Lands End

Lands End. Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Panel One: , Here at the northwest corner of San Francisco, where the Golden Gate meets the Pacific, the land drops abruptly to the sea. This intersection of ocean currents, raw wind and rocky bluffs offers dramatic views and sunsets – when fog doesn’t drape the area – but can be treacherous to the unwary. The cliffs have claimed many victims of falls, and the water below has become a graveyard for ships that failed to navigate the narrow, rocky entrance to San Francisco Bay., Roads to Lands End , Hugging the precipitous headlands, a railroad line started in 1888 by future mayor Adolph Sutro (who owned much of outer San Francisco) provided city residents with affordable access to Sutro’s Cliff House, his gardens at Sutro Heights and Ocean Beach. Electric trolleys replaced the steam locomotives in 1905 and operated until landslides closed the rail route in 1925. The railroad bed, now a hiking trail, can be reached by walking down the stairs from this parking area., The roadway to your right traces El Camino del Mar, a street that contoured around the bluff uphill from the rail line. Opened in 1917, the road offered motorists a scenic drive to Lands End and Ocean Beach – when it was drivable. The unstable slope continually slumped, forcing road closures that sometimes lasted for years. The section between the Palace of the Legion of Honor and the Cliff House was permanently closed in 1957., Defending San Francisco’s Harbor , Fort Miley (on the hill behind you) offered a strategic position for coast artillery to deter enemy ships from approaching the Golden Gate. This 54-acre post entered service in 1891 as the Point Lobos Military Reservation but was not activated until the Spanish-American War of 1898., Renamed Fort Miley two years later, the army post housed only a caretaker garrison, yet remained a part of the harbor defense system until 1950., A Place to Heal Bodies… , The core of Fort Miley was transferred to the Veterans Administration in 1933 for construction of a Veterans’ Hospital, which still operated today., …and Refresh Spirits , A proposal in the early 1970s to develop a large National Archives facility at Fort Miley helped to mobilize a grassroots movement to create the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972. Fort Miley is one of over ten former military posts that are now part of this urban national park that encompasses the Presidio, Fort Point, Fort Mason, Fort Funston, Alcatraz and the Marin Headlands., , Views of the Golden Gate Strait and Pacific Ocean are stunning on the fog-free days along Lands End trails between Eagle’s Point and the Cliff House., Note the route of El Camino del Mar in this 1942 photograph (left side of photo). Instability of the steep slope led to closure of the road and Adolph Sutro’s railroad., Living on the Edge , Historically, most of western San Francisco was open and windswept. Behind the rocky coastal headlands were extensive sand dunes and native coastal scrub. Living conditions were harsh for plants and animals exposed to brisk winds, dense fog, scarce soils and salt spray., Introduced trees have enhanced the habitat for some species of wildlife. The trees offer songbirds such as the American Goldfinch a stopover site to rest and feed during their spring and fall migrations., Viewing Wildlife , Fall Brings a mass migration of birds of prey to the Golden Gate. Look particularly for the endangered peregrine falcon from any vantage point with a view over the water. A fast flyer, the peregrine preys on birds in flight., Images: , Yellow brush lupine (left), dune grass and coyote brush, are among the species adapted to moving sand and drying winds. These plants stabilize the dunes and allow other species, like willows, to provide habitat for birds like the American Goldfinch (far left)., Panel Two: , Exploring Lands End , Lands End is the wildest, rockiest corner of San Francisco – a corner strewn with shipwrecks and a history of landslides. At the tip of Lands End is Point Lobos. Named by the Spanish for its many lobos marinos (sea wolves), otherwise known as sea lions, whose bark drifted up from the rocks below. The sea lions have since relocated to the calmer waters of San Francisco Bay. Trails at Lands End offer a cliff-top walk through dark cypress and open grass and offer 30-mile views up and down the California coast., Featured Hiking Trail – Coastal Trail , Distance: 1.7 miles , Be aware that the trail includes stairs. , From the Lands End Lookout, the Coastal Trail follows the 1880s roadbed of the Ferries and Cliff House Railroad. Along the way you’ll see hillside of cypress and wildflowers, views of old shipwrecks, access to the epic ruins of Sutro Baths, pocket beaches and a new Eagles Point Overlook. At ever turn of the trail on this wild and rocky northwestern corner of San Francisco, there is another stunning view., What To See And Do At Lands End , Lands End Lookout , The visitors center includes informational exhibits describing the area’s rich cultural and natural history, park-related retail, a café and restrooms., Bicycling , Bicycles are permitted on the Coastal Trail at Lands End, except between Eagle’s Point and the Mile Rock Beach Trail., Pet Walking , Pets are permitted on all trails and beaches at Lands End. Pets must be on a leash in parking lots and picnic areas., Beaches , A variety of shoreline pocket beaches lie at the foot of Lands End at Mile Rock Beach. Use the Mile Rock Beach Trail to the beaches – undesignated trails are dangerous to use and are destructive to the native plants., Picnicking , Picnic tables, grills and a restroom are available at West Fort Miley. Park at the end of El Camino del Mar, walk a short ways back to the paved road on the left and head uphill., USS San Francisco Memorial , The USS San Francisco Memorial honors those who fought on the navy cruiser, which spearheaded the naval battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. The ship sustained 45 hits in combat. The names of 107 men lost in the battle are engraved in the memorial, flanked by the actual shell-riddled bridge of the warship., Shipwreck Remains , Looking down at the rocky shoreline from the heights of Lands End, you can sometimes see the remains of three historic shipwrecks. In the surf near West Fort Miley stand Mile Rock and Point Lobos – the tips of two submerged, treacherous rocks. The remains of the Ohioan, Lyman Stewart, and Frank Buck can be seen at low tide., Coyotes Are Common At The Park , Coyotes play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and species diversity. Coyotes are active most of the year., We need your help to keep coyotes wild. Please do not feed or approach coyotes, and it is advisable to keep your pets on leash in coyote territory., Report coyote encounters (415) 561-5505, It is illegal to feed wildlife in National Parks CFR 2.2(a)(2)