Pool Hunting: SF's Outdoor Pools, Found

We may not have LA’s warm blanket of smog or Miami’s awesome DayGlo beachwear, but we still do summer pretty well here in SF. And believe it or not, for those few treasured days of unadulterated sunshine, our fair city even offers some amazing outdoor (and even rooftop!) pools. Check out these surprisingly summery locales and you’ll forget you’re still in city limits—until the first foghorn sounds.

Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center
1675 Owens Street
415-476-5546
Bet you didn’t know you could find a rooftop oasis smack dab in Mission Bay. The UCSF Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center offers unbeatable views from their rooftop pool, plus another heated indoor pool and an amazing fitness facility. You can get in on all the great perks, even without a UCSF ID card, for a $15 day pass.

Mission Pool
Located at 19th and Linda Streets
415-641-2841
Only open in the summer, this is the only public pool in the city that's located outdoors. It might not be the Nob Hill Spa, but then again, it's only a few bucks to get in and has a great mural to boot. Spend a day doing some laps and follow it up with dinner at Range, just a block away. Buy a swim pass; $36 gets you ten swims.

Nob Hill Spa
Huntington Hotel
1075 California St.
415-345-2888
The indoor infinity pool at the Huntington Hotel’s Nob Hill Spa is the perfect SF aquatic experience. With a glass-enclosed rooftop setting, you get all the breathtaking panoramic views without that nasty wind chill. And while you’re there, you might as well indulge in a Longevity Relaxation Massage or a Vitamin C Radiance Facial, right?

Phoenix Hotel
601 Eddy St.
415-776-1380
It’s a step up from an at-home staycation: book a room at the ultra-cool Phoenix Hotel and party like a rock star. Besides boasting a roster of past guests like Joan Jett and the Killers, the hotel offers one of the best outdoor pools in SF. In addition to the complimentary poolside continental breakfast you get with a reservation, you’ll get to enjoy the awesome Francis Forlenza mural at the pool’s bottom titled, “My Fifteen Minutes.”

Hotel Nikko
222 Mason Street
415-394-1111
Reserve a spot at Hotel Nikko and you’ll get a view with your swim time, rain or shine. Hotel guests and health club members get to bask in the glory of the hotel’s fifth floor solarium and indulge in the pool and whirlpool, infused with sunlight filtered through the atrium above. Lounge in chairs and chaises from 6 AM to 10 PM while you snack on room service, or hang out on the outdoor patio.

The Paramount
680 Mission St.
415-227-0680
Here’s your incentive to make new friends. Specifically, friends who live in SOMA’s exclusive Paramount Apartments. As if a yoga room and landscaped rooftop sun terrace weren’t enough, the residences offer a heated outdoor pool that’s just begging for a Spring Break-style fiesta. Add an outside private lounging area and BBQ dining terrace, and the $2,250 1-bedroom rent starts to seem almost worth it. Almost.