Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service
that surrounds the San Francisco Bay
area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States
, with over 13 million visitors a year. It is also one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a size two-and-a-half times that of the consolidated city and county of San Francisco.
The park is not one continuous locale, but rather a collection of areas that stretch from northern San Mateo County
to southern Marin County
, and includes several areas of San Francisco. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument
, Alcatraz, and the Presidio of San Francisco
. The GGNRA is also home to 1,273 plant and animal species, encompasses 59 miles (95 km) of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries of California history, from the Spanish conquistadors to Cold War
-era Nike missile sites.
. In 1972, President Richard Nixon
signed into law "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." The bill allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development. The National Park Service first purchased Alcatraz and Fort Mason
from the U.S. Army. Then to complete the national park in the north bay, the Nature Conservancy purchased the land in the Marin Headlands
that made up the failed development project called Marincello
from the Gulf Oil Corporation. The Nature Conservancy then transferred the land to the GGNRA. These properties formed the initial basis for the park.
Throughout the next 30 years, the National Park service acquired land and historic sites from the U.S. Army, private landowners and corporations, incorporating them into the GGNRA. The acquisitions range from the historic Cliff House
restaurant and Sutro Baths
in San Francisco, to large and expansive forest and coastal lands, such as Sweeney Ridge
in San Mateo County and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin. Many decommissioned Army bases and fortifications were incorporated into the park, including Fort Funston
, four Nike missile sites, The Presidio and Crissy Field
. The latest acquisition by the National Park Service is Mori Point, a small parcel of land on the Pacifica
coast.
In 1988, UNESCO
designated the GGNRA and 12 adjacent protected areas the Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
.
In February 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein
introduced legislation in the United States Senate
that would add 4700 acres (1,902 ha) of natural land to the GGNRA in San Mateo County including a 4,076 (acre?) parcel known as the Rancho Corral de Tierra. The property, located south of Pacifica and surrounding the communities of Moss Beach
and Montara
, is home to many diverse plant and animal species. The bill passed in the Senate
, but did not pass the House of Representatives
.
) maintains a 100 bed youth hostel
on the Marin Headlands.
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
that surrounds the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with over 13 million visitors a year. It is also one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a size two-and-a-half times that of the consolidated city and county of San Francisco.
The park is not one continuous locale, but rather a collection of areas that stretch from northern San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
to southern Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, and includes several areas of San Francisco. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, north of San Francisco and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, Alcatraz, and the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
. The GGNRA is also home to 1,273 plant and animal species, encompasses 59 miles (95 km) of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries of California history, from the Spanish conquistadors to Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era Nike missile sites.
History
The park was created thanks in large part to efforts to create it by Congressman Phillip BurtonPhillip Burton
Phillip Burton was a United States Representative from California. A Democrat, he was instrumental in creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Burton was one of the first members of Congress to acknowledge the need for AIDS research and introduce an AIDS bill. He was the brother of...
. In 1972, President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
signed into law "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." The bill allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development. The National Park Service first purchased Alcatraz and Fort Mason
Fort Mason
Fort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...
from the U.S. Army. Then to complete the national park in the north bay, the Nature Conservancy purchased the land in the Marin Headlands
Marin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
that made up the failed development project called Marincello
Marincello
Marincello was a failed development project in Marin County, California that would have put a planned community atop the Marin Headlands, overlooking the Golden Gate...
from the Gulf Oil Corporation. The Nature Conservancy then transferred the land to the GGNRA. These properties formed the initial basis for the park.
Throughout the next 30 years, the National Park service acquired land and historic sites from the U.S. Army, private landowners and corporations, incorporating them into the GGNRA. The acquisitions range from the historic Cliff House
Cliff House, San Francisco
The Cliff House is a restaurant perched on the headlands on the cliffs just north of Ocean Beach on the western side of San Francisco, California...
restaurant and Sutro Baths
Sutro Baths
The Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned swimming pool complex in San Francisco, California, built in the late 19th century. The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned. The ruins may still be visited.- History :...
in San Francisco, to large and expansive forest and coastal lands, such as Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
in San Mateo County and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin. Many decommissioned Army bases and fortifications were incorporated into the park, including Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Fort Funston is a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the southwestern corner of San Francisco. It occupies windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, steep cliffs and the beach below...
