The Presidio of San Francisco is a national treasure and a local jewel. It invites visitors to glimpse rare birds and native blossoms; to experience history through carefully preserved buildings and landscapes; and to enjoy a picnic, a concert, or a contemplative walk in the woods. There is truly something for everyone.
The Presidio is located at the Golden Gate, where the Pacific Ocean meets San Francisco Bay. The land was in constant use as a military post for two centuries, first for Spain, then for a newly independent Mexico, and finally for the United States. Today, it is both a distinctive national park site within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and a National Historic Landmark District. It is a place in motion, attracting national attention for how history and nature are being preserved and for the innovative ideas and places projects taking shape.
Miles of hiking and biking trails traverse the park, showcasing period architecture, including the oldest existing streetscape in San Francisco at Funston Avenue. The park is also home to extraordinary habitats - coastal bluffs and dunes, a saltwater marsh, a complete watershed, a spring-fed lake, and a man-made forest.
The Presidio inspires creativity, service, and innovation. Moved by the park’s history and beauty, renowned British artist Andy Goldsworthy created the towering Spire and the sinuous Wood Line to celebrate the park’s cypress, pine, and eucalyptus. Volunteers are growing seedlings and repairing trails. Restaurants, museums, schools, and recreational destinations are thriving inside military barracks, hangars, and warehouses.
Grab a map and pick an adventure! All that the Presidio has to offer is accessible via hiking and biking trails and the free PresidiGo Shuttle. Experience the landscape and habitats of the golden gate as they appeared to the Miwok Indians, feel the power of El Presidio de San Francisco Spain’s northern-most outpost in the new world in 1776, see a San Francisco streetscape just as it was in the late 1800s, and awaken to the vision of preservation and open space founded on the ideas of Frederick Olmstead, Phillip Burton, and Benton MacKaye and legislated by Congress to preserve wilderness areas for the people.