A day at Crissy Field: Hike, picnic or play at the beach
Once a salt marsh and estuary where the Ohlone gathered shellfish, and later a U.S. Army airfield, today Crissy Field is a premier destination for hiking, picnicking, playing at the beach, birdwatching and enjoying stunning sunsets.
Managed by the National Park Service and part of San Francisco’s Presidio, a restored Crissy Field reopened in 2001 with new trails, boardwalks, dune habitat, cafes and a renewed grassy meadow.
To enjoy the perfect day at Crissy Field, walk downhill from the Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion all the way east to the Crissy Field Center, stopping to view the sights, enjoy the sand and, if you’re brave, take a swim.
From the bridge pavilion, take the path to the right of the Joseph Strauss statue — look for the plaque showing Strauss and A.P. Giannini shaking hands — and follow the signs down to Crissy Field.
Past the West Bluff picnic area is the Visitor Center of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, free and open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hands-on exhibits let you feel a white shark’s tooth and a blue whale’s baleen.
During the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, daring flying demonstrations took off from here, and, it was here that the U.S. Army established an air coast defense station in 1919.
The field is named after aviation pioneer Maj. Dana Crissy, who died during the Army’s first Transcontinental Reliability and Endurance Test, which took off from the field.
In this converted airmail hangar, the Army secretly housed and trained Japanese American soldiers to serve as military linguists and translators during World War II.
Today Building 640 is open as a learning center that highlights the experience and contributions of Japanese Americans.
Nearby is the Beach Hut Cafe, which has drinks, snacks and an outdoor seating area.
Muni’s No. 43 stops at Presidio Boulevard and Letterman Drive, a short distance from the Transit Center, and the No. 28 stops at the Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion.