The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department administers more than 220 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces, including two outside the city limits-- Camp Mather in Yosemite Valley and Sharp Park in Pacifica, Calif. Our park system includes 25 recreation centers, nine swimming pools, five golf courses and numerous tennis courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and other sports venues. Included in the department’s responsibilities are the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo, and Lake Merced.

Our staff members are diverse, committed and talented recreation and park professionals, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park patrol officers, custodians, electricians, painters, and more.

Mission Statement

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s Mission is to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks and preserve the environment for the well-being of everyone in our diverse community.

RPD By the Numbers 


  • 4,113 acres of recreational and open space
  • 3,400 acres within San Francisco
  • 671 marina slips
  • 220 neighborhood parks
  • 179 playgrounds and play areas
  • 82 recreation centers and clubhouses
  • 72 basketball courts and 151 tennis courts
  • 59 soccer/playfields (and growing)
  • 1 Family Camp

Get to Know Us

  1. General Manager
  2. Executive Staff
  3. Organizational Chart
  4. Employee Spotlight


PG headshot 2022

Phil Ginsburg | General Manager

Phil Ginsburg is the general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. With over 4,100 acres and more than 220 parks under its jurisdiction, the Recreation and Park Department stewards some of the most spectacular public spaces in the world, including Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts. Under Phil’s leadership, San Francisco became the first city in the United States where 100 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Phil has led his organization through transformational improvements to the public realm and he has made equity and increasing access to public recreation and to nature, the department’s primary objective. Phil has built a financially sustainable model for San Francisco’s park system through ballot advocacy, the strategic use of public-private partnerships and philanthropy, creative revenue strategies, technology and administrative efficiencies. During his tenure, San Francisco has been consistently ranked one of the nation’s top five park systems. In 2019, Phil was appointed to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom and reappointed in 2022. He was named to the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Directors in 2022.