Labyrinths are artistic mazes with the intention to be strolled through with calm reflection. These ornate designs can be created of any size and material, and in San Francisco there are plenty perfectly placed around to give you a relaxing reprieve from the bustle of the city. Here are a few to visit that are masterfully impressive, creative, and serenely magical.
See also: San Francisco's Best Hidden Community Gardens
Land's End
Lands End Trail / Website
Perhaps the most famous labyrinth is the not-so-discreet stone-made one at the end of the Lands End Trail. Follow the pleasant hike down from either the Legion of Honor or the top of Sutro Baths to reveal a magnificent maze that strikingly overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge. You'll often find many completing the course, as well as those stopping to take photos, as any angle of this large masterpiece is unbeatable.
Grace Cathedral
1100 California St / (415) 749-6300 / Website
Grace Cathedral is perhaps equally as renowned, as it hosts not one, but two gorgeous labyrinths! Whether you traverse the one outdoors, or participate in their yoga on the indoor labyrinth, visiting Grace Cathedral will truly leave you with a sense of rejuvination and peace.
Scott Street
52-98 Scott St / Website
The Scott Street Labyrinth was a $90,000 project by the Friends of Duboce Park that includes a mosaic bench with tiles of those who helped create this 23-foot-wide community treat. Opened in 2007, this secret masterpiece can be discovered discreetly behind a wall near Haight Street and includes a landscaped garden and nearby mini labyrinth.
Bernal Heights
10 Bernal Heights Blvd / Website
The Bernal Heights Labyrinth is actually the lifework of one man, first started over a decade ago! His design began simple as a three-circuit classic pattern which then only blossomed into more intricate designs now beloved by the community.
McLaren Park
100 John F Shelley Dr / (415) 831-2700 / Website
McLaren Park's stone labyrinth can be found just uphill of the specified dog area, tucked away in a serene oasis at the summit of the picturesque overlook.
Potrero Del Sol
2827 Cesar Chavez St / (415) 554-9521 / Website
Lastly, Potrero Del Sol is a popular casual hangout not only for skaters, but also for those wanting to reflect and recalibrate with the stunning concrete labyrinth. This structure also acts as a Greek-style ampitheater and was first implemented in 2006 as fundraiser beautification project.
If you're a labyrinth-seeker, or just curious on just how prevalent these wholesome functional artworks are, you can find them all on the helpfully comprehensive World-Wide Labyrinth Locator.
