
Parks
“Seeing the return of natural landscapes is a very inspiring thing,” said Christine Lehnertz, president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, which has worked to bring these and other projects in the Presidio to pass. “One piece at a time adds up to so much more.”
Here’s how a desolate rock in the middle of San Francisco Bay became a tourist hotspot—and horticultural haven.
The move comes after the National Park Service, which owns Alcatraz, has been steadily reopening other national parks, including Yosemite, Muir Woods, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Pinnacles and others, often with reduced visitation and closed visitor centers.
Two peregrine falcons are doing what few creatures in history have decided to do — take up residence on Alcatraz by choice and start a family. The falcons enjoy the fabled prison site so much they built themselves a nest on the west side of the island — believed to...
#8: San Francisco Golden Gate National Recreation Area includes spectacular spots such as the Presidio (forests, a lake and dozens of miles for hiking and biking). Also check out national parks Crissy Field, and Lands End, which offers a windy cliff trail and stunning views of the shore and Golden Gate.