Situated next to Mountain Lake where the southern edge of the Presidio meets the Richmond District, this park offers many different amenities. Dog lovers flock here for the dog run at the eastern end of the park. In the middle of the park are four full tennis courts, and nestled closer to the lake shore is a half basketball court. Children enjoy the sand-floor playground at the 12th Avenue entrance that feature slides, swings, and a multi-level play structure, while runners can make use of the built-in fitness circuit. New restrooms are available on-site. There is a covered picnic/card playing pavilion opposite the 9th Avenue entrance. The great meadow is a favorite place to spend the afternoon for a picnic or to rent for children's birthday parties. Mountain Lake Park is owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.
In the spring of 1776, after a 900 mile journey from what is now Mexico, Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and his soldiers came upon Mountain Lake and found the lake an ideal location, as it offered abundant water and pasture land. They broke ground half a mile from the lake and called the settlement the Presidio. The lake suffered damage in the 1930s when the MacArthur Tunnel was built, and dirt and rock from the construction were dumped into the lake. Subsequently, nitrogen and phosphate run-off from the Presidio golf course has polluted the waters.