Visitors guide to The Presidio

 

The Presidio, a vast 1,500-acre national park on the site of an historic military base, offers some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the city skyline, Land’s End and the Marin Headlands. It is one of the city’s can’t-miss spots for outdoor recreation and serenity.

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A National Historic Landmark, the Presidio was a Mexican fortress in the 1700s. It has many wooded areas and a lot of hills that give way to scenic vistas. There are some 800 buildings in the park, but it doesn’t seem like it.

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Crissy Field is a gem within the gem. Walk along the waterfront at the former air base and you get unforgettable views of the Golden Gate Bridge in one direction and the San Francisco skyline in the other. Breezy beaches are not crowded, and a sandy bike path connects you to Golden Gate Bridge in one direction and Fisherman's Wharf in the other. It’s a terrific bicycle ride if not too windy. The old Coast Guard Station on Crissy Field, set amid towering palm trees with the bay as a backdrop, is a particularly impressive photo op.

 

Go for the huge batteries, miles of pretty beaches and bluffs and forests planted the U.S. Army. 

 

You will find some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge at Torpedo Wharf, looking toward the Marin County coast.

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Grab a bite and maybe a souvenir at the Warming Hut Cafe at Torpedo Wharf, then walk around Crissy Field Marsh to admire the parade of birds. The marsh is a popular stop on the Pacific Flyway, a north-south route for migratory birds that extends from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America.

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The old airplane hangars at Crissy Field now house businesses, including a trampoline house and a rock climbing gym. History buffs should stop at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center at Crissy Field.

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Don’t miss the views from Crissy Field Overlook: This is a special place even in a city full of special places. Sitting up above Crissy Field in the shade on a park bench will give you reason to contemplate how lucky you are. It’s a glorious spot to rest on a hot day, though it's an uphill hike from Crissy Field. The view is among the best in the city.

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Separating Crissy Field from the Golden Gate Bridge is Fort Point, where you can stare out at the big orange bridge and the bay from directly under the bridge. Watch for sneaker waves. If you turn your back to the water, you could get drenched.

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Fort Point, with its 7-foot-thick walls, was built to house 126 cannons. It was featured in the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Vertigo," in which Kim Novak leaps into the bay and is rescued by Jimmy Stewart. Parking is limited, so you might want to leave the car and hike along the Crissy Field waterfront to Fort Point and perhaps up the hill and onto the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Here is a list of the best places to go and things to do in The Presidio:

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1. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge (or bike it): It’s the most photographed chunk of orange-painted steel in the whole, wide world. More than 10 million people visit every year. Hot tip: Bring a jacket, it’s almost always windy and cold. The best views of the bridge are found in The Presidio. Walk east of the bridge and you will find a place to rest and enjoy views at the panoramic Battery East Vista, which was recently restored. 

 

2. Stroll the Golden Gate Promenade (part of the Bay Trail): The promenade is absolutely spectacular. Walk along the waterfront from the Marina to the Golden Gate Bridge. Either direction offers a lot of wow factor with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and views of the city skyline and the bay. Biking here is a great idea, but beware it is usually quite windy, especially in the afternoon. The 4-mile loop along the Golden Gate Promenade (up and back on the waterfront, skipping the loop inland) might be the coolest walk in the city.

 

3. Picnic on the beach at Crissy Field: Two beaches offer picnic tables, grills, bathrooms and Instagram-worthy views. West Bluffs Beach has more grassy areas, barbecue pits and better views of the Golden Gate Bridge. East Beach has more sand; it feels more like a beach. The wind churns up a lot here, which is why kite surfing at East Beach is regarded as some of the best in the world. If you don’t kite surf, you might get a kick out of watching others do it.

 

4. Play nine holes (or 18) at Presidio Golf Course: There are 18 holes of pristine fairways on what was once a course only available to military officers. Greens fees with a cart will run you between $125 and $145. Northern California residents pay about one-third less.

 

5. Watch the sun set at Baker Beach: If you can handle a little sand between your toes, Baker Beach is a spot that will reward you with spectacular views of the Golden Gate that don’t include anything remotely urban in the frame. From here, you can almost forget you’re in a city. The water is too cold for swimming, but this is one of the best true beaches in the city. Keep an eye out for dolphins - and naked people. Part of the beach is clothing optional, but rarely is it warm enough to entice the locals to strip down. At the end of the Baker Beach parking lot, visit Battery Chamberlin, a vestige of the park’s military past, where you can contemplate a 50-ton gun that “disappears.”

