Skip to main content

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 Magazine. More about our publications here

A gorgeous sunset from GGNRA shoreline
Jaw-dropping Sunset Spots in Our Parks

Grab your cameras and head for the coast—it’s sunset season! With Daylight Savings coming on March 10, soon we’ll have an extra hour to capture those late-winter sunsets. One of our talented photographers shares his must-visit locations in the parks for any photo enthusiast.

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Early Spring Wildflowers: A Viewer’s Guide

While the East is still buried under 3 feet of snow, harbingers of spring have begun to bloom all across the Golden Gate National Parks. What can you expect to see in March, as you explore one of our many park trails?

Rancho Corral de Tierra
Rancho Corral de Tierra: Why it Rocks!

Have you been dreaming of those beautiful granitic rocks in Yosemite? Well, don’t worry! You don’t have to wait for summer to make that trek. We’ve got our own wondrous boulders right here in the Golden Gate National Parks—at Rancho Corral de Tierra.

Northern Harrier
The Elusive, Mystifying Northern Harrier

Follow the trials and triumphs of a Golden Gate Raptor Observatory intern, as told through several encounters with a particularly mysterious species of raptor—the Northern Harrier.

Beach Hut Cafe
The Institute Quiz: Win a Prize Pack

Think you know the ins and outs of the Institute at the Golden Gate? Prove it with this quiz. If you’re the first to submit the correct answers, you’ll win an Institute gift pack—featuring a Parks Conservancy fleece vest, tote bag, and more!

Project WISE (Watersheds Inspiring Science Education)
Which Bus Line Has the Most Bacteria?

Have you ever wondered which morning commuter bus is the “cleanest?” Well, our Project WISE students have! On March 20 and 21, 2013, this topic—along with other student-led environmental research projects—will be presented during the WISE Science Symposium at Crissy Field Center.

Alcatraz Island
Top 10 Movies Made in the Parks

Golden Gate, meet silver screen. With the Oscars coming up (Feb. 24), we’re handing out (figurative) statuettes to the most memorable movie scenes filmed in the Golden Gate National Parks. Read on and let the debate begin.

Cloud hovers over the Golden Gate Bridge
Layers of Stories in the Headlands

The Marin Headlands are a dramatic landscape, with striated red seafloor cliffs rising from the frothy currents of the Golden Gate. With such a storybook backdrop, hasn’t someone set a poem or manuscript here? You bet.

Downy Woodpecker
Let’s Get Together: Mixed Species Flocks

We often think about members of a species gathered together, such as “a gaggle of geese,” or a “pack of wolves.” But there are also examples of different species coming together, often to hunt or avoid being hunted. Read on to learn about one animal alliance.

Strawberry plant
Our Romantic Plant of the Season

Love is in the air! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, there will be many sweet treats popping up on grocery store shelves and on restaurant menus to entice you and your Valentine. Many will contain one of nature’s sweetest offerings: strawberries.

Point Bonita
Say “Yes!” Or “I Do!” in the Parks

In the Golden Gate National Parks you can do it all—bike, windsurf, hike, ride a horse, bird watch, and even get married! Looking for the perfect place to hold an outdoor ceremony? Look to your parks—there’s a spot to match any personality!

Crissy Field Center
Crissy Field Center’s 2013 Resolutions

A month into 2013, some might already be slipping on their New Year’s resolutions. Hopefully, the staff at Crissy Field Center can stay strong on the resolutions they have made. Read on to discover their goals—personal and professional—for the coming year.