On September 27, 2012, on Hawk Hill, we counted 295 Broad-winged Hawk sightings, 10 times our previous one-day count for that species. We even exceeded our season-total record—248 sightings—in just that one day. Aside from these impressive numbers, why is this exciting?

This new feature will take the time to thank and highlight some of our regular volunteers who have enriched our parks and our lives.

Fong Bing Wah, or Wallace B. Fong, was a San Franciscan and Chinese-American engineer with a unique link to the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. He was also the grandfather of Katherine Toy, our Executive Vice President of Partnerships and Programs. 

Raging Waters general admission ticket: $35.99. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, general admission: $61.99. Disneyland one-day “park hopper” ticket: $137. A full day of exploration in the Golden Gate National Parks with the entire family: FREE. Discover free activities every day in August (and every month of the year)!

Move over, Art in the Parks. It’s time for KART in the Parks—a new project of the Parks Conservancy to bring the family fun of go-kart racing to the Crissy airfield!

This fall, internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei brings his powerful and thought-provoking work to Alcatraz. Get the latest details about his site-specific installations on the Rock—and learn how to buy your tickets for this much-anticipated exhibition, opening September 27, 2014.

The fall raptor season is upon us, and that means Peak Week is coming quickly. What is Peak Week, you ask? Peak Week is the mini-season of absolute high-count, high-banding days each year at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory.

The right time to get to the parks is whenever you can make it! Here are a few ideas on how to spend time in the parks whether you've got 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. 

A treasure of the Golden Gate National Parks, the Cliff House marks its 150th anniversary in July. It opened in 1863, in a city famous for its multitude and variety of restaurants. But why so many dining establishments, and how did San Francisco’s culture of “dining out” develop?

Penny Tibbetts, a law enforcement ranger at Golden Gate, recounts her journey in becoming the first ranger in the National Park Service to transition genders while on duty.