The Ghost & the Fairy

Rent a Rowboat for Golden Gate Park's Haunted Stow Lake

It’s hard to resist paddling the tranquil waters of Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake … home to ducks, geese, gulls, turtles, tourists, and—according to legend—a ghost! Urban myth or not, the story is a bit of a sad one. During the 1800s a woman sat down at a bench along the lake, and while talking to another woman her baby, in a stroller, fell into the lake. When she noticed, she went into the lake to try and save her toddler. Neither made it out, and according to lore the ghostly image of the woman searching the lake appears now and again, sometimes even asking people if they’ve seen her baby. Want to go in search of this ghost, known as the White Lady?

Rent a rowboat at the Stow Lake Boathouse and take your time as you make a big loop around the 400-foot-tall center island, Strawberry Hill. Pass under Rustic Bridge (made out of sharp, bulky stone) and Roman Bridge (one of the oldest surviving concrete bridges). Row by camouflaged turtles sunning themselves on giant rocks. The White Lady is said mostly to appear at night, coming up from the lake. But you never know. Row, row, row on Stow …

BONUS FAIRY TRAIL: Need to lighten the mood? Go in search of the fanciful Fairy Door nearby. Built by artist Tony Powell, this tiny door is hidden on the end of a fallen eucalyptus. Hint: From Stow Lake, head east towards the Japanese Tea Garden … the elusive fairy is found near a paved path here, under a yew tree.

Stow Lake is in Golden Gate Park off John F. Kennedy Dr., just west of the de Young Museum. Park along the shore of Stow Lake. Dog-friendly! 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View