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Visit 6 National Parks — All Without Leaving San Francisco

2016 is the National Park Centennial, and this year, I was lucky enough to visit a number of national parks including Arches, Canyonlands, and Yosemite. 

 To reach Arches and Canyonlands, we flew to Utah and then drove for hours to reach the parks. To get to Yosemite, we rented a car, and again, drove for hours. Visiting these parks gave me the impression that you had to go far in order to visit natural treasures.

 While that sometimes that is true, if you live in the Bay Area, there are a number of national treasures right in your back yard. With a quick look at a list of national parks in California, I found six that I could get to in an hour or less! 

Hikers on the Lands End Labyrinth
Hikers on the Lands End Labyrinth
1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA)
The GGNRA was established in 1972 and now encompasses more than 75,000 acres on both sides of the Golden Gate, the body of water that links the Pacific Ocean with the San Francisco Bay. Many of the national parks below are part of the GGNRA, including Fort Point, the Presidio, Alcatraz, San Francisco National Maritime National Historic Park. Since we'll talk more about those below, here are two other GGRNA-run areas in San Francisco that are worth a visit: 

Fort Funston: This area features lovely, sandy trails on cliffs 200 feet above the ocean. You  can visit an old gun battery Battery Davis, and take your dog on an off-leash walk. 
 
Lands End: The site of a former cliffside railroad, the Lands End Trail winds around the northwest corner of San Francisco. You'll get views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, and the Pacific Ocean. If you're feeling ambitious, you can continue on to the Batteries to Bluffs Trail and all the way to the bridge.
Alcatraz Agave Trail (Open Seasonally)
Alcatraz Agave Trail (Open Seasonally)
I'm not sure why, but it took me seven years of living in San Francisco before I visited Alcatraz. The short boat trip to the island is more than worth it. The cellhouse audio tour features the voices of actual correctional officers and inmates. In addition to the audio tour, the natural surroundings are stunning. If you have a little extra time at the start or end of your visit, check out the short, but sweet Agave Trail (open seasonally from around October-February) to get fantastic views of the city. Note on tickets: Alcatraz Cruises is the official provider of Alcatraz tickets. Tickets often sell out up to a month in advance, so buy as early as you can!

3. Fort Point
Built between 1853-1861, Fort Point was part of a defense system for defending the San Francisco Bay. Over the years, it was used intermittently as detention barracks and as housing for unmarried officers. It never saw battle, and was slated for demolition during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss, however, saw the architectural value of the fort, and created a special arch to allow the fort to remain under the bridge.

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line in the Presidio
4. Presidio 
When the Spanish came to San Francisco in the 1770s, they built a mission (Mission Dolores)and a military fort, the Presidio. Today, the Presidio is no longer a military fort, and there are countless things to do there. You can visit Andy Goldsworthy's art, explore over 24 miles of trails, visit the Officers Club in the Main Post, or even go camping!  


5. Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
This historic trail traces an overland trek from Mexico to San Francisco that Juan Bautista de Anza and 240 brave others sought to establish a settlement in San Francisco. Today the trail stretches 1,200 miles from Arizona to San Francisco. The section I recommend exploring is the Presidio Anza Trail, a 5.2 mile round trip hike tat takes you from the southern end of the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge.

This park, located just north of Ghiradelli Square, includes a fleet of historic boats from the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Maritime Museum (which looks like a boat), and Aquatic Park, where you can picnic on the beach and watch people swimming in Aquatic Cove.

If you live in the Bay Area, national parks don't have to be out of reach. Just walk out your door and walk, bike, BART, or boat to any of these parks to explore our country's national treasures.

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