About 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.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
Winter is characterized by sporadic rain and cool weather punctuated by brilliant sunshine. In winter the grass greens. Trees and flowers dormant through winter start blooming in late February or early March and last until May or June. By July, summer fog predominates in most coastal areas of the park.…
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: California. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
Although this urban park is accessible 24 hours a day in most areas, most parking lots are open between sunrise to sunset.
Activities
Current Alerts
Reduced parking in East Beach parking lot due to permitted events.
Expect delays on the northeast-bound lane of Field Road between 7:30am and 4:30pm. For visitor and worker safety please obey traffic controls. Staff will be working to improve visitor experience by removing two invasive trees that obstruct the view of the historic field of fire for the gun that would have been mounted on the west side of Battery Wallace.
Park's China Beach renovation of bathhouse, lower terrace, and picnic areas is in progress. See 'more' for link to Phase 3 of China Beach project below. SFPUC waterline replacement project will cause parking restrictions, lane closures, and access controls along Sea Cliff Avenue. Visitors should expect SFPUC project on Sea Cliff Avenue to impact access to China Beach. See link to SFPUC project below: https://www.sfpuc.gov/construction-contracts/construction-projects/seacliffpumps.
You can prevent vehicle break-ins in parking lots and scenic overlooks. Before leaving your car for even a short period of time: 1) Remove all valuables, 2) Lock your doors. 3) Take your wallets, purses, backpacks, keys, key fobs, cell phones, and electronics with you. Read article for more details.
Fires allowed ONLY in park provided concrete fire rings between Stairwells 15 and 20. Do NOT make fire rings using rocks, logs or other items. When the Bay Area Air Quality Management District declares a Spare the Air Day, NO campfires, beach fires, or outdoor grills are allowed in the park. For more information, visit the beach fire regulations link below.
Roads and parking areas at upper Fort Mason will have closures during utilities and seismic retrofit projects. Closures planned Fall 2025 through Fall 2026. Lots will be fenced and used as staging areas for projects occurring at Fort Mason. Signs will be posted in advance of utilities work as project progresses through each area at Fort Mason. Read signs and do not park in posted areas. Vehicles will be towed at owner's expense.
To prevent dog-coyote conflicts, avoid seasonally closed sections of the Park Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail to dog walking. Explore open dog-friendly trails instead and remember to keep dogs on leash. Visit the Presidio Trust's website for more details.
Getting There
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.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Hawk Hill Birdwatching
Birdwatching in the high hills of the Marin Headlands at Hawk Hill Overlook.
Rodeo Lagoon Birdwatching
Birdwatching in Rodeo Lagoon
Nike Missile Site in the Marin Headlands
Visit and explore a Nike Missile site and learn about the role of the military installations here in the Marin…
Visit the New Industries Building
Visit the New Industries Building to see exhibits on Prison Labor and the commemorative exhibit, Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives…
Hike the Bolinas Ridge Trail
Admire redwood forests and expansive views of the Olema Valley on this dog-friendly, multi-use trail. This up-to-11-mile-long trail begins at…
Walk the Cross Marin Trail
The up-to-10.6-miles- roundtrip Cross Marin Trail is a relatively flat, easy trail that follows the historic North Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Bike the Bolinas Ridge Trail
Enjoy open, grassy hillsides, redwood forests, decent climbs, and bumpy downhills on this multi-use trail. This trail begins at either at the Bolinas…
Presidio Birdwatching
Birdwatching in the Presidio.
Crissy Field Birdwatching
Birdwatching in Crissy Field
Archives Visit
Always open by reservation, The Park Archives and Records Center is excited to host visitors, researchers, and park staff. Here the Presidio's…
Bike the Golden Gate Bridge
Bike the Golden Gate Bridge!
Torpedo Wharf Fishing
Fishing at Torpedo Wharf near Fort Point and Crissy Field.
Fort Baker Fishing
Fishing in Fort Baker
Take a Selfie at Fort Point
Take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay from below at Fort Point.
Muir Woods Birdwatching
Birdwatching in Muir Woods
View the Alcatraz Fire Engine
Restored in 2003, this historic Diamond T Fire Engine can be viewed in the garage of the Quartermaster Building.
Whale watch from Muir Beach Overlook
Whale Watch from Muir Beach Overlook
Crissy Field Restored Wetlands
Walking along the Crissy Field Promenade is a great recreational activity as well as a good wildlife and sightseeing adventure.
Showing 18 of 23 NPS Things to Do records available for Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Visitor Centers
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
The plaza is the starting point for all your bridge-related adventures. From here, you can learn about the history of the bridge and its impact…
William Penn Mott Jr. Presidio Visitor Center
The visitor center is the go to place to find out what is happening and what there is to do in the Presidio. Discover the…
Lands End Lookout Visitor Center
Facilities include visitor information and gift shop. Exhibits: Indoor exhibits and videos on the natural and cultural history of the Lands End area, Sutro Baths…
Muir Woods National Monument Visitor Center
Please visit gomuirwoods.com for reservations. Starting Saturday, May 28 our new operating hours will be 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Muir Woods Visitor Center…
Campgrounds
Bicentennial Campground
Bicentennial Campground is the easiest to reach campground in Golden Gate, approximately 100 yards from the parking area near Battery Wallace. The campground is a…
Kirby Cove Campground
Kirby Cove is the most popular campground in the Marin Headlands, with spectacular views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Enjoy a wooded setting,…
Hawk Campground
Hawk Campground is the most remote campground and is located above Tennessee Valley and offers sweeping views of the Marin Headlands. The site is a…
Haypress Campground
Haypress Campground is nestled within the coastal scrub of Tennessee Valley, near Mill Valley. The hike to this campground is 0.7 miles from the Tennessee…
Rob Hill Campground
Open for public tent camping from April 1 to October 31, Rob Hill offers 4 (2 are accessible) group campsites that each can welcome up…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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