Occupying most of the northwest tip of the San Francisco peninsula, the PRESIDIO covers some 1500 acres and is home to 75 miles of forested roads. After a hundred years of sporadic US military use, it became a national park in October 1994, though many of the park’s buildings have been leased out to various private interests, and wrangling continues over how to develop the new national park. The Presidio Trust Board favors tearing down much of the abandoned military housing to create open space. Mayor Willie Brown pushed to convert the uninhabited buildings into low-income housing – dwellings he later announced would be put on the market at full value. Star Wars creator George Lucas, meanwhile, won tentative approval to build a huge film studio on part of the land, bringing conservationists to court with concerns about the impact such a project would have on the environment.

For the moment, the Presidio offers little more than a scenic ride through its eucalyptus-scented highways or a leisurely hike through its numerous trails. Strolling or cycling along part of the Pacific Coast Trail, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is not-to-be-missed for the stunning views across the bay and back to the skyline. Tracing the northern limit of town from the western side of the Golden Gate Bridge through Lincoln Park and all the way to Land’s End past Ocean Beach, there are plenty of side trails winding down to the waterfront to explore. Plan three or four hours for a leisurely one-way hike.

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