Top 17 art & nature playgrounds

See art and artful nature in the urban wild

Art in a national park: San Francisco, CA

The Presidio, the city’s urban forest, is a beautiful mashup of art and nature. Look for works among the trees by big-name artists like Andy Goldsworthy. You’ll also catch animation fever at the Walt Disney Family Museum ($20; waltdisney.com) and at Lucasfilm HQ, where you can pay your respects at the statue of Yoda. nps.gov/prsf

Best time to go: Fall, for sunshine and Indian summer temps.

Stay: A century-old officers’ quarters became the new Inn at the Presidio, with 22 comfy rooms smack in the middle of the park. Wide porches with rocking chairs keep the Golden Gate Bridge in view. From $195; innatthepresidio.com