San Francisco

Presidio Tunnel Tops is a stunning and welcoming national park space, completely free and accessible to all!

While visiting the biodiverse shorelines of the Presidio, you can’t get much closer to the Golden Gate Bridge than at Marshall’s Beach. This rugged stretch of sand and rocks is a favorite destination for photographers. Even clothing-optional sunbathers are known to frequent on warm days.

See what a community can do when they are inspired to transform a site that was once an abandoned airfield. Today its restored tidal marsh is a vibrant environmental showcase, bordered by a popular promenade, expansive meadows, and a renowned education center.

Hold on to your hat. Fort Funston features 200 foot high sandy bluffs on San Francisco's southwest coast where the winds blow reliably wildly. No surprise it is one of the premier hang-gliding spots in the country. Dog owners will be happy to know they can take leashes off here.

Everywhere you turn in this 1,200-acre greenbelt on the City's northern waterfront, you'll find endless options for relaxation and stimulation. This former military installation, with its jaw- dropping view of the Golden Gate, is headquarters for the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

You are likely to award this National Historic Site as having the most astonishing view of the Golden Gate Bridge. A Civil War-era brick fort, it lies directly below the southern end of the span. Check for tours, especially candlelight evening ones, and annual Civil War reenactments. Interestingly, no military action ever occurred here.

Yes, it's even more awesome than you imagined. Since it opened in 1937, this 1.7-mile suspension span between San Francisco and Marin counties has become one of the most beloved bridges in the world. A work of art, an engineering marvel, and an American icon, the Bridge is flanked on both ends by the natural beauty of the Golden Gate National Parks. Enjoy an exhilarating, but often chilly, walk across it.

At every turn of the trail on this wild and rocky northwestern corner of San Francisco, there is another stunning vista. Along the way you'll see hillsides of cypress and wildflowers, views of old shipwrecks, access to the epic ruins of Sutro Baths, pocket beaches, and a new Lookout Visitor Center. You can thank community volunteers who have helped revitalize and restore the native habitat here.

Picture a 3.5-mile stretch of white beach with few tourists and no highrises. It's just you and the waves and the seabirds at Ocean Beach, on the westernmost border of San Francisco, adjacent to Golden Gate Park. 

Visitors keep discovering new pleasures in this jewel of a national park. From eucalyptus-lined ridges overlooking the City to its restored wetlands and beaches, it is both a place of tranquil seclusion and unique activities. Transferred from the Army to the National Park Service in 1994, the Presidio offers forests and museums, rambling trails and restaurants, cliffside surf and historic architecture.