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The geography, climate and geology of the Presidio result in a complex natural history and a rich diversity of life. Situated on the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula, the cool Pacific waters surrounding the Presidio produce a moderate Mediterranean climate. This climate, coupled with a substrate of serpentine soils and ever moving sand dunes, result in an abundance of plant species living in many different plant communities. The serpentine soils reflect geologic activity here in the distant past (100 million years ago), when this site was situated where one of the great plates of the Earth's crust (Pacific Plate) was moving beneath another (North American Plate), creating a subduction zone. In contrast, the sand dunes formed only five to ten thousand years ago when the sea was rising rapidly after the last great glaciation. Today the Presidio is a vital refuge for plants and animals threatened by the urbanization of the San Francisco Peninsula. Because the army limited development at the Presidio, the park now harbors some of the most intact natural habitats on the northern Peninsula. Restoration and expansion of these natural areas is very important to maintaining biotic diversity and a major focus of activity here.

Select a link on the left to learn more the Presidio's natural history.