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.

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.

Attention, hikers. This wide-open valley through the rolling Marin Headlands is ALL views. Its five-mile loop connects to a network of other trails that rise and fall gently through grassland and coastal chaparral. Hikers, cyclists, and equestrians share Gerbode Valley.

Watch hawks trace circles in the sky from rolling hills in the Marin Headlands. Besides its wide-screen vistas of the Pacific and the Golden Gate, Hawk Hill offers fascinating wildlife experiences. It is the best place to witness the fall raptor migration and also provides habitat for the Mission blue butterfly.

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.