Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history from California’s indigenous cultures, Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, US military expansion and the growth of San Francisco. All of this and more awaits you, so get out and find your park.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area has many sites that span over 60 miles of mostly coastal areas north and south of San Francisco. Park areas can be reached by Highways 1, 101 and 280 from the north and south San Francisco Bay Area, and by Highway 80 from the East Bay. To access park headquarters at Fort Mason, please use the entrance at Franklin and Bay Streets in San Francisco.
- Arts and Culture
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Group Camping
- Fishing
- Saltwater Fishing
- Food
- Dining
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Horseback Riding
- Living History
- Reenactments
- Junior Ranger Program
- Surfing
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Architecture and Building
- African American Heritage
- Archeology
- Ruins
- Arts
- Photography
- Asian American Heritage
- Aviation
- Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
- National Cemetery
- Colonization and Settlement
- Enslavement
- Explorers and Expeditions
- Farming and Agriculture
- Forts
- Hispanic American Heritage
- Incarceration
- Jails and Prisons
- Japanese-American Internment
- Industry
- Logging and Timber Cutting
- Immigration
- Latino American Heritage
- LGBTQ American Heritage
- Maritime
- Coastal Defenses
- Maritime - Military
- Lighthouses
- Ships and Shipwrecks
- Medicine
- Hospital
- Migrations
- Military
- Infantry and Militia
- Artillery
- Cavalry
- US Army
- US Coast Guard
- Monuments and Memorials
- Native American Heritage
- Religion and Spirituality
- Missions
- Science, Technology and Innovation
- Social Movements
- Abolition Movement
- Civil Rights
- Conservation Movement
- Transportation
- Bridges
- Tragic Events
- Catastrophic Fires
- Forced Marches
- Urban America
- Wars and Conflicts
- Tribal Conflicts
- Colonial/European Contact Conflicts
- Mexican War
- Indian and Frontier Wars
- Civil War
- Spanish-American War
- World War I
- World War II
- Vietnam War
- Cold War
- Westward Expansion
- The Gold Rush
- Women's History
- Animals
- Birds
- Fish
- Tortoises and Turtles
- Climate Change
- Coasts, Islands and Atolls
- Dunes
- Estuaries and Mangroves
- Fire
- Foothills, Plains and Valleys
- Forests and Woodlands
- Coniferous Forests
- Geology
- Grasslands
- Prairies
- Natural Sounds
- Oceans
- Whales
- Scenic Views
- Trails
- Unique Species
- Rare
- Endangered
- Watersheds
- Wetlands
- Marshes
Morning Fog at Crissy Field
Visiting Crissy Field is an ever changing experience as the fog comes in and dissipates.
Spring Flowers at Mori Point
View north from Mori Point showing abundant spring flowers and Mt. Tamalpais in the background.
Stinson Beach from Bolinas Ridge
Bolinas Ridge offers outstanding panaramas of the Pacific Coast, here including Stinson Beach and Lagoon.
Storm over the Golden Gate
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic attraction year-round.
Marin Headlands and Rodeo Beach
Trails in the Marin Headlands offer a fun and spectacular hiking experience for all.
Montgomery Street Barracks, Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio offers an outdoor museum of military architecture over the centuries.
Alcatraz Island from Crissy Field
Visitors can learn about the complex layered history of Alcatraz Island.
Golden Gate Bridge from Battery
Golden Gate from Battery East