Hawk Hill Overlook

Visitors taking in the view from Hawk Hill.

Alison Taggart-Barone

Quick Facts

Amenities

3 listed

Restroom, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead

Hawk Hill offers stunning panoramic vistas overlooking the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. During the fall, as many as 19 different species of raptors fly over Hawk Hill in numbers greater than 20,000. Every year, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory volunteers monitor the migration of these birds of prey.

In 2011, six acres of land on Hawk Hill became the site of a major restoration effort to increase habitat for the endangered mission blue butterflies and many bird species with declining populations. This meant removing Monterey pines and cypresses, which aren't native. They likely began growing here unintentionally because their seeds were in the soil the army used for construction during WWII. After the trees were removed, thousands of native coastal scrub and prairie plants were introduced, providing more habitat to native species.

Docent Programs on Hawk Hill

The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) holds docent programs on Hawk Hill on Saturdays and Sundays in September and October. For details, visit the Parks Conservancy website.

Nike Battery Construction129

During the Cold War, the Nike Defense system was put into place in the Bay Area and other urban areas throughout the U.S. The radar station provided the necessary visual connection to the missile launching area at Fort Cronkhite. The buildings at Battery Construction129 have been removed