Presidio of San Francisco

The Presidio of San Francisco is a former Spanish and U.S. military post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, established in 1776 and now a public park within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It covers about 1,491 acres and combines historic military buildings with restored natural areas.

Long pedestrian and cycling routes, shoreline parks and forested ridges form the main recreational offer, with roughly 24 miles of trails linking overlooks, beaches and historic sites. Key attractions include the restored Presidio Main Post, the waterfront at Crissy Field, and the 19th-century brick fort at Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

The site also contains cultural venues and visitor facilities such as museums, the Presidio Officers’ Club, picnic areas and the elevated Presidio Tunnel Tops park opened in 2020, which provides new viewpoints and connections across the historic tunnel roof.

Founded as a Spanish presidio in 1776, the site later served as a Mexican and then United States Army post for more than a century and a half. Military use ended in the late 20th century; management is now shared by the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust, which oversees restoration, adaptive reuse and public programming.

The Presidio sits at the northern end of San Francisco, California, adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge, with shoreline on the San Francisco Bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It forms the western edge of the city’s downtown and connects to the Marin Headlands across the bridge.

• Best views: Good viewpoints for the Golden Gate Bridge include Crissy Field for low-angle shots and the hilltops at Presidio Tunnel Tops for elevated panoramas.
• Scale and trails: The site totals about 1,491 acres and contains roughly 24 miles of hiking and multiuse trails, many connecting to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

What to See #

• Main Post: Covers the Presidio Main Post area with museums, the Presidio Officers' Club, visitor center and restored historic buildings dating from the 18th to 20th centuries.
• Crissy Field: A waterfront former airfield and restored shoreline park offering views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay, with beaches and a mile-long promenade.
• Fort Point: A Civil War-era masonry fort at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge built in the 1850s, open to visitors and noted for its brick casemates and bridge viewpoints.
• Presidio Tunnel Tops: A new elevated park that links viewpoints above the Presidio's historic tunnels to restored habitat and trails; opened to the public in 2020 and covers roughly 14 acres.
• Baker Beach: A wide sandy shore on the Presidio's Pacific side popular for sunset views and coastal walks, with views of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge.