Surfing

On days that the concessionaire boats run to the islands, guided hikes may be offered by national park rangers, volunteers, or concessionaire naturalists. If they are not available to lead hikes, self-guided interpretive trail booklets are available. Guided hike locations, distances, and departure times will be announced after your arrival on the island during the visitor orientation. Please check with a ranger, volunteer, or concessionaire employee for more information.

Join National Park Service rangers for free campfire talks at Presidio Tunnel Tops' Campfire Circle near the Presidio Visitor Center everyday at 3 pm - 3:30pm through Labor Day. Park rangers will present histories of the diverse people who have passed through the Presidio through time – this includes indigenous history, military stories including the Buffalo Soldiers' stories, Japanese Americans interned during WWII, and more.

Wars, hurricanes, winds, and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Join us to learn about the forces of change and the captivating world of life on an island .

Discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel and the keepers that kept the light burning .

Forest Stewards tend to young trees in the Presidio’s reforestation areas. Learn about urban forestry and arboriculture, while assisting with forest maintenance through planting, weeding, mulching, and other stewardship activities!

Nike Missile Site Open House is the first Saturday of every month . Rangers and volunteers - including veterans of the Nike program - come to the site to share their stories with visitors. Guided tours are offered at 12:15PM, 1:15PM, and 2:15PM. The SF-88 Nike Missile Site is the most fully restored Nike missile site in the country. During the tense years of the Cold War, from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated close to 300 Nike missile sites in the United States. These sites were designed to be the last line of defense against H-Bomb carrying Soviet bombers that had eluded the Air Force’s interceptor jet aircrafts. SF-88 in the Marin Headlands was one such site. Today, Golden Gate National Recreation Area works together with a dedicated group of volunteers to preserve the site as it was during operations to remind visitors of the physical and psychological effects of the Cold War on the American landscape. The only restrooms available at Nike are Port-a-Johns. However, about a mile before the Nike Missile Site on Field Road is a larger rest-stop / parking lot with larger restooms and running water. It is recommended to stop and use these if needed, prior to arriving to Nike. For more information, please email GOGA_MarinHeadlands_Info@nps.gov

Open the first Sunday of every month (12pm - 4pm) Tours are given periodically throughout these open house hours Battery Townsley, at Fort Cronkhite, was San Francisco's most extensive—and most secret—World War II military fortification. From 1940 to 1948, it mounted two massive battleship guns and housed more than 100 soldiers in an extensive network of underground tunnels; during the Cold War, it was used as an underground research facility. Long closed to public access, Battery Townsley has been refurbished thanks to volunteer labor and community contributions and is now ready for tours. The public is invited to visit and explore this labyrinthine fortification! In fall 2012, the park brought to this site a 16-inch gun, from the USS Missouri . The gun, identical to the one that was once mounted at Battery Townsley, helps tell the story of the coastal defense system that later gave rise to these parklands. Learn more about this new addition . Battery Townsley is reached via a moderately strenuous hike up the Coastal Trail, approximately one-half-mile north of the Rodeo Beach parking lot. For more information, and further assistance to the site, please email GOGA_MarinHeadlands_Info@nps.gov

Presidio Tunnel Tops Stewards help care for the landscaped areas at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, while learning about the unique mixture of native and non-native plants growing on the site. Activities will include pruning, weeding, spreading mulch, and other general landscaping and gardening activities.

Walk the Tunnel Tops and the historic Main Post of the Presidio with an expert NPS guide, and see the many layers of nature and history that have evolved since the Ohlone People were colonized, up until an Army base became a National Park for all people. Walk is ½ mile and flat but wear good shoes and layered clothing for the cold season.

Point Bonita Lighthouse has been a guiding light welcoming people and ships to the San Francisco Bay since 1855. The last 170 years have left the lighthouse with many fascinating stories to tell - about its lighthouse keepers, how it came to be in its current location, and more! Rangers offer a "light chat" 15-minute program at 12:15PM before opening the Point Bonita lighthouse trail from 12:30-3:30, allowing visitors to get out to the viewing platform and see the lighthouse. Additional light chats may take place during the open hours. Please note: the suspension bridge at the end of the trail is currently closed for maintenance. The lighthouse itself will be inaccessible during open hours due to this closure.

Presidio Tunnel Tops Stewards help maintain the landscaped areas of Presidio Tunnel Tops while learning about the unique mix of native and non-native plants at the site. Activities include pruning, weeding, spreading mulch, and other general landscaping and gardening tasks. Registration is required on the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy volunteer website . The specific meeting location will be provided in the registration confirmation email. All ages are welcome at this volunteer program! Volunteers under the age of 18 must have the parental consent section of the registration form signed by a parent/legal guardian or they will not be allowed to participate. Volunteers under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent or adult chaperone. Review our Youth Policy Guidelines (PDF) for youth under the age of 15.

Walk the Tunnel Tops and the historic Main Post of the Presidio with an expert NPS guide, and see the many layers of nature and history that have evolved since the Ohlone People were colonized, up until an Army base became a National Park for all people. Walk is ½ mile and flat but wear good shoes and layered clothing for the cold season.