Golden Gate National Recreation Area

White buildings with red roofs at Crissy Field with blue bay and Golden Gate Bridge and fog behind.
Visiting Crissy Field is an ever changing experience as the fog comes in and dissipates.
Mori Point view north with yellow an blue flowers, the blue-green Pacific Ocean and Mt. Tamalpais.
View north from Mori Point showing abundant spring flowers and Mt. Tamalpais in the background.
View over the Pacific from Bolinas Ridge; Stinson Beach, Bolinas Lagoon and head in mid-ground.
Bolinas Ridge offers outstanding panaramas of the Pacific Coast, here including Stinson Beach and Lagoon.
Orange Golden Gate Bridge with waves crashing in foreground and storm clouds behind.
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic attraction year-round.
View south with family on road in foreground and Rodeo Beach and cove in front of Point Bonita.
Trails in the Marin Headlands offer a fun and spectacular hiking experience for all.
Row of red brick barracks with white-columned porches where infantry soldiers lived.
The Presidio offers an outdoor museum of military architecture over the centuries.
Closeup shot of Alcatraz Island showing lighthouse and prison with yellow flowers on slope in front.
Visitors can learn about the complex layered history of Alcatraz Island.
Person jogging along a path with golden gate bridge in the background.
Golden Gate from Battery East
Photos: National Park Service

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.

Quick Facts

State California
Designation National Recreation Area
State Code CA
Weather 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…

Location & Map

Golden Gate National Recreation Area is located in California.

Operating Hours

Although this urban park is accessible 24 hours a day in most areas, most parking lots are open between sunrise to sunset.

Wednesday All Day
Monday All Day
Thursday All Day
Sunday All Day
Tuesday All Day
Friday All Day
Saturday All Day

Activities

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

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 Directions

Contact & Address

Address Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA, 94123
Phone 415-561-4700

Topics & Themes

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 LGB 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

Things To Do

Hawk Hill Birdwatching

Hawk Hill Birdwatching

Birdwatching in the high hills of the Marin Headlands at Hawk Hill Overlook.

Grab your bino's (binoculars) and get ready for some spectacular sites at the Hawk Hill Overlook. Migratory birds of prey…

Rodeo Lagoon Birdwatching

Rodeo Lagoon Birdwatching

Birdwatching in Rodeo Lagoon

Watch for birds and other wildlife in Rodeo Lagoon.

Nike Missile Site in the Marin Headlands

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…

Explore the only fully restored Nike missile site in the country. This museum is an enduring reminder of the Cold…

Presidio Birdwatching

Presidio Birdwatching

Birdwatching in the Presidio.

Search the trees and skies for birds in the Presidio.

Crissy Field Birdwatching

Crissy Field Birdwatching

Birdwatching in Crissy Field

Walk along the Crissy Field Promenade and boardwalks throughout Crissy Marsh and birdwatch for shore birds and other wildlife in…

Visit the New Industries Building

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…

This building contains exhibits on Prison Labor and the commemorative exhibit, Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives 50 Years Later. Red Power on…

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…

Hours: Due to Covid-19 and state and federal health recommendations, hours may vary slightly.

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…

Hours: Lands End Lookout is open 7 days a week 9am to 5pm. At the northwestern corner of San Francisco, there is wild and windy trail with stunning views at every turn... Lands End's trails winds their way around rocky cliffs above the ocean, moving through shady stands of cypress and eucalyptus and emerging on to spectacular views of the shore, headlands, and Golden Gate. A trip down the trail is also a journey through the history of Lands End, offering glimpses of the past at every turn.

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…

Hours: Muir Woods National Monument is open daily with hours that vary throughout the year. Starting Saturday, May 28 our new operating hours will be 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Muir Woods Visitor Center is open 8:00 am to 30 minutes before the park closes.

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…

Hours: The visitor center is the go to place to find out what is happening and what there is to do in the Presidio. Discovery the Presidio through a large relief map, inspiring video, engaging exhibitions on history and nature, interactive tools, and knowledgeable staff that can help you uncover the incredible array of experiences possible here. The PVC is open every day (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and NYD), 10-5, and our telephone number is 415-561-4323

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…

3 Sites

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…

3 Sites

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…

6 Sites

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,…

6 Sites

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…

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