No box of stale chocolate. No ugly sweater. And no fruitcake. Only the warm fuzzy feeling of protecting the most-visited national park in America. Give a Conservancy membership, which your loved one will treasure as much as a trip to Muir Woods or Crissy Field.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Hawk Hill isn’t just a spot for watching raptors. In the fall, visitors who point their binoculars at smaller birds might be treated to the aerial acrobatics of migrating swifts. Learn more about these amazing—and mysterious—insectivores.

In a new podcast, hear from some of the amazing staff and interns working to preserve and restore the Presidio and the Golden Gate National Parks. Then find out how you can add your voice—and volunteer energy—to this chorus of care.

Here’s a handy primer—or a reminder—of some common-courtesy rules of trail etiquette.

Here’s one “turkey” you might not want around your Thanksgiving dinner. The Turkey Vulture defecates on its feet, vomits as a defense, and feasts on carcasses. But it’s also one of the most fascinating animals in our parks. Learn how the GGRO is trying to unravel its mysteries.

Bay Area residents are mighty lucky to be surrounded by parklands and encounter wildlife in our own backyards. But, instead of spotting the occasional raptor, what if you could see all sorts of birds of prey? Here’s your rare chance to identify, count, and band raptors in the Marin Headlands.