 

6. Hike the Coastal Trail: Start at the parking lot on the western side of the Golden Gate Bridge, take the California Coastal Trail along Lincoln Boulevard above Marshall’s Beach and connect to the more rugged Battery to Bluffs Trail. You will eventually get to Baker Beach. For a workout, make a side trek down the Sand Ladder at Baker Beach. The most adventurous could continue on along the coast, through the upscale Sea Cliff neighborhood, to China Beach, and then take the Land’s End trail all the way to Ocean Beach. The hike from the Golden Gate Bridge to Ocean Beach will eat up your day, but it is hard to beat for buena vistas, ocean breezes and communing with Mother Earth.

 

7. Check out natural art: Two works by British artist Andy Goldsworthy - Spire and Wood Line - are worth the detour to see. The towering Spire is off Arguello Boulevard near the Presidio Cafe at the Presidio Golf Course clubhouse. Goldsworthy picked 37 cypress tree trunks from trees that had fallen in the park and fastened them together into a sculpture that is 15 feet wide at its base and rises to 100 feet at its tapering peak. Wood Line, in a eucalyptus grove just off Presidio Boulevard near the popular Lyon Street Steps, is a 1,200-foot-long “sculpture” of eucalyptus branches. 

 

8. Relax at Mountain Lake: If you are having trouble finding peace and quiet in the big city, this place won’t disappoint. The 4-acre lake is adjacent to 14-acre Mountain Lake Park, just off Highway 1 (Park Presidio Boulevard) as it enters The Presidio on the southern end, away from the bay. One of the only natural lakes in San Francisco, Mountain Lake is sometimes a spot where folks drop off unwanted pets. Someone left behind a live 3-foot alligator in 1996. He is no longer there, but plenty of seagulls and ducks are (part of 65 bird species found here). There is a nice hiking trail here, as well as a playground, a tennis court and public bathrooms.

 

9. Walk the Presidio Promenade Trail, which traverses the park from east to west, beginning at the Lombard Street entrance and ending at the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way, stroll Lover’s Lane, walk around the Main Post and stop at the Crissy Field Overlook for its enchanting views. Just off the Main Post, "Star Wars" fans will want to walk through Lucas Films and take selfies at the life-sized Yoda Fountain.

 

10. The Walt Disney Family Museum is fast becoming one of the city’s most popular spots with its interactive exhibits and Disney artifacts, like his own personal 26 Academy Awards.

 

Beware: Do not attempt to walk or bike the Golden Gate Bridge without a jacket. You will freeze. 

 

Hot tip: There are bathrooms at both beaches on Crissy Field, and at the Golden Gate Bridge Visitors Center at the western edge of the bridge. Otherwise, slim pickings in the park.

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Oddly: There are only two cemeteries in San Francisco. One, the National Cemetery, sits on a hillside overlooking the bay in The Presidio. It’s a beautiful place to visit. Near Crissy Field, you might also enjoy the Pet Cemetery near where McDowell Avenue meets Crissy Field Avenue, beneath the new Presidio Parkway viaduct. Here rests the souls of Princess Tuptim, Cupcake, Wiggles and other pets that served military officers when The Presidio was a military fortress. Check out the ornate handmade productions people make of their dead pets and remember poor Blinky. Some 400 headstones exist, dogs and cats mostly but also birds and rodents and at least one iguana. 

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Getting around: Renting a bike is a great idea. Uber and Lyft are good bets to get to and from the Golden Gate Bridge. Once inside, the free PresidiGo shuttle can move you between 20 stops within the park.

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Good eats: Food isn’t a big drawing card in The Presidio. People tend to bring their own. Grab a picnic lunch at Safeway in the Marina District and hike to one of the beaches at Crissy Field. You can get food in The Presidio, but just light fare, snack bar stuff at either Crissy Field beach, the Warming Hut near Fort Point or at the golf course clubhouse.

 

Nearby: Take a selfie at the Palace of Fine Arts, one of the most awe-inspiring architectural creations in the city. Technically, it’s not in The Presidio, it’s just across the street from The Presidio, on the edge of the Marina District, near the marina itself.

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Photo op: The Crissy Field Overlook is special. Also, shots of the Golden Gate Bridge from Torpedo Wharf are never sneezed at.