Dahlia Dell at Golden Gate Park

Fairly certain he’s low tech or Unilocal novice. Because when I said that I’d write a review of this spot, he said, «Don’t. Let it be a secret. It’s my favorite spot.» I assured him this was not going to be first to review. It’s far from a secret.
Girlfriend liked my suggestion and wanted to take her family over here this long weekend. I hit the panic button and sent a quick note over to her, «should we coordinate so that we’d strategically miss each other?» I liked my morning walk quiet and free of running into people I might recognize. Pleasantries are reserved for social events and not when you need to enjoy some of these pretty flowers on your own.
I take, apparently, decent photos of the flowers. Turns out it’s not because of my photography skills or the iPhone 6, which I’ve already scratched, it’s because the flowers are superbly mesmerizing, to the point that they felt unreal, mystical, massive, dazzling, and eternally photogenic.
I taught him to say «dahlia dell.» He thought it was just some flower garden. Middle age straight men in general don’t know much about flowers. They know the names of the pitchers for the Giants or the local pubs where sports are shown, but not the flowers. I told him that when I was a young girl, my grandparents, who took care of me, would put me in a stroller and take me to the city center park, 45 minutes each way. They spent every day in the park, watching the peonies and dahlias bloom.
Peonies are a lot like dahlias, magnificent and statuesque, confident in their own beauty and are used to admirers; they only last a season and they are gone until the next year. They were the opposite of me. As a timid and nerdy young girl, and perhaps still, as a sensitive and fragile middle-​age woman, I was, and still am, insecure to a fault; and I linger way too long for my own good.
Dahlia garden induces awe. Splendid beauty in plain sight. A must stop if you are to visit the pretty nice open space that is called Golden Gate Park that geographically separates the Sunset from the Richmond.
Best viewing season: late June to mid September.
Best time of the day: early Sunday morning. Remember it’s car free day on Sunday in the Park. Tourists are still sleeping off their Saturday evening’s bar crawl in North Beach or the Mission, and locals are too busy heading to kids friendly brunch places, pastry shops, or play structures in the park with their children in tow. Unlike the adjacent building aka California Conservatory of Flowers, this is free of charge to view.
The flowers are now in full bloom. Like a ripe woman, they are going all out: they reach their maximum seductress strength in early September. There are lots of butterflies and bumble bees hovering over the bushes. However, and not surprisingly, no dogs are allowed. Perhaps it’s for the best, I think my puppy Abby would have eaten it all if given the chance.

Lovely place to book picnics, birthday parties, or other events. You can book the Dahlia Dell Picnic Area through this site from SF Parks & Rec:

It’s tucked away right behind the Conservatory of Flowers and the Dahlia garden, and has a picnic table, grassy area, and some tree coverage for shade. The bathrooms are nearby at the Conservatory, as are hot-​dog vendors and others.

Sigh, What is there not to love about dahlias!!! They came in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and can grow big and tall and bright like a sunflower or small and white like a daisy. I loved dahlias before moving to San Francisco and discovering it was the official city flower! This is a wonderful collection of dahlias in a compact area. We came in mid-​late oct and although many died off for the season, there were still many alive and looking gorgeous. So many different types, shapes, colors and so perfectly geometric. Apparently, in winter, you can volunteer to help the dahlia society dig out and catelogue the tubers. Anyways, I imagine this dell would be excellent to visit in late aug or sep when the dahlias are in full bloom. If you love big beautiful colorful flowers, check out the dahlia dell late summer/​early fall!

Dahlias bloom in August and September There are 42 species of dahlias. Hybrids are grown as garden plants.
If you would like to see a large selection of these amazing flowers this is the place to go. The blooms sizes vary, from small 2″ flowers and others can be as large as 1′. Dahlias come in many colors. The only color you will not see is blue. There are 57,000 registered cultivars of this plant. You won’t see that many varieties in this garden, but you won’t be disappointed. This is the perfect place to enjoy these beautiful flowers.

If you haven’t visited the dahlia dell you’re missing a wonder of nature’s ingenuity and human labor. Geometrical perfection mixes with wild abandon anenome-​like forms, dazzling with every hue under the rainbow.
Go! Visit! You are missing the greatest show on earth!

Reserved Dahlia Dell for a work BBQ. The location near the Flower Observatory is nice — you’ve got restrooms in the Observatory, lots of open space in the meadow for tossing a frisbee, and obviously lots of nice flowers for viewing. There’s a single table in the Dell, and space to setup a grill.
Do keep in mind that the Dell is – a dell! The table is covered by trees, which would be nice on a hot day. On a typical foggy Golden Gate park day, though, you’ll be chilly! Members of our group eat around the table, and then moved out into the sunnier meadow to warm up.

A beautiful and fascinating place to visit when the dahlias are in bloom. You’ll be amazed at how many different types of dahlias exist and how gorgeous they can be. It’s fun to try and pick a favorite because every few seconds you’ll find one you love even more. My friend had her own patch in the dahlia dell years ago and I remember how much effort volunteers like her put into growing these beauties that we can all enjoy. The dell used to extend up the hill nearby but I believe it’s now confined to the garden at the center of the round-​about.

I’ve been to the Conservatory of Flowers a few times. Upon leaving I FINALLY turned left (instead of heading straight out). I was blown away by the Dahlia’s. I’ve never seen so many and such a variety! They were incredible! I’m nearly speechless for words. It’s a must-​see.

August/​September, this is an especially lovely pocket of GGP. The flowers are always in beautiful shape and there’s an excellent variety of dahlias. If you love dahlias, this is sort of a don’t miss and if you happen by the conservatory and don’t really GAF about flowers, it’s still a great place for photos and taking in the surrounding area, which is pretty stunning, sun or fog.

weird… i was searching to see if anyone had written a review if Dell computers, and i saw this place…
i love dahlia’s. i’d have to say there are one of my favorite flowers, prolly in my top 1 tied w/​passion flowers. i love love love coming to the garden when the varieties are in bloom.
when you’re looking at the Conservatory of Flowers, go to the right of it, and there lies the «dell». you’ll fall in love too.

One of my favorite places in the city, when the season’s right. Dinner-​plate-​sized blooms of all shapes and colors, like living fireworks. It’s kinda out-​of-​the-​way, next to and behind other park features, making it feel like a discovery. On the weekends you can get lots of Dahlia advice from the volunteer gardeners, or you can become one of them!

yup, geek m absolutely right, they are gorgeous.
here’s the link to the photo set