, four Nike missile sites, The Presidio and Crissy Field
Crissy Field
Crissy Field is a former airfield, now a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, California, United States. Historically a part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field was closed as an airfield and eventually the National Park Service took control over it...
. The latest acquisition by the National Park Service is Mori Point, a small parcel of land on the Pacifica
Pacifica, California
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.-Overview:The City of Pacifica is spread along a six mile stretch of the north central California coastal beach and hills, nestled in several small valleys spanning between...
coast.
In 1988, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
designated the GGNRA and 12 adjacent protected areas the Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
The Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in Northern California. It was created by UNESCO in 1988, and encompasses thirteen protected areas in the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
In February 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
introduced legislation in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
that would add 4700 acres (1,902 ha) of natural land to the GGNRA in San Mateo County including a 4,076 (acre?) parcel known as the Rancho Corral de Tierra. The property, located south of Pacifica and surrounding the communities of Moss Beach
Moss Beach, California
Moss Beach is a coastal census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, with a year 2010 census population of 3,103. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary; the Half Moon Bay Airport, the historic Moss Beach Distillery and the Seal Cove Inn, a...
and Montara
Montara, California
Montara is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,909 at the 2010 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.-Geography and environment:...
, is home to many diverse plant and animal species. The bill passed in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, but did not pass the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Marin County
- Fort BakerFort BakerFort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters of the 91st Division...
- Former Army post located on the northern side of the Golden GateGolden GateThe Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge... - Headlands Center for the ArtsHeadlands Center for the ArtsSituated in a campus of artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts hosts an internationally recognized Artist in Residence Program, interdisciplinary public programs, and subsidized studio rentals for Bay Area artists of all disciplines.- Mission and...
- Set in artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts is an internationally renowned artist residency program that promotes the role of artists in society. Headlands Center for the arts has Public Programs, including performances, discussions and lectures, and its Project Space, an 1800 square feet (167.2 m²) work space with a rotating roster of artists, is open 5 days a week to the public. - Marin HeadlandsMarin HeadlandsThe Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
- Includes Nike missile site SF-88SF-88SF-88 is a former Nike Missile launch site at Fort Barry, in the Marin Headlands to the north of San Francisco, California, U.S. Opened in 1954, the site was intended to protect the population and military installations of the San Francisco Bay Area during the Cold War, specifically from attack by...
, The Marine Mammal CenterThe Marine Mammal CenterThe Marine Mammal Center is a private non-profit U.S. organization centered established in 1975 on rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured marine mammals. It also serves as a center for environmental research and education regarding marine mammals, namely cetaceans and pinnipeds...
, Fort Cronkhite, Fort Barry, Rodeo LagoonRodeo LagoonRodeo Lagoon is a coastal lagoon located in the Marin Headlands division of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is in southern Marin County, California. This brackish water body is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a sand bar that forms Rodeo Beach...
, Rodeo BeachRodeo BeachRodeo Beach is a beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area located in Marin County, California, two miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is characterized by a spit of around 50 meters width at the mouth of a long embayment, known as Rodeo Lagoon; for much of the year the lagoon is cut...
, Muir Beach, Tennessee Valley and Gerbode Valley - Muir Woods National MonumentMuir Woods National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, north of San Francisco and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
– Huge Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) fill this forest, along with Coast Douglas-firCoast Douglas-firPseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Its variety Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, also known as coast Douglas-fir grows in the coastal regions, from west-central British Columbia, Canada...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii), Bigleaf MapleBigleaf MapleAcer macrophyllum is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer.It can grow to be up to 35 m tall, but more commonly grows 15 m to 20 m tall. It is native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California...
(Acer macrophyllum), Tanbark Oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), and California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica). - Oakwood Valley - bordered by Marin City to the north and the Marin Headlands to the south,http://www.nps.gov/archive/goga/parknews/news/content4.htm Oakwood Valley contains the largest untouched woodland of Coast Live OakCoast Live OakQuercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak, is an evergreen oak , native to the California Floristic Province. It grows west of the Sierra Nevada from Mendocino County, California, south to northern Baja California in Mexico. It is classified in the red oak section Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak,...
and California bay treesUmbellulariaUmbellularia californica is a large tree native to coastal forests of California and slightly extended into Oregon.It is the sole species in the genus Umbellularia....
in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. - Olema ValleyOlema ValleyOlema Valley is a gorge formed by the San Andreas Fault in rural west Marin County, Northern California. The valley runs from the town of Olema through Dogtown and Point Reyes to the Bolinas Lagoon, which lies between Bolinas and Stinson Beach near Drake's Bay....
