What’s New at the Presidio (Spring 2021)

San Francisco, CA (March 31, 2021) – The Presidio is blooming this spring—not only its flora and fauna, but many park businesses are beginning to reopen. During the pandemic, San Francisco’s national park site in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, has become a beloved respite due to its outdoor space, fresh air, recreation, nature and scenic views. Now, as city and county health guidelines evolve, the park’s businesses are beginning to reopen and welcome visitors back, further enriching an experience at the Presidio. Here’s what to expect in the park this spring.

Announcing New Bay Wheels E-Bike Share, April 5

Bay Wheels, operated by Lyft, and the Presidio Trust have solidified a partnership to bring dockless electric bikes to the park, increasing access to the Presidio. Beginning April 5, those over the age of 18 can find an e-bike parked at a safe location for use on the Presidio’s 25 miles of sometimes-steep terrain. The electric pedal-assist bikes are also a handy option for transportation into the park from other San Francisco neighborhoods. Activated through the Lyft app, there are no docking stations so riders can conveniently leave them parked at Presidio bike racks while they enjoy their visit. This exciting new partnership is currently the only e-bike sharing option in the park, and this is only the first phase of the rollout. Expect docking stations to be placed in different spots in the park soon, which will expand the bike options even further. Visitors can also rent a traditional pedal bike or an e-bike from
Presidio Sports Basement at Crissy Field.

Presidio Business Are Reopening

Under new public health and safety guidelines, restaurants, museums, and indoor recreation spaces are opening in a limited capacity.

Lodge at the Presidio and the Inn at the Presidio are open to leisure travelers! A get-away or a “workcation” in one of these historic boutique hotels is a unique opportunity to stay in the city, away from the bustle, and enjoy a cozy fire-pit with Golden Gate Bridge or forest views.

Presidio Bowl is open April 1, welcoming bowlers seven days a week. Check their website for hours and protocols. The Presidio Golf Course and its Presidio Café (with outdoor seating) are open. This beautiful 145-acre, 18-hole course is one of the most historic in the west.

Check their website to see what’s cooking at one of the park’s favorite eateries, Sessions at the Presidio. Sports Basement offers not only fitness attire and equipment, but also classes and gear rentals including bikes to get you out on the trails. SenSpa will melt your cares away with therapeutic treatments. Kids and their parents will be happy to hear that rec facilities, like climbing gym Planet Granite, swim school La Petite Baleen, and the Presidio YMCA, are now open. After a hiatus, the Warming Hut Café and Park Store at Crissy Field’s West Bluff is reopening and will serve customers Thursdays – Mondays, 9am-5pm, beginning mid-April.

Museums and Exhibitions

The Walt Disney Family Museum opened its special exhibition, The Walt Disney Studios and World War II, on March 18 and will announce its main gallery opening in April. Reserved tickets are required.

The Fort Point National Historic Site provides a window to the Presidio’s military past, and killer views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors now have free access to its interior exhibitions. Located at the visitor plaza at the south end of the bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center provides visitor orientation and information, houses exhibits, and offers cool park gifts and bridge merchandise. View an exhibit demonstrating the Presidio’s work to bring back the native Olympia oysters, and other oyster tales from around the Bay: Consider the Oyster is a mash-up between art, science and culture, on view 24 hours a day at the storefront of Levy Art + Architecture, 2501 Bryant St, San Francisco. Films, including one on the Presidio’s restoration of the new Quartermaster Reach site, show on weekend nights at dark. Presented by Natural Discourse, through April 30.

Please check these business websites for accurate and current information. COVID safety protocols and limited access still apply.

Rob Hill Campground Opens Monthly Lottery, April 5

The Presidio’s Rob Hill Campground welcomes back campers this summer as it gradually becomes safe to stay in larger groups. Perched on four wooded acres above Baker Beach at the Presidio’s highest point, Rob Hill is one of just two campgrounds in San Francisco, containing four group campsites. It offers national park camping experiences within the city, with the smell of the ocean, and the sound of owls in the surrounding Cypress trees. Starting Monday, April 5, a lottery is open for June dates, with subsequent opportunities rolling out monthly, allowing for adjusting the guidelines to current safety protocols.

Earth Day, April 22

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to enjoy the Presidio’s natural areas and open spaces? Download the Birds of Mountain Lake Guide and become acquainted with some of the more than 300 species of birds that frequent the Presidio. Take a walk along the Tennessee Hollow Watershed, all the way from Inspiration Point to the new trail spur at Quartermaster Reach, ending at the Bay. Or discover one of the more off-the-beaten paths like Lobos Creek Valley Trail, a flat boardwalk winding through renewed dune habitat reminiscent of early San Francisco. The wildflowers are abundant at Inspiration point along the Ecology Trial, where you can expect to find Footsteps of Spring, Miniature Lupine, California Poppy and Western Blue-eyed Grass to name a few. Record what you find on the iNaturalist app, April 30 – May 3, and take part in the 2021 City Nature Challenge! This is a great way to help other community scientists and the California Academy of Sciences gather data on the world’s ecology.

“Share Chairs” Return April 1

The bright red “Share Chairs” on the Main Parade Ground return April 1 after a year-long hiatus. This movable seating is hugely popular to visitors of the Presidio’s big lawn, and they make a great backdrop for picnics or watching the sun set over San Francisco Bay.

Some Trails Temporarily Closed to Dog Walkers, April 5

The Park Trail stretching from Mountain Lake to the Presidio Promenade as well as the Bay Ridge Trail from the Rob Hill Campground to the Presidio Golf Course are closed to all dogs on or off-leash from April 5 through early September for coyote pupping season. These precautions protect dogs, their owners, and the coyotes during the period when coyotes are actively protective of their pups. The program, now entering its fifth year, has greatly reduced conflict and has maintained peaceful coexistence in the park. Presidio wildlife ecologists study these animals and serve as a resource to other Bay Area agencies managing urban coyotes. All 24 miles of hiking trails in the Presidio are open to people.

Photos are available upon request.