Park Stories

Highlighting the people, engaging programs and beautiful places that make the Golden Gate National Parks special. Can't get enough? Sign up for our monthly E-ventures newsletter, and become a member today to receive our gorgeous Gateways newsletter quarterly. More about our publications here

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Silver lupine brush at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
Legacy News article
When you make a planned gift to the Conservancy, you become a member of the Silver Lupine Circle -- a community of park lovers who, like you, ensure these national treasures will be protected and nurtured for generations to come.
A park ranger leads a program at Alcatraz Island
Gateways Article
Ranger Oliver Goodman was raised in a family where "nobody hiked, nobody camped," but attending protests and participating in community events were a part of everyday family life. Alcatraz immediately struck him.
Bald Eagle
Article
“This is a super exciting time for Bald Eagles in the Bay Area. We must be doing something right for Bald Eagle ecology."
Parks Conservancy board member Shane Douglas
Gateways Article
Shane Douglas is an advocate for America’s public lands and for getting people into the outdoors. We caught up with Shane to ask how all his park work overlaps.
Lidia D'Amico opens a window to the ocean on Alcatraz.
Gateways Article
National Park Service biologist Lidia D’Amico works, in short, for the birds.
Sharaya Souza sits in Black Point historic gardens surrounded by wildlfowers.
Article
Editor's note: This article is part of our 2023 Annual Report to the Community , where you'll find all we've accomplished together in the past year, along with interactive postcards from the park sites of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Check it out >> Sharaya Souza (Taos Pueblo, Ute...
Collecting seeds at Mori Point.
Gateways Article
For Martine Glaros, it’s “like hiking and going on a treasure hunt at the same time.” Desmond Murray called it “needle in a haystack stuff.” Imagine finding a bloom in the park and going back weeks later when it’s no longer flowering, grasses and shrubs growing up around it, and...
Park leaders stand in front of the China Beach monument.
Gateways Article
David Smith became the new Superintendent of the GGNRA in January 2023. We sat down with David to get to know him better, and talk about his priorities for the GGNRA and how they overlap with the Parks Conservancy's work.
A sunset photo of the rainbow pride flag flying in the parks.
Gateways Article
Time travel is a walk in the park in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). For Pride Month and beyond, let’s make our way through some of the queer history in the parks. In more recent history, our park sites existed as military bases and fortifications—see the batteries and...
Art Projects from De Colores Arts "Presidio Tunnel Tops Park Art Series"
Gateways Article
We connected with De Colores Arts to learn more about the 7-week-long "Presidio Tunnel Tops Park Art Series" hosted at the Crissy Field Center Art Lab.
Crissy Marsh
Gateways Article
With our partners, we're on a mission to reduce emissions, adapt for a changing climate, and encourage visitors to join and move in the most sustainable ways possible in the outdoors.
Joyce Guy at work in the field
Article
The origin story of the Golden Gate Bridge is dominated by tales of the architects and designers who were given the opportunity to dream up the structure. The workers who installed and later maintained the cables and trusses, the bolts and the paint, are not often credited. In the book...