- 10 miles (16 km) of grassland and forest that stretch from Tomales BayTomales BayTomales Bay is a long narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. It is approximately 15 miles long and averages nearly 1.0 miles wide, effectively separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland of Marin County. It is located...
to Bolinas LagoonBolinas LagoonBolinas Lagoon is a tidal estuary, approximately in area, located at in the West Marin region of Marin County, California, United States. It is a part of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The lagoon is a back bay of Bolinas Bay on the Pacific coast approximately 15 mi ... - Point Bonita Lighthouse - An active lighthouseLighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
maintained by the United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency... - Stinson Beach – SharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
-laden beach north of San Francisco and south of Bolinas Lagoon - Muir Beach OverlookMuir Beach OverlookMuir Beach Overlook is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. People may visit this cliffside park when driving on State Route 1 north of San Francisco, California and south of Stinson Beach, California. It has views of Pacific oceanside cliffs and on clear days you can see San...
- A former Army base-end station with a clifftop view of the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and San Francisco, on State Route 1California State Route 1State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
Camping sites
- Camping Information for the GGNRA, includes updated map
- Bicentennial Camp - Open year-round, free, three 2-person sites.
- Kirby Cove CampKirby Cove CampKirby Cove Camp is a campground and scenic area managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the Marin Headlands, California. It is located at sea level below Conzelman Road, which leads from the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge up and along the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden...
- Open April 1 - Oct 31, $25 per site/night, four 10-person sites. - Hawk Camp - Open year-round, free, three 4-person sites.
- Haypress Camp - Open year-round, free, five 4-person sites.
Youth Hostel
Hostelling International USA (part of Hostelling InternationalHostelling International
Hostelling International, formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation , is the federation of more than 90 national youth hostel associations in more than 80 countries who have over 4,500 affiliated hostels around the world....
) maintains a 100 bed youth hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
on the Marin Headlands.
San Francisco
- Alcatraz IslandAlcatraz IslandAlcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
– The infamous federal prison and the West Coast's first and oldest operating lighthouse. - China BeachChina Beach, San FranciscoChina Beach is a small cove in San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood. It lies between Baker Beach and Lands End and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A marker at the trailhead leading down to the beach indicates that it was named for Chinese fishermen who used to camp at the...
- A small beach located north of the Sea Cliff district in San Francisco near the Presidio of San Francisco. - Fort FunstonFort FunstonFort Funston is a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the southwestern corner of San Francisco. It occupies windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, steep cliffs and the beach below...
- A former coastal fortification and Nike missile site SF-59L; now a popular hang glidingHang glidingHang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
spot. - Fort MasonFort MasonFort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...
- The San Francisco Port of Embarkation National Historic SiteNational Historic Sites (United States)National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
now houses non-profit organizations and offers a variety of cultural activities. - Fort Miley Military ReservationFort Miley Military ReservationThe Fort Miley Military Reservation, in San Francisco, California sits on Point Lobos , one of the outer headlands on the southern side of the Golden Gate...
- A former military base that now holds a Veterans' Hospital and picnic areas. - Lands EndLands End, San FranciscoLands End is a park in San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is a rocky and windswept shoreline at the mouth of the Golden Gate, situated between the Sutro District and Lincoln Park and abutting Fort Miley Military Reservation. A memorial to the USS San Francisco...
- A natural preserve including the Coastal Trail which will bring you to amazing views of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate. Includes Mile Rock, the site of a former lighthouse and, subsequently, a helipad located offshore at the southwestern edge of the Golden Gate - Presidio of San FranciscoPresidio of San FranciscoThe Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
– A former military reservation, and site of the initial Spanish fortification in San Francisco, including- Baker BeachBaker BeachBaker Beach is a public beach on the peninsula of San Francisco, California, U.S.. The beach lies on the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the northwest of the city...
– Birthplace of the Burning ManBurning ManBurning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival, a popular sunbathing spot that is clothing-optional at its northern end. Located at the southwestern corner of the Presidio. - Battery ChamberlinBattery ChamberlinBattery Chamberlin is an artillery battery in the Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States. The battery is named in honor of Captain Lowell A...
