Best Sausalito Parks & Playgrounds
You can get permission for special activities and rent many Sausalito parks and facilities for weddings, events etc. at reasonable prices by contacting the Parks & Rec. Dept., who happen to be really nice people. They also organize other events like bocce ball leagues, as seen in the video below from before the upgrading of Dunphy Park.
Major Sausalito Parks near Bridgeway
Each Sausalito park listed below is in the portion of Sausalito clsest to visitor destinations and Sausalito businesses.
Bridgeway Promenade (Bridgeway Promenade) — Not technically a park, but a public walking and recreation area. The Promenade includes two long levels of public sidewalks that are immersed in the beautiful views of the Bay and San Francisco. Portions of the Promenade are the Sausalito Boardwalk, and the entire area is sometimes (inaccurately) referred to by that name.
City Hall (Caledonia St. and New Town) The city has a large recreation room and other facilities managed by the Parks and Recreation Dept.
Dunphy Park (Caledonia St. and New Town) — Location of the 4th of July city BBQ each year and many other events. Location of the town Bocce Ball courts and beach volleyball court. (OK, it’s about 50 yards from the actual shore of the bay, but it’s a large area filled with sand and a good net.) Dunphy Park went through a major renovation and expansion over the last three years, and is now one of the nicest parks in Marin, with its own paved parking lot. The gazebo (site of many first kisses, romantic rendezvous and weddings, was retained, and the recreational areas upgraded and expanded.
Gabrielson Park (Downtown Sausalito & Ferry Pier) — Adjacent to the Ferry pier, Gabrielson Park plays host to Jazz and Blues by the Bay and the 4th of July Fireworks.
GGNRA and the Marin Headlands (Fort Baker and the GGNRA) — It’s not a City park, but it’s got a Sausalito address!
Marinship Park (Marinship) — CURRENTLY CLOSED Home to the Sausalito Art Festival each Labor Day Weekend, Marinship Park also has public tennis courts and a soccer fireld popular for summer league play.
Martin Luther King Jr. Park (Nevada Valley) — A large park in Northern Sausalito with tennis courts and athletic fields. Also the location for the Sausalito Dog Park.
Robin Sweeny Park (Caledonia St. and New Town) — Features popular basketball courts and a children’s playground, as well as a broad lawn. The children’s play area was completely renovated and upgraded recently, and surrounded by a fence. It’s one of the nicest children’s play areas in Marin.
Sausalito Dog Park (Nevada Valley) — Sausalito’s only enclosed off-leash dog exercise and socialization spot, located within Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Like all dog parks, use caution here since once in a while an owner brings an aggressive dog.
Schoonmaker Beach (Marinship) — Nestled in the calm waters inside a yacht harbor, this is an ideal destination for families with small kids. There is little wave action and the water at the beach is shallow.
Viña del Mar Park (Downtown Sausalito & Ferry Pier) — The heart of downtime Sausalito, with the famous fountain and the 14-foot elephant statues.
Yee Tock Chee Park (Bridgeway Promenade) — We list this as a major park despite its tiny size because its perfect location for views of San Francisco makes it one of the busiest spots in Sausalito. A century ago it was a boarding area for the ferries to San Francisco, and you can still see concrete steps used by the ferry crews.
Small Sausalito Public Parks Near Bridgeway
Each Sausalito park in this section is adjacent to San Francisco Bay.
Municipal Fishing Pier (Bridgeway Promenade) This is a “Once and Future Park” that was used generations ago but then fell into disrepair, so it’s just a ruin jutting out into the Bay adjacent to The Trident restaurant. Plans to rebuild it with special Federal aid money have proven to be controversial and remain under discussion.
Shoreline Park (Marinship) — Just north of the larger Marinship Park, this is a tiny gem with a broad lawn next to a marsh and a marina, very popular with dog owners.
Swede’s Beach (Old Town) — A small secluded beach in southern Sausalito, adjacent to the sewage pumping plant.
Tiffany Beach (Old Town) — A small beach accessible from Swede’s Beach at low tide, just north of Swede’s Beach.
Tiffany Park (Bridgeway Promenade) — Hidden at the side of Bridgeway in southern Sausalito, this small park has a couple of peaceful benches.
Turney St. Boat Ramp (Caledonia St. and New Town) — Public boat ramp with access to Richardson’s Bay.
Neighborhood Sausalito Playgrounds & Retreats
All of these parks except South View Park are small neighborhood playgrounds with a patch of lawn and a play structure for young children. Each Sausalito park in this section lies in a residential neighborhood and is designed for on-foot access by neighbors, with little or no space for parking.
Cazneau Playground (Above Caledonia St. and New Town) — A small neighborhood playground for kids in the hillside neighborhood above Caledonia St.
Cloud View Park (The Hill) — A small neighborhood playground for kids located high on the Hill above Bridgeway.
Mary Ann Sears Park (was Harrison Park) (The Hill) — A small neighborhood park with play equipment for little residents of “The Hill.”
Langendorf Park (Spring Valley) — This playground serves families who live in the hills in Spring Valley, and is best suited for young children.
The Daniel O’Connor Memorial Bench (The Hill) — A quiet place just blocks away from the busy crush of Bridgeway, with an important lesson for those of us who visit.
South View Park (Above Old Town) — A tennis court, a basketball court, a playground, a small lawn… all on one of the steepest blocks in Sausalito!
Why so many parks in a city of only 7,000 people?
Two reasons:
1. 100 years ago Sausalito was a major railroad and ferry hub and the second largest town in Marin County (after San Rafael) and the city leaders from 1870 to 1930 often turned unused or abandoned space into parks. It’s public policy from 100 to 150 years ago that has paid off for us in later generations.
2. Bequests to the City by residents, as well as new parks tied to real estate development in the last 30 years, have added some gems to our Sausalito park system.
See also our page on Beaches in Sausalito, the GGNRA and the Marin Headlands.
