U.S. National Recreation Area surrounding San Francisco Bay Area
This article is about the park with many sites in and around San Francisco and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. For the urban park located entirely within San Francisco, seeGolden Gate Park.
TheGolden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is aU.S. national recreation area protecting 82,116 acres (33,231 ha) of ecologically and historically significant landscapes surrounding theSan Francisco Bay Area. Much of the park is land formerly used by theUnited States Army. GGNRA is managed by theNational Park Service and is the second-most visited unit of the National Park system in the United States (ranking only underBlue Ridge Parkway), with more than 15.6 million visitors in 2022. It is also one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a size two-and-a-half times that of the consolidated city and county ofSan Francisco.
The park is not one continuous locale but rather a collection of areas that stretch from southernSan Mateo County to northernMarin County and includes several areas of San Francisco mostly on theWest Side of the city. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such asMuir Woods National Monument,Alcatraz, and thePresidio of San Francisco. The GGNRA is also home to over 3,000 plant and animal species,[3] encompasses 59 miles (95 km) of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries ofCalifornia history, from the Spanishconquistadors toCold War-eraNike missile sites.
The park was created thanks to the cooperative legislative efforts of cosponsors Congressman William S. Mailliard (R-San Francisco) and Congressman Phillip Burton (D-San Francisco). Dr. Robert Busha, an administrator in Mailliard's Washington office, conceived the plan for a non-contiguous national recreation area to circumvent the prevailing limitation that national park property should be contiguous. In 1972, PresidentRichard Nixon signed into law "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." The bill allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development. The National Park Service first purchased Alcatraz andFort Mason from theU.S. Army. Then to complete the national park in the north bay, theNature Conservancy purchased the land in theMarin Headlands that made up the failed development project calledMarincello from theGulf Oil Corporation. The Nature Conservancy then transferred the land to the GGNRA. These properties formed the initial basis for the park.
Throughout the next 30 years, the National Park Service acquired land and historic sites from the U.S. Army, private landowners, and corporations, incorporating them into the GGNRA. The acquisitions range from the historicCliff House restaurant andSutro Baths in San Francisco, to large and expansive forest and coastal lands, such asSweeney Ridge in San Mateo County and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin. Many decommissioned Army bases and fortifications were incorporated into the park, includingFort Funston, four Nike missile sites, The Presidio, andCrissy Field. The latest acquisition by the National Park Service is Mori Point, a small parcel of land on thePacifica coast.
In February 2005, SenatorDianne Feinstein introduced legislation in theUnited States Senate that would add 4,700 acres (1,900 ha) of natural land to the GGNRA in San Mateo County, including a 4,076-acre parcel known as the Rancho Corral de Tierra. The property, located south of Pacifica and surrounding the communities ofMoss Beach andMontara, is home to many diverse plant and animal species. The bill passed in theSenate but did not pass theHouse of Representatives.
On December 9, 2011, Rancho Corral de Tierra was transferred from thePeninsula Open Space Trust to the GGNRA and the National Park Service.[4]
San Francisco Bay, and the city skyline seen from Marin County in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Headlands Center for the Arts – an artist residency program in renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands. Offers programs including performances, discussions, and lectures, and displays a 1,800-square-foot (170 m2) project space with a rotating roster of artists open to the public
Oakwood Valley – bordered by Marin City to the north and the Marin Headlands to the south, Oakwood Valley contains the largest untouched woodland ofCoast Live Oak andCalifornia bay trees in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area[5]
Fort Funston – a former coastal fortification and Nike missile site SF-59L; now a popularhang gliding spot
Fort Mason – the San Francisco Port of EmbarkationNational Historic Site now houses non-profit organizations and offers a variety of cultural activities
Lands End – a natural preserve including the Coastal Trail, bringing scenic views of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate. Includes Mile Rock, the site of a former lighthouse and, subsequently, a helipad located offshore at the southwestern edge of the Golden Gate
Presidio of San Francisco – a former military reservation and site of the initial Spanish fortification in San Francisco, including:
Baker Beach – the birthplace of theBurning Man festival, a popular sunbathing spot that is clothing-optional at its northern end. Located at the southwestern corner of the Presidio
Battery Chamberlin – one of the last remaining coastal defense "disappearing guns" on the U.S. West Coast
Crissy Field – a former airfield restored to a 100-acre (40 ha) shoreline
Ocean Beach – a popular surf spot on the western side of San Francisco
TheSutro District – a collection of historic attractions developed byAdolph Sutro in the late 19th century, including:
TheCliff House – a historic restaurant first built in 1863, rebuilt following fires in 1894 and 1907. It also houses theCamera Obscura, a historic building containing a device that projects a 360° image
Sutro Baths – concrete ruins of an indoor swimming pool constructed in 1894 by former SF mayor Adolf Sutro dominate the southwest corner
Rob Hill Group Camp – open April through November, $125/night, two 30-person public sites, each with four parking spaces, must be reserved three days in advance with the Presidio Trust.
Milagra Ridge – 240-acre (97 ha) parcel of land that is home to several endangered species andNike Missile Site SF-51L
Sweeney Ridge – location of where Spanish explorerGaspar de Portolà discovered the San Francisco Bay and is home to severalWorld War II lookout nests and pillboxes as well as Nike missile site SF-51C
Mori Point – a small parcel in Pacifica, consisting of a ridge overlooking the San Francisco peninsula. Trails lead across the ridge and to Sharp Park beach. The site includes recently restored wetlands and a pond, protecting endangeredSan Francisco garter snake andred-legged frog habitats.[8]
Rancho Corral de Tierra – the GGNRA's newest park. A former Mexican land grant north ofHalf Moon Bay and on Montara Mountain, this site was preserved through the work of the Peninsula Open Space Trust, which acquired the property and then sold it to the GGNRA.[9]
^Hamlin, Jessie. (Oct. 17, 1999).San Francisco Chronicle.Coming Up – What's New This Week: ART: Visions of Preservation Sunday Datebook section, Page 11.
^Heid, Matt (2003).Camping and Backpacking the San Francisco Bay Area. Wilderness Press. p. 54.ISBN0-89997-295-0.
