Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is one of the largest urban national parks in the world. Established in 1972 to bring “parks to the people,” GGNRA’s nearly 76,000 acres of land and water extend north of the Golden Gate Bridge to Tomales Bay in Marin County and south to San Mateo County. The park has nearly 60 miles of bay and ocean shoreline. These lands represent one of the nation’s largest coastal preserves and attract 16 million visitors each year, making GGNRA one of the National Park Service’s most highly visited units.

One of the nation’s most highly visited National Park Service units, Golden Gate comprises numerous sites including the Marin Headlands, a Nike Missile Site, Fort Mason, Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, and the Presidio of San Francisco. Each has its own unique natural, cultural, and military history.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s 75,398 acres of land and water extend north of the Golden Gate Bridge to Tomales Bay in Marin County and south to San Mateo County, encompassing 59 miles of bay and ocean shoreline. These lands represent one of the nation’s largest coastal preserves and attract 16 million visitors each year, making GGNRA one of the National Park Service’s most highly visited units.

Over the last forty years, public interest in Alcatraz Island has continued to grow. Each year, more than 1.7 million visitors travel to Alcatraz Island. Today, Alcatraz is being preserved for the enjoyment and understanding of future generations. Former prison buildings are being conserved and seismically upgraded, and additional areas of the Island are opened to the public as safety hazards are removed. Seabirds are returning in ever-greater numbers, and naturalists carefully follow the number of eggs laid during the 8-month long nesting season. Much of this work is carried out by dedicated Alcatraz “Volunteers In Parks” (VIPs) who lead guided walks, carry out bird census, help restore long-neglected gardens, and preserve historic structures around the Island. More work needs to be done, though, and the Park Service is always looking for additional volunteers and donors.

If you would like to help save Alcatraz, visit the National Park Service Volunteer section.

For more information on the park laws and policies please visit https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm

For more detailed information visit GGNRA or National Park Service.