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Park Rangers

Historic image of giant ranger flat hat at SF Pride Parade.
The larger-than-life story behind the giant National Park Service ranger hat

Hold on to your hats! A giant park ranger hat has caused quite the stir around the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA)—have you spotted it?

Ranger Jace is holding up a a branch with redwood needles and pointing to it in their uniform.
Meet the Park Ranger: Turning to the trees with Ranger Jace 

Jace Ritchey never dreamed of becoming a park ranger, but today you'll find Ranger Jace greeting visitors and starring in social media posts from Muir Woods National Monument.

A park ranger smiling during a program on Alcatraz Island.
Meet the Alcatraz park ranger sparking new conversations on the island

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.

Ranger Mia Monroe in Muir Woods.
Park Ranger Mia Monroe and a life's work in the GGNRA

Park Ranger Mia Monroe is the Marin Community Liaison for the NPS, and one of the longest serving employees in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

National Park Ranger Alanna Smith, a young woman, stands in the Presidio with the Pacific Ocean visible through the trees behind her.
Learning through the parks with Ranger Alanna Smith

"We’re always on the lookout for what stories are not being told, whose perspectives we have not heard in some of our stories," says Park Ranger Alanna Smith. Meet Ranger Alanna and learn about how she and the NPS are interpreting stories at the Presidio and beyond.

Ranger Rebecca Au poses with a butterfly drawing in a flower field.
Parks are a Universal Language with Ranger Rebecca Au

In 2016, Park Ranger Rebecca Au, a former art teacher with a Master’s degree in museum education, drove from Massachusetts to California. She estimates she visited around 10 national parks along the way, including Badlands, Grand Tetons, and Bryce Canyon.

NPS Ranger Erick Cortes stands in front of the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point National Historic Site.
Ranger Erick Cortes is broadening perspectives at Fort Point

NPS Ranger Erick Cortes wants to expand the narrative around what is historical at Fort Point National Historic Site and he wants you to come visit and learn.

Park Ranger Giessell Aguilar at Muir Woods.
Meet Ranger Giessell, who creates space for all at Muir Woods

Ranger Giessell is doing fascinating work uncovering untold stories at Muir Woods, and using her own history to connect with the wide range of visitors to the redwoods.

Park Ranger Lara Volski helps visitors.
Meet the Ranger: Lara Volski on climate resilience and history in the Marin Headlands

Park Ranger Lara Volski is relatively new to the National Park Service (NPS), but she’s already made a big impact for Marin Headlands visitors. Working at Point Bonita Lighthouse, the Nike Missile Site, and other locations, Ranger Lara talks about climate resilience and history in unique ways.

National Park Service Ranger Todd Hisaichi at Muir Woods National Monument.
Big 'plunge' helped Muir Woods ranger realize his park dream

To get his dream job, Todd Hisaichi had to make a choice most people don’t have to make: He had to give up his original citizenship.