The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, which surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is two-and-a-half times the size of the city and county of San Francisco. It is one of the largest urban parks in the world and one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year.
The park is not one continuous locale, but rather a collection of areas that stretch from northern San Mateo County to southern Marin County, and includes several areas of San Francisco. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz and the Presidio of San Francisco. The GGNRA is also home to 1,273 plant and animal species, encompasses 59 miles of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries of California history, from the Spanish conquistadors to Cold War-era Nike missile sites.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area is not synonymous with Golden Gate Park, which is an urban park located entirely within San Francisco and managed by the city.
The park was created in 1972 when President Nixon signed into law "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." The bill allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development. The National Park Service then purchased Alcatraz and Fort Mason from the U.S. Army and the Marin Headlands from Gulf Oil Corporation, which formed the initial basis for the park.
Throughout the next 30 years, the National Park service acquired land and historic sites from the U.S. Army, private landowners and corporations, incorporating them into the GGNRA. The acquisitions range from the historic Cliff House restaurant and Sutro Baths in San Francisco, to large and expansive forest and costal lands, such as Sweeney Ridge in San Mateo County and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin. Many decommissioned Army bases and fortifications were incorporated into the park, including Fort Funston, four Nike missile sites, The Presidio and Crissy Field. The latest acquisition by the National Park Service is Mori Point, a small parcel of land on the Pacifica coast.
In February of 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation in the Senate that would add 4,700 acres (19 km²) of natural land to the GGNRA in San Mateo County including a 4,076 parcel known as the Rancho Corral de Tierra. The property, located south of Pacifica and surrounding the communities of Moss Beach and Montara, is home to many diverse plant and animal species. The bill passed in the Senate, but still has to pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law.
Marin Headlands - Includes Nike missile site SF-88, The Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkhite, Fort Barry, Muir Beach, Tennessee Valley and Gerbode Valley
Stinson Beach – Shark-laden beach north of San Francisco and south of Bolinas Lagoon
Muir Woods National Monument – Huge Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) fill this forest, along with Coast Douglas-fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii), Bigleaf Maple(Acer macrophyllum), Tanbark Oak(Lithocarpus densiflorus), and California Bay Laurel(Umbellularia californica).
Headlands Center for the Arts - Set in artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts is an internationally renowned artist residency program that promotes the role of artists in society. Headlands Center for the arts has Public Programs, including performances, discussions and lectures, and its Project Space, an 1800 square foot work space with a rotating roster of artists, is open 5 days a week to the public.
San Francisco
Alcatraz Island – The infamous federal prison and the West Coast's first and oldest operating lighthouse.
China Beach - A small beach located north of the Sea Cliff district in San Francisco near the Presidio of San Francisco.
The Cliff House Restaurant - A historic restaurant first built in 1863, rebuilt following fires in 1894 and 1907.
Crissy Field - A former airfield restored to a 100-acre shoreline.
Fort Funston - A former coastal fortification and Nike missile site SF-59L; now a popular hang gliding spot.
Fort Mason - A former military base that now houses non-profit organizations and offers a variety of cultural activities.
Mile Rock - Historic lighthouse located at the southwestern edge of the Golden Gate
Presidio of San Francisco – A former military reservation, site of Battery Chamberlin, the last remaining coastal defense "disappearing gun" on the U.S. West Coast, the San Francisco National Cemetery, Crissy Field, Fort Point and Baker Beach.
Baker Beach – Birthplace of the Burning Man festival, a popular sunbathing spot that is clothing-optional at its northern end. Located at the southwestern corner of the Presidio.
Ocean Beach - A popular surf spot on the western side of San Francisco.
Sutro Heights and Sutro Baths – Concrete ruins of an indoor swimming pool constructed in 1881
Lands End – A pristine area of land on the northwest corner of San Francisco that has amazing views of the Marin Headlands, located in Lincoln Park.
San Mateo County
Milagra Ridge - 240 acre (1 km²) parcel of land that is home to several endangered species and Nike Missile Site SF-51L
Sweeney Ridge – Location of where Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà discovered the San Francisco Bay and is home to several WWII lookout nests and pillboxes as well as Nike missile site SF-51C
Mori Point - The newest addition to the GGNRA, Mori Point is a small undeveloped parcel of land located in Pacifica
