Dog Walkers in Portola

Portola is a residential community located in southern San Francisco, California. It is roughly four miles from the downtown area. Mostly home to standalone, single-family homes, there are a few businesses within the borders of Portola. You will find local restaurants and coffee shops, a brewery, banks, gas stations, grocery stores, and churches. You will also find five schools ranging from elementary to high school. Portola also has a few greenways located within its neighborhood's borders and is home to relatively large Chinese and Latinx communities. 

Portola is also immediately adjacent to John McLaren Park, a 312-acre park with plenty of walking trails for you and your furry friend to enjoy!

Like the rest of San Francisco, Portola has a mild climate and rarely experiences extreme cold or hot temperatures. So you and your pup may work up a sweat navigating this hilly neighborhood, but it won't be because extreme hot or humid weather conditions!

As mentioned above, Portola is quite a hilly area, just like many of the residential, San Francisco neighborhoods. You and your pup will experience rolling hills, many of which can be quite steep and will make for excellent exercise. The western part of the neighborhood seems to have the most prominent inclines in Portola. Additionally, this area is largely artificial as it is mostly home to residential and commercial buildings, however, the artifical terrain includes sidewalks so you and your pup don't have to share roadways with cyclists or cars. Additionally, the proximity to John McLaren Park is helpful if you ever want to escape the urban, residential community for your daily walk. 

The boundaries of Portola include John F. Foran Freeway and Southern Freeway to the north, Bayshore Freeway to the east, Mansell Street to the south, John McLaren Park to the southwest, and Madison Street to the west. 

Portola does have a few green spaces located within its neighborhood's boundaries but, unfortunately, most of them are sports fields for the neighborhood's five schools. The largest greenway is not open to the public as it is home to the North Basin which feeds into the Regional Water System. 

However, if you and your dog are looking for a more natural walk, John McLaren Park is to the west of Portola. As a 312-acre park, John McLaren Park is the second-largest park in San Francisco and is home to playgrounds, a golf course, general recreation and picnic areas, sports facilities, a pool, an amphitheater, and McNab Lake. 

Of potentially more interest to you and your pup, John McLaren Park also has seven miles of trails and two dog parks! The trails can be accessed in multiple locations throughout this greenway. The off-leash dog parks, which are some of the largest in the city, are located off of John F. Shelley Drive.