Golden Gate National Recreation Area

View north from Mori Point showing abundant spring flowers and Mt. Tamalpais in the background.
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history from California’s indigenous cultures, Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, US military expansion and the growth of San Francisco. All of this and more awaits you, so get out and find your park.
Map showing location of park.
A large group of people at a beach with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance
Tourism to Golden Gate National Recreation Area contributes $1.5 billion to local economy
A new National Park Service report shows that the nearly 15 million visitors to Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 2023 spent $1.5 billion in communities near the park. That spending supported 13,150 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $2 billion.
Two NPS staff members stand next to an interpretive display, pointing at its buttons
New exhibit explores wild side of Alcatraz Island
A new exhibit on Alcatraz Island showcases the lesser-known inhabitants of the former prison. Birds in a Changing Climate, a multi-media interpretive display created by National Park Service staff, explores the island’s different species of the waterbirds, some of which nest nowhere else in the San Francisco Bay.
Color photo of Stinson Beach south parking lot with standing water on left side of picture. Pacific Ocean visible at top left and restrooms and lifeguard towers visible along left and top edges of parking lot.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area requests public input on Stinson Beach Parking Lots Rehabilitation Project
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking your input for the Stinson Beach Parking Lots Rehabilitation Project at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. NPS will host a public meeting on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Stinson Beach Community Center at 30 Belvedere Avenue, Stinson Beach. You are invited to attend this meeting to learn more and to ask NPS representatives any questions you may have about the project.
An adult falcon feeding four chicks in their nest
New webcam allows viewers to watch nesting peregrine falcons on Alcatraz Island
The National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy announced today a new public webcam that will allow viewers to watch the growth of four recently hatched peregrine falcon chicks on Alcatraz Island in an exciting opportunity for casual observers and citizen scientists alike.
White buildings with red roofs at Crissy Field with blue bay and Golden Gate Bridge and fog behind.
Photo by NPS photo/Will Elder
Mori Point view north with yellow an blue flowers, the blue-green Pacific Ocean and Mt. Tamalpais.
Photo by Will Elder
View over the Pacific from Bolinas Ridge; Stinson Beach, Bolinas Lagoon and head in mid-ground.
Photo by Kirke Wrench
Orange Golden Gate Bridge with waves crashing in foreground and storm clouds behind.
Photo by Kirke Wrench
View south with family on road in foreground and Rodeo Beach and cove in front of Point Bonita.
Photo by NPS photo/Will Elder
Row of red brick barracks with white-columned porches where infantry soldiers lived.
Photo by NPS photo/Will Elder
Closeup shot of Alcatraz Island showing lighthouse and prison with yellow flowers on slope in front.
Photo by NPS photo/Will Elder
Person jogging along a path with golden gate bridge in the background.
Photo by NPS Photo