you need is a hammock, a pair of tree-friendly straps and two fixed points, between 4’ and 20’ apart. There are literally thousands of posts, beams and trees across the city that meet these criteria.”

Start with these.

Golden Gate Park

“Here, you can choose whether to surround yourself with fellow locals or find a quiet grove. For families and groups, the area near the Pioneer Log Cabin is a perfect hammocking destination. You can choose two trees to hang out in, while there are also picnic tables, barbecue grills and bathrooms. Other top spots in GGP include George Washington Grove, Marx Meadow and Lindley Meadow.”

Madalyn Cox/Unsplash

Dolores Park

“Specifically, the grove of Mexican fan palms on the southwest side of the park. From this spot, you can overlook a huge span of the city and the bay, with multi-million-dollar views and some of SF’s best people watching.”

Actually on a boat

“Boats and hammocks have a long and storied history: for centuries, sailors slept in hammocks aboard ship (hammocks are also known to help prevent seasickness). Most boats will have plenty of places to rig up a hammock using carabiners — on a sailboat, a good bet is to hang it between the mast and forestay.”

Instagram/@sterngrovefestival

At the Stern Grove Festival

“We love this free public summer concert series. On summer Sundays, you can trek out to this beautiful wooded outdoor amphitheater for a picnic before the music begins. As you can imagine, this is a popular activity and seating can be extremely limited. On a crowded day, you can always find a spot between the trees [above] the amphitheatre and enjoy the best view in the house.” [Note: The Stern Grove Festival, a perennial on our list of the city’s best outdoor summer concerts, runs June 16 – August 18.]

The Hammock Throne

At home

“Living in San Francisco is actually what inspired us to invent the Hammock Throne. Every time we meet new people and tell them about Yellow Leaf Hammocks, their first response is ‘I love hammocks! I wish I had somewhere to hang one.’ That’s the dilemma the Hammock Throne solves.”

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