Inspiration Point

Perched above Tennessee Hollow, Inspiration Point offers views of rare serpentine grasslands, historic homes, and forest canopies.

Restoration around the Inspiration Point overlook began in the mid-1990s and continues through ongoing stewardship to this day. Initially aimed at maintaining the site’s historic view of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and Angel Island, it evolved to also focus on restoring the area’s important native grassland habitats.

In 2000, approximately two acres of over 100 trees were removed from a north-facing slope below the Inspiration Point parking area. The trees were primarily Monterey pines, which the Army planted in the late 1800s. While native in other areas of California, these trees were not historically found in the Presidio, and are considered to be invasive as they now dominate large areas within sand dune and serpentine habitats in the park.

The next year the site was revegetated with native species and the Ecology Trail leading to Inspiration Point was completed.

Thanks

In addition to donations from thousands of individual community members work at Inspiration Point has received support from:

• James R. Harvey Presidio Restoration Fund