Plan Ahead for Fourth of July

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Date: June 30, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO – Visiting Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a great way to spend the holiday weekend. Please keep safety in mind, and consider using alternate forms of transportation to reduce travel times and air pollutants. Please remember, if you “see something, say something”; report suspicious activity by calling 911 or park dispatch at 415-561-5505. 
 
Fireworks Viewing Locations
The fireworks are best viewed from Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, where they are discharged. Crissy Field and the Marin Headlands are popular locations to visit, but do not provide optimum viewing of fireworks.
 
Transportation
This weekend will have some of the heaviest traffic of the year. Using public transportation is a great way help ease traffic congestion while minimizing pollutants. Golden Gate National Recreation Area encourages visitors to use public transit, carpool, bike or walk.
 
Parking lots are expected to fill early. Some options include using BART, Muni, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, Presidio Go or Marin Transit to eliminate the need to find parking. For more information on transit options, visit www.511.org or www.transitandtrails.org.
 
Expect limited parking along the waterfront, Marina Boulevard, and near San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Parking at Fort Point will be available to those with ADA parking placards or plates only.
 
Plan for delays along Crissy Field, East Beach, and around Fort Baker, especially after the fireworks. If you take a trip to the Marin Headlands, plan for one-way entrance through the Baker-Berry Tunnel and one-way exit via Conzelman Road. Parking is limited; alternate means of transportation is strongly recommended. 
 
Check with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency for city street closures, transit impacts and post-fireworks express services. 
 
Do Not Bring
Fireworks: The use of personal fireworks at any National Park Service site is prohibited.
Alcohol: Alcohol is prohibited on Ocean Beach.
Glass: Glass containers are prohibited on all beaches in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and at Fort Mason Meadow.
 
Ocean/Bay Safety
If you are looking to cool off at one of our beaches, remember Stinson Beach is the only designated swimming beach within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Please review these safety tips to learn more about what to do in dangerous rip currents, cold water and high waves. In case of an emergency, call 911 or 415-561-5656.
 
Other Activities on July 4th
• Visit the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to discover the history of the area. Battery Townsley will not be open Independence Day, but is open to the public Sunday, July 2.
• The Marine Mammal Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Enjoy a guided tour or an audio tour to see how the center cares for seals and sea lions.
Muir Woods National Monument is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but heavy visitation is expected, and parking will fill up early. Marin Transit’s Muir Woods Shuttle is a great option to simplify your trip.

 



Last updated: November 3, 2023

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Mailing Address:

Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Building 201, Fort Mason

San Francisco, CA 94123-0022

Phone:

415-561-4700
United States Park Police Dispatch: Non-Emergency: 415-561-5505 Emergency: 415-561-5656

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