Ida Smith is located in the outer sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, just a few miles from Ocean Beach and the SF Zoo. Tucked away off a busy road among the Eucalyptus and Monterey Pines, Hauser House is a cabin that has a full kitchen, common space and detached bathroom. Ida Smith cabin provides easy access to the charms of San Francisco including beaches, ferry rides, a range of local museums, and more. Perfect for troop outings and day time trainings for groups of up to 30.
The Ida Smith property is owned by the City and County of San Francisco through its Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The Girl Scouts of Northern California work in partnership with the SFPUC to manage and protect the site. Important pipes for the San Francisco Regional Water System run through this land. Our water system provides over 2.7 million people with clean drinking water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park and reservoirs in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. The water travels over 160 miles to San Francisco taps, mostly by using gravity! Visitors at Ida Smith can learn about our incredible water system and how we can all help to save water. Water in California is precious, rain or shine.
Learn more about becoming a water-saving hero. Below are links to SFPUC educational resources available on their website, including a direct link to the “Big Ideas” program. We use these to compliment Girl Scout badgework and other curriculum at Ida Smith, but you don’t have to be at Ida Smith to participate! We encourage any Girl Scouts interested in learning about environmental stewardship and water conservation to check out the links below.
Ida Smith reservations are currently managed by it’s local Service Unit Volunteers. Please reach out to campidasmith2019@gmail.com for inquiries
Rental Period
Day Only: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Night Only: 5:00 PM–9:30 AM
Night & Day: 5:00 PM–4:00 PM
Site Information
Hauser House:
- Large, open multi-use common room for meeting or sleeping
- 4 tables and 25 stackable chairs
- 5 picnic tables outside
- Electric heater
Kitchen:
- Four burner stove
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Coffeemaker
- Sink/dish drainer
- Limited cooking utensils (some pots and pans)
Detached Bathroom:
- Located about 200 feet from cabin
- 7 flush toilets
- No showers on site
Parking: The lot inside the gate has space for 10–15 cars.
Ida Smith reservations are currently managed by it’s local Service Unit Volunteers. Please reach out to campidasmith2019@gmail.com for inquiries
There are endless things to see and do in San Francisco! Here is a list that will get you started for your planning:
Camp Ida Smith
1100 Lake Merced
San Francisco, CA 94132
Important note on Address: Use the driving directions below. When you search “110 Lake Merced”, your GPS will misdirect you. Ida Smith is said to be located across from the Penguin at Lake Merced. Look for the statue on the west side of Lake Merced Blvd.
From the East Bay:
- Cross the Bay Bridge.
- Continue on I-80 South and take 280 South to Daly City.
- Continue on 280 to the John Daly Blvd/Westlake exit.
- Turn right (west) on John Daly Blvd.
- Continue on John Daly Blvd to Lake Merced Blvd and turn right (at Burger King).
- Proceed about one mile. The camp entrance is on the right, across from Lake Merced.
From Marin/north San Francisco:
- Cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Follow Hwy 1 (Park Presidio Blvd/19th Ave) to Brotherhood Way.
- Turn right on Brotherhood Way and proceed to Lake Merced.
- Turn left on Lake Merced.
- The camp’s entrance is on the left, 40 to 50 yards from this turn.