Nature & History Coastal Walk

Start your adventure at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, where you can grab a map, a bridge-themed postcard, or a jacket in case it’s a little chillier than expected.

Tip: Restrooms are located at the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Plaza across from the Welcome Center.

Directions: Pick up the California Coastal Trail in front of the Round House Café and follow it 0.4 miles west to your next stop, Battery Boutelle.

Completed in 1901, Battery Boutelle is named for Lieutenant Henry M. Boutelle, Third Artillery Regiment, who was killed in action near Aliago, Philippine Islands in 1899. The battery’s three 5-inch rapid-fire guns on balanced pillar mounts had a field of fire over the entire outer harbor except for Baker Beach and the area immediately under the bluffs at Fort Point. In 1918, during World War One, the Army removed the guns and sent them to Europe for service there. The battery was never rearmed.

Directions: Walk for a short distance along the trail and turn left at the stairs to reach your next stop: Golden Gate Overlook.

This Golden Gate viewpoint frames both towers of the bridge between historic cypress trees. The curved concrete plaza has wooden benches where you can rest and enjoy the view.

Tip: If you want to take a break, benches are built right into the overlook’s curved walls.

Directions: Go back down the stairs to the California Coastal Trail and turn left to continue south for 0.2 miles. When you reach a fork, take the stairs on the right to enter the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Walk along the short but invigorating Batteries to Bluffs Trail, a majestic route that snakes along the Presidio’s wild western shore. It leads to petite and beautiful Marshall’s Beach which local reporters often rave about. Take a moment to explore with your senses – listen to the foghorn, feel the mist coming off the water, and smell the salty ocean air.

Tip: Don’t miss the serpentine rock formations and native wildflowers.

Directions: Walk uphill to return to the Batteries to Bluffs Trail and then continue south a short distance to your next stop – Battery Crosby.

Battery Crosby is named for Lieutenant Franklin B. Crosby, Fourth Artillery Regiment, who was killed in a Civil War battle in Virginia in 1863. This battery was built to protect underwater minefields laid outside the Golden Gate and was completed and armed in 1900. In 1943, the Army closed the battery, and its guns were scrapped.

Directions: Keep walking south until the Batteries to Bluffs Trail reconnects with the California Coastal Trail at Lincoln Boulevard. A short distance further to the south you’ll reach your next stop – the Sand Ladder to Baker Beach.

Head down the Sand Ladder to one of San Francisco’s most iconic beaches, Baker Beach. This mile-long sandy shoreline offers amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Tip: Toss out a blanket and rest before your return journey.

Directions: Walk back up the Sand Ladder to connect to the California Coastal Trail. Take a left and walk north until you reach your next stop, the Pacific Overlook.

This overlook offers a spectacular view of the Presidio’s Coastal Bluffs and the Pacific Ocean all the way from Lands End to the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll find rustic, wooden benches made with reclaimed Presidio Monterey cypress trees and two interpretive waysides.

Tip: On a clear day, see if you can spot the Farallon Islands 27 miles off the coast.

Directions: Head north along the California Coastal Trail for 0.3 miles, passing the Golden Gate Overlook and the batteries on your left. Return to the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Plaza where you’ll find the Round House Café.

Right next to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, you’ll find the Round House Café. Reward yourself with an Equator Coffee, a sandwich, or a sweet treat.

Tip: There are two great locations nearby to snap a photo – the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point South and the Golden Gate Postcard Viewpoint.