Golden Gate Park Parking Fees Take Effect
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, drivers pay by app or at one of 25 kiosks, with enforcement from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in National Parks
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Do you support charging for parking in Golden Gate Park to fund park services?
Golden Gate Park visitors will soon pay to park, with fees enforced daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking officials proposed the new prices to close a park budget gap that could reach $15 million by 2027, and the Board of Supervisors approved them to avoid cuts to park services.
Why it matters
Park fees and the cameras that enforce them change how people who drive to the park plan their visits, and the money is meant to protect bathroom monitors, field maintenance, custodial services, summer camps and swimming pools. A Board of Supervisors committee also voted unanimously to amend the surveillance technology policy so rangers can use mobile license plate readers, and that amendment goes to the full board next Tuesday.
The park department faces a projected deficit of $15 million by 2027 if nothing changes, and parking west of Crossover Drive after 6 p.m. costs $1.25 an hour versus up to $4 an hour on the east end during peak weekend times. The source does not say how much the fees will raise or how the deficit would be split between park services.
The players
Board of Supervisors
The 11-member body that approved the parking fees and will vote on the surveillance policy amendment.
Jackie Fielder
San Francisco supervisor and committee member who voted unanimously to amend the surveillance technology policy.
Alan Wong
San Francisco supervisor and committee member who voted unanimously to amend the surveillance technology policy.
Stephen Sherrill
San Francisco supervisor and committee member who voted unanimously to amend the surveillance technology policy.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
The city agency whose parking officers already use the license plate reader technology on city streets.
The details
Parking fees in Golden Gate Park will be paid through a mobile parking app or at one of 25 kiosks, and rangers would use mobile license plate readers to enforce them. Rates are based on demand, and enforcement runs daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. in lots and along all park roads. The Board of Supervisors approved the fees, and the committee's amendment to the park department's surveillance technology policy goes to the full board next Tuesday.
Timeline
2025: Parking officials proposed setting prices for park curb space.
Thursday (Nov. 2026): The committee heard the license plate reader proposal and voted unanimously.
Next Tuesday: The amendment goes to the full Board of Supervisors.
2027: The park department deficit could reach $15 million if left unchecked.
Jan. 1, 2027: Parking fees take effect.
Across the Bay
The park department's license plate reader plan extends the city's surveillance technology policy to a new user, following the same tool SFMTA parking officers already use on city streets. Airport planners at San Francisco International Airport are weighing similar camera-based parking changes, which would make parking enforcement more uniform across major city sites.
If you drive into Golden Gate Park, plan to pay at the app or one of 25 kiosks, and expect enforcement from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Check the rate before you park, since the west side after 6 p.m. costs $1.25 an hour while the east end can reach $4 an hour on busy weekends.
The takeaway
Golden Gate Park parking fees are meant to keep bathroom monitors, field maintenance, custodial services, summer camps and swimming pools funded, and the rates depend on demand and location. Watch the full Board of Supervisors vote next Tuesday and plan for the Jan. 1, 2027 start date if you visit by car.
What happens next
The full Board of Supervisors takes up the surveillance technology policy amendment next Tuesday, and parking fees take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Further reading
For more on the city's green spaces, see our National Parks coverage.
Live Poll
Do you support charging for parking in Golden Gate Park to fund park services?
