The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA)is the largest urban national park in the world. The total park area is 76,500 acres of land and water. Approximately 28 miles of coastline lie within its boundaries. It is nearly two and one-half times the size of San Francisco.

VISITATION:

Tourists visit the San Francisco Bay area year around, but visitation is heaviest in the summer months.
The park visitation is approximately 19.7 million visitors annually.

 

LOCATION:

Located in three California counties (San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo), the GGNRA includes within its boundaries: Fort Point National Historic Site, Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz Island and the Presidio of San Francisco.

 

ADDRESS:

Golden Gate National Recreation Area Headquarters
Fort Mason, Building 201
San Francisco, CA 94123

 

TELEPHONE:

Western Region Information Office at Fort Mason, (415) 556-0560
Presidio Visitor Information Center, (415) 561-4323
Muir Woods Visitor Information Center, (415) 388-2595
Alcatraz Visitor Information Center, (415) 705-1042/(415) 556-0560
Marin Headlands Visitor Information Center, (415) 331-1540
Cliff House Visitor Information Center, (415) 556-8642
Fort Point Visitor Information Center, (415) 556-1693
Fort Funston Visitor Information Center, (415) 239-2366
Crissy Field Information, (415) 561-4844, ext. 2
Ft, Baker Plan Information (415) 561-4844, ext. 1

 

OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:

Access to the recreation area is possible daily and year- round. Hours for individual facilities vary, but the most common hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All visitor centers are open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, with the exception of Fort Point Visitor Center, which is open only Wednesday through Sunday.

 

CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:

The climate is Mediterranean, so it tends to be windy and cold throughout much of the park.Summers are foggy, with the best weather in spring and fall. Dress in layers. Hiking boots are appropriate in some areas. Comfortable shoes are recommended in the areas in San Francisco, as there will be much walking on asphalt or on sidewalks.

 

DIRECTIONS:

San Francisco is equally accessible by Oakland and San Francisco International Airports. Much of the GGNRA is within walking distance from San Francisco, with other areas up to an hour's drive away. The recreation area follows San Francisco's northern and western shoreline, extending down the peninsula. Across Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, follow any of the various access roads off of Highway 101, including Alexander Avenue, Shoreline Highway and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, to the recreation area. The Municipal Railway (MINI) bus system serves Rodeo Beach in Marin on Sundays. Visitor information is available at Fort Mason, The Cliff House, Fort Point, Rodeo Beach and Muir Woods, Fort Funston and the Presidio. GGNRA lands in San Mateo County are accessible via Skyline Blvd.

 

TRANSPORTATION:

In San Francisco, MUNI provides frequent service from downtown to shoreline destinations; especially, Aquatic Park, The Cliff House, Ocean Beach and Fort Mason. Limited MINI transportation is available to the Presidio. Because traffic is sometimes heavy and parking is limited, public transportation is recommended. MINI also connects from San Francisco to other Bay Area transit systems: Golden Gate Transit (GGT) in Marin County; Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Alameda/Contra Costa Transit (AC TRANSIT) in the East Bay; and San Mateo Transit (SAM TRANS) in the peninsula area. Ferries, the Blue & Gold Fleet, provide transportation to Alcatraz.

 

FEES, COSTS, RATES:

Fees: $2.00 entrance fee for Muir Woods and $1.00 daily use fee for Alcatraz plus ferry transportation to Alcatraz Island ($7.75 roundtrip, $6.00 for seniors, $4.50 for children 5 through 11 years, audio tour; $3.25 adults and seniors, $1.25 for children 5 through 11 years). Donations are accepted at all sites.

 

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Volunteer Opportunities and Internships

 

Visitor Center/Exhibits:

Visitor Information Centers are at:
Muir Woods, (415) 388-2595
Marin Headlands, (415) 331-1540
Alcatraz Island, (415) 705-1042/(415) 556-0560
Fort Point, (415) 556-1693
Presidio, (415) 561-4323
Fort Mason, (415) 556-0560
Fort Funston, (415) 239-2366 (also serves Phleger Estate, Sweeney Ridge and Milagra Ridge)

 

ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS:

Nike Missile Site is open at the Marin Headlands Monday through Friday and the first Sunday of each month, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., (415) 331-1453.

World War II Barracks is open at the Marin Headlands at designated times, (415) 331-1540.
Battery Chamberlin is open at Baker Beach (Presidio) at designated times, (415) 561-4323.
The Presidio Museum is open at Wednesday through Sunday,12 noon to 4 pm, except for Holidays, (415) 561-4331. The Point Bonita Lighthouse is open Sat., Sun., and Mon., from 12:30pm to 3:00pm,

 

Trails, Roads:

There are numerous trails, fire roads and roads available for hiking, biking, and walking in the GGNRA. Please consult the visitor information center in the appropriate area, or the western information center at Fort Mason (556-0560).