- one of the last remaining coastal defense "disappearing guns" on the U.S. West Coast - Crissy FieldCrissy FieldCrissy Field is a former airfield, now a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, California, United States. Historically a part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field was closed as an airfield and eventually the National Park Service took control over it...
- A former airfield restored to a 100 acres (40.5 ha) shoreline. - Fort Point National Historic Site - A fort at the southern base of the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
that formerly housed 126 cannons to protect the bay against invaders. Completed just in time for the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but never fired a shot in combat. - The San Francisco National CemeterySan Francisco National CemeterySan Francisco National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the city....
- Baker Beach
- Ocean Beach - A popular surf spot on the western side of San Francisco.
- The Sutro DistrictSutro DistrictThe Sutro District is a collection of attractions along the Pacific coast shoreline in San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area originally built by former Mayor Adolph Sutro. The attractions include the Cliff House, the ruins of Sutro Baths and Sutro Heights Park...
- A collection of historic attractions developed by Adolph SutroAdolph SutroAdolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro was the 24th mayor of San Francisco, and second Jewish mayor, serving in that office from 1894 until 1896...
in the late 19th Century, including:- The Cliff House - A historic restaurant first built in 1863, rebuilt following fires in 1894 and 1907. Also houses the Camera ObscuraCamera Obscura (San Francisco, California)The Camera Obscura in San Francisco is a large-scale camera obscura and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located near the Cliff House restaurant perched on the headlands on the cliffs just north of Ocean Beach on the western side of San Francisco, California...
, a historic building containg a device which projects a 360° image. - Sutro BathsSutro BathsThe Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned swimming pool complex in San Francisco, California, built in the late 19th century. The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned. The ruins may still be visited.- History :...
– Concrete ruins of an indoor swimming pool constructed in 1894 by former SF mayor Adolf Sutro dominate the southwest corner; - Sutro Heights ParkSutro Heights ParkSutro Heights Park was the estate of Adolph Sutro, land developer and a mayor of San Francisco. The estate once contained many Romanistic statues and a plant conservatory....
- The Cliff House - A historic restaurant first built in 1863, rebuilt following fires in 1894 and 1907. Also houses the Camera Obscura
San Mateo County
- Milagra RidgeMilagra RidgeMilagra Ridge is a 240 acre parcel of land that is an isolated island ecosystem, located about 7 miles south of San Francisco, near the city of Pacifica. It first inhabited by the Ohlone indigenous people, then later claimed by Spanish settlers and Mexican ranchers.-History:In 1942 the U.S...
- 240 acres (97.1 ha) parcel of land that is home to several endangered species and Nike Missile Site SF-51L - Sweeney RidgeSweeney RidgeSweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
– Location of where Spanish explorer Gaspar de PortolàGaspar de PortolàGaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
discovered the San Francisco Bay and is home to several World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
lookout nests and pillboxes as well as Nike missile site SF-51C - Phleger EstatePhleger EstateThe Phleger Estate is a park in San Mateo County, California. The park is located outside the town of Woodside and adjacent to Huddart County Park...
- Part of the Bay Area Ridge TrailBay Area Ridge TrailThe Bay Area Ridge Trail is a planned 550+-mile multi-use trail along the hill and mountain ridgelines ringing the San Francisco Bay Area, in Northern California. When complete, the trail will connect over 75 parks and open spaces. The trail is being designed to provide access for hikers,...
, this preserve features Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) and other native plants - Mori PointMori PointMori Point is a site located in Pacifica, California that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2000, Mori Point was put up for sale at auction, and the Pacifica Land Trust, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land launched a campaign to purchase the...
- The newest addition to the GGNRA, Mori Point is a small undeveloped parcel of land located in Pacifica
External links
- NPS Official Site for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Trails and Trailheads of the Marin Headlands
- Official Site for the Presidio Trust
- Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, a non-profit membership organization
- The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory A non-profit focusing on raptor research and conservation in the GGNRA.
- The Marine Mammal Center The largest rescue and rehabilitation center for marine mammals in the world, based in the Marin Headlands in the GGNRA.
- The Headlands Institute A non-profit focusing on education in the GGNRA.
- The Point Bonita Lighthouse History of one of the GGNRA's most scenic and historic places.
- 2008 GGNRA Endangered Species Big Year A race against time to see and save each of the 33 endangered species found in the GGNRA.