Visit the Golden Gate National Recreation Area website

Golden Gate National Recreation Area was established by Congress in 1972 as part of a movement known as “Parks to the People.” The park has grown into the largest national park unit in an urban area in this country, and includes two additional NPS units—Fort Point NHS and Muir Wood NM. The park lands are located in three counties—Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. Upwards of 20 million people per year visit this remarkable park, located in the midst of a highly diverse metropolitan area of 7 million people.

The park includes world-renowned visitor destinations such as Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods, as well as many other destination of regional and national importance such as Crissy Field, the Presidio, Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, Fort Mason, Ocean Beach, Fort Funston, Sweeney Ridge, and Mori Point. One of the largest collections of historic buildings of any national park can be found here, along with dozens of plants and animal species that are accorded state or federal protected status. The park is part of the United Nations-designated Golden Gate International Biosphere Reserve.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area hugs the California coastline for nearly 60 miles in and around San Francisco.

For our neighbors who live and work in the Bay Area, GGNRA is their “backyard” national park. The place where they windsurf, walk the dog, go for a run, or bring their kids to explore nature and get a taste of history.

It is an incredible venue for so many reasons and we feel honored to host the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium here.