Presidio of San Francisco, National park in San Francisco, United States
The Presidio of San Francisco is a large former military base now open as a public park, located on the northern tip of the peninsula with coastal trails, sandy beaches, and dense woodlands throughout. The grounds roll across hillsides offering views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay beyond.
Spanish forces established this military outpost in 1776, and it later served Mexico and then the United States as a strategic stronghold. In 1994 the US Army transferred the land to become a public national park.
Spanish place names and building layouts remain visible throughout the grounds, reflecting how different nations shaped the space over centuries. Visitors walking the paths encounter these layered cultural marks from occupation to occupation.
The grounds are easy to explore on foot or using the free shuttle system, with parking and trailheads scattered across the property. Wear good shoes as the paths are hilly and coastal weather tends to be windy and changeable.
More than 60,000 trees grow on the grounds, planted by the US Army in the late 1800s in what was once bare dunes. This planted forest completely transformed the landscape, creating woodland where only sand existed before.
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