• East view from Crissy Field overlook with old Coast Guard station on left and city on right

    Presidio of San Francisco

    California

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  • CAUTION: Post Storm Damage to Coastal Trail

    The Presidio Coastal Trail segment just north of the Pacific Overlook and adjacent to Lincoln Blvd remains CLOSED indefinitely. We have posted signage to alert bicyclists and hikers and with information for safe trail alternatives. More »

Non-native Flowers

Before the Europeans arrived, wildflowers in the Presidio had grown here for tens of thousands of years.

By introducing non-native flowers and other plant species, settlers drastically altered the landscape.

While some of these new flowers ... or "outsiders" ... don't seem to threaten our native species or ecosystems, many are invasive.

Invasive means "outsiders" can spread quickly to disrupt or push-out native plant species. There are a lot of reasons: "Outsiders" aren't bothered by local diseases or local animals don't like eating the new flowers or the "outsiders" produce a lot of seeds or they have accelerated reproductive cycles.

To bring balance back into our environment, these "outsiders" have to be removed ... by hand. It's incredibly hard work and takes literally years to change the land back to its original state.

Did You Know?

U.S. Army major rank insignia

In 1915, a tragic fire at the Presidio  claimed the lives of General Pershing’s wife and his three daughters.  Pershing's son, Francis Warren, survived the blaze and chose to enlist in the army as a private during World War II.  By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of major.