11 Best Experiences At The Presidio In San Francisco

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Travel Awaits |  Oct. 11, 2021

https://www.travelawaits.com/2702256/presidio-san-francisco-things-to-do/

One foggy Sunday, I took the BART into San Francisco, got off at the Embarcadero, and walked along the waterfront past the piers and vendor stands, the Exploratorium, boats to Sausalito, up the lower section’s 209 steps and the 178 top section’s steps to Coit Tower (have your inhaler– I needed mine after the 8th flight of stairs) then strolled back down Lombard Street to view the one-block section with eight hairpin turns.

Afterward, I went through Fisherman’s Wharf, the area in front of Ghirardelli Square that includes the Maritime Museum, up thru Fort Mason, stopped along the shore looking over to Alcatraz, over to the Palace of Fine Arts then across the street into the Presidio proper.

I had arrived.

Presidio, derived from the Latin praesidium meaning protection or defense, is now a Spanish word meaning “jail” or “fortification.” These fortified bases were established by the Spanish along the California coast in areas under their control.

Like Golden Gate Park, I didn’t have any preconceived notions about what there was to see or do at the Presidio. Re-purposed in 1994 by the National Park Service, this former military base is beautifully positioned with a view (when it’s not Fogust) of the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge, parks, museums, an inn… and lots of places for family fun and exercise. Covering 1,500 acres, it’d be difficult to cover it all on foot in a day, so I chose my top 11 favorite places for great experiences to use as your starting point the next time you’re thinking about leaving your heart in San Francisco.