By Thomas K. Pendergast

A great blue heron glides just above the water at Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park, then gracefully spreads its wings, feet rippling the surface as it lands with a splash and gentle wake.

Less than a week after the SF Recreation and Park Department announced five years of rehabilitation efforts were finished and the lake is now officially open, people jog along a path around it, passing others sitting on wooden benches while talking or reading. A man stands next to his bicycle taking pictures of his child in the rear seat. An elderly couple walks their dog past a mother and her three daughters coming from the other direction.

Many look around with curiosity and wonder, no doubt witnessing for the first time this fantasy garden of native plants come to life, like Dorothy stepping out from her house and walking into the Land of Oz.

The path winds through towering old eucalyptus trees and willows, past newly planted ferns, conifer saplings, red alder trees and brilliantly orange California poppies along with nasturtiums further up.

An 800-foot-long creek flows down a steep hill and beneath a little wooden bridge into the lake; the water source coming from the fly-casting pools on the hilltop to the east.

Located between JFK, MLK Jr. and Chain of Lakes drives, the lake is part of a historical system of water management initially developed by park Superintendent John McLaren in the late 1890s, according to Rec. and Park. Along with nearby South and North lakes, it was created over sand dunes and seasonal ponds to utilize the Westside Basin’s freshwater resources.

By the 1980s, however, the lake was more dry than wet and choked by invasive plant species.

Planning to replace the non-native plants with natives and to rehabilitate the lake began in 2018. Construction began in late 2022, after which the lake was fenced off and closed to the public.

The project totaled $10.8 million, funded by two park bonds (2012 and 2020), the City’s general fund and the Rec. and Park Open Space Fund.

A new 18-inch-thick clay liner at the bottom has expanded the lake size from 56,890 square feet to 83,230 square feet.

In addition to the scenic trail wandering around the 14-acre area, vegetated stone edges, terraced wetland shelves, fallen trees and rectangular blocks cut from old trunks for benches line the path. There is roughly hewn wooden fencing and the entire area has been landscaped.

Sunset resident Olive Hackett-Shaughnessy said she has lived in the neighborhood since 1979, back when there really wasn’t a lake there.

“When the stables had horses, I used to ride from the stables through here. There was nothing here at all, just trees,” she said. “The path was always there, by that road, but nothing here. I saw foxes running through here. It was an unused, unpathed part of the park.”

Hackett-Shaughnessy approves of the new “beautiful” lake.

“I’m very grateful to the parks department for being so creative with this space. And I have been, through the whole process, watching it and watching it and watching it; How many people does it take – architects, landscapers, laborers, horticulturists – to cooperate and make this?” she asked.

“And I appreciate that there’s not biking or skating on these paths, it’s just for walking. I really appreciate that decision.”

While there are at least five wooden obelisks bearing symbols clearly marking that no bicycle riding is allowed on the path, three different people were seen doing just that on a Sunday afternoon, despite children all around and elderly folks using walkers.

The signs are small, measuring 2.5 inches horizontally and the same vertically.

Jessica Wu and Bryce Williams said they did not notice the signs as they sat on a bench near Chain of Lakes Drive with their mountain bikes behind them.

It is their first time at Middle Lake after riding their bikes from Pacifica along the Great Highway. They decided to include a visit to the new lake they had read about.

“I think we’ll come back and walk it more just so we can see more of it but from where we’re at, it’s really nice,” Wu said.

Williams said he has no problem with bike-free paths around the lake.

“I’m fine with that. It’s got too many curves. To me it’s obvious that you don’t want to ride on it,” he said. “This is a good walking path and there’s plenty of bike lanes throughout the City.

“If anyone loses it on a turn because they’re just going too fast, there’s not much room. It doesn’t need to be a biking path,” Williams said.

They both approved of the lake’s rehabilitation.

“It’s nice to see people out and enjoying it,” Wu said. “I think during shelter-in-place you would see a lot of folks out and about. I think people have gotten more comfortable being back in their homes and back into their routines. So, when you are out, it’s nice to see others enjoying it too.”

But was it all worth the $10.8 million price tag?

“Actually, that’s pretty cheap. We have projects that are bigger than that,” said Williams, who works for a construction company that does remodeling.

“We’ve done remodels that were more expensive than that. It’s expensive but for this, it seems like a pretty good deal.”

Hackett-Shaughnessy also thinks it was money well spent.

“Does it make the next generation care about the environment and nature? Yes,” she said. “Does it give us a place to rest, mentally? Yes. Does it give work to people who know how to use the land? Yes. What’s to lose?”