 

Programs/Activities:

This diverse park offers; Golf, picnicking, swimming, ranger/docent- led tours,
hiking, board sailing, scenic walks, biking, dog- walking, cultural programs and museums.

 

Lodging and camping facilities:

American Youth Hostels offers overnight accommodations in the Marin Headlands area of the Recreation Area and at Fort Mason. Free hike-in and group camping is available on a very limited basis in the Marin Headlands area, (415) 331-1540. Reservations are required at all times, as hostels and campsites fill quickly. Camping Ideas .
City lodging can be found at several other web sites.

 

Food/supplies:

Available in the surrounding urban community. It is recommended that food be carried with the visitor if they are spending any length of time in the park.

 

Accessibility:

Fort Mason Center: with advance notice, arrangements can be made for people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users, (415) 441-5706. Fort Point and The   bookstore: video screening room and rest rooms are accessible. Muir Woods National Monument: all paved trails are handicapped accessible. Alcatraz: rest rooms at the dock and at the top of the hill are accessible, as is the main level of the cellhouse. The Blue & Gold Fleet, the ferry ride is accessible. SEAT (Sustainable Easy Access Transport) vehicle is available on Alcatraz for accessible transport to the cellhouse. Presidio: visitor center, main post walk and Golden Gate Promenade are accessible. Crissy Field: portions are accessible. Fort Funston: wheelchair accessible, loop trail. Cliff House: limited accessibility.

 

Special Needs:

Plenty of parking is available, except at Muir Woods.
Visitors may have to park a distance from Muir Woods if it is a summer weekend day.

 

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE:

Aquatic Park, Ocean Beach, Baker Beach and China Beach (also known as Phelan Beach) are great areas for picnicking, walking, and other land-based activities. Swimming and wading at these beaches are strongly discouraged. Immediately offshore are unpredictable currents which can take even the strongest swimmer by surprise. The only swimming beach in GGNRA is Stinson Beach, located near Muir Woods. Even then, swimming is only encouraged when lifeguards are present. Hiking and walking are enjoyable activities available throughout the park. Bicycling is allowed on fire roads only in the Marin Headlands, and on roads only in the Presidio. Boardsailing is a popular sport at Crissy Field (Presidio), which is considered one of the most popular boardsailing sites in the world. Sweeney Ridge, Milagra Ridge and the Phleger Estate are the GGNRA properties in San Mateo County, an hour's drive south of San Francisco. Hiking and bird- watching are available at all three areas, with off-road biking available at Sweeney Ridge. These lands have steep elevations and offer moderate-to-strenuous hikes. For more information, call Fort Funston Visitor Center at (415) 239-2366.

 

RESERVATIONS:

Reservations are required for the following locations/activities:

Alcatraz Island tours: call the Blue and Gold Fleet at (415) 705-5555

Marin Headlands: for backpacking campsites, call the visitor center at (415) 331-1540; for Kirby Cove and Battery Alexander campsites, call the Special Park Uses Group at (415) 561-4304

Presidio: for campsites (Battery Chamberlin and Rob Hill) and ballfields,
call the Special Park Uses Group at (415) 561-4304

 

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Allow two to three days to see all areas of the GGNRA. The outlying areas are best seen by car or bicycle, although mass transit does access all areas.

 

SPECIAL EVENTS, PROGRAMS:

Check with the respective visitor information centers listed above.

 

VISITOR IMPACTS:

The visitation is highest in the summer months,
and visitors may be competing for hotel space with San Francisco tourists.

 

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

Much of the GGNRA is located in or adjacent to the cities of San Francisco and Sausalito. There are many visitor attractions in these cities, and visitors should call the respective chambers of commerce for visitor information.

 

OTHER INFORMATION:

PARK PARTNERS: 

  · A GGNRA Park Partner is an organization or individual that helps 

     GGNRA provide programmatic services to park visitors that furthers the 

     mission of the National Park Service and GGNRA.       

     · GGNRA has different levels of engagement with each 

     partner, depending on the type of agreement, nature of services, 

     and constituencies involved.     

     There are several types of partners: 

     · programmatic,

     · those who assist in protecting and managing park resources, and 

     · those who provide commercial visitor services.

Golden Gate National Parks Association
For over a decade, the Golden Gate National Parks Association has worked hand-in-hand with the National Park Service to preserve and enhance the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Whether enlististing volunteers to restore native habitats, revitalizing park sites, publishing educational materials, rehabilitating historic landmarks or helping schoolchildren visit this vast outdoor classroom, the Association lends its support. For membership information, please call (415) 561-3000.

Fort Mason Center
Home to over 50 resident nonprofit groups, from theaters, ethnic museums and galleries,
to environmental classes, (415) 441-3400.

         GGNRA and Point Reyes NS Advisory Commission

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

E-mail comments about this page to Cy Bogumill

E-mail questions about the park, to our information center