Jennifer S.
Yelp
Crissy Field contains my favorite beaches in SF, as well as a few of my favorite hiking trails. East Beach Lagoon Trail is a contender for prettiest trail in SF.
(That feels a little weird to say, now that I know that Crissy Field used to be a military airfield, and that 87,000 tons of toxic waste were removed from it during my lifetime...)
Crissy Field contains a mile of beaches with spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge (and no threat of nudity, like you might see on the other side of the bridge), a hiking/cycling loop, connections to other trails, over 110 species of native plants, a snack hut, and more.
I first heard of this national park a couple of years ago, when the Parks Conservancy sent me a pack of postcards, and one was of Crissy Field.
About a year ago, I was walking from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge when I spotted some signs that said "Crissy Field." I thought, "I may as well check it out, since I've had their postcard on my fridge for months."
This turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Crissy Field is magical. There's just something so peaceful about this park. The salt marsh is full of rare birds (over 135 species have been identified) that I've never seen anywhere else.
I ended up coming back the day after that, and the day after that..
From the Golden Gate Promenade Bay Trail, the bridge that goes over the salt marsh is my favorite. If you keep walking straight along East Bridge Lagoon Trail, it will eventually lead you to the junction of Lover's Lane Trail (another favorite), Ecology Trail to Inspiration Point, or the Presidio Promenade, which leads to several other trails.
(I've hiked all of these trails, and I recommend doing the same to anyone else who is able to. They can all be covered in one long day.)
According to the Parks Conservancy website, Crissy Field is located on the "unceded ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula."
Historically, the Ohlone used to use this area for sourcing and processing shellfish. Maybe that's where the peaceful aura comes from?
The Parks Conservancy website has a very informative page on the indigenous roots of Crissy Field: https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/crissy-field-history
Information about the Ramaytush Ohlone: https://www.ramaytush.org/
When the Spanish arrived in 1776, they called this area El Presidio, and filled in the marsh lands and salt estuaries. In 1846, the U.S. army took over the Presidio.
In 1915, it was the site of the Panama Pacific World Exposition. I always wondered why most of the buildings were knocked down-- one reason is because, when World War I started, the army needed a clear view of the skyline. So, they took down the buildings that were blocking their view.
After WWI, the Golden Gate Bridge was built by 1937, making Crissy Field less ideal as an airfield location. So, it became a place to dump toxic waste. This is how it remained until the army stopped using Crissy Field in 1994, abandoning the massive dump they had created.
National Park Services, the Golden Gate Conservancy, and the EPA took over, and with the help of donors and volunteers, by 2001, they were able to restore Crissy Field to what it is today.
Coincidentally, I think I actually visited San Francisco for the first time ever in 2001, but have no memories of visiting or hearing anything about Crissy Field at that time.
I feel like Crissy Field gets overlooked, but it's one of my favorite spots in the city. If you get the chance, you should definitely check it out.