Crissy field is an amazing place to go play, gather for picnics, or just walk the dog. It’s hard to believe that it was once a military airfield located in the Presidio between The Palace of Fine Arts to the West and the Golden Gate Bridge to the East. It wasn’t always like this. Once it looked like the photo below.
In the beginning, it was a vibrant and rich salt marsh and a gathering place for the Ohlone people. The marsh provided a rich harvest of fish and shellfish. This area was mostly ignored by the Spanish when they arrived. They preferred to graze cattle elsewhere.
According to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area site:
When the U.S. Army took control of the Presidio in 1846, the tidal wetland was considered a wasteland best suited for dumping and draining. The army used the filled-in marshlands for an airfield where important aviation history took place, including the first flight to Hawaii and the first Transcontinental flight. When the National Park Service assumed management of the Presidio in 1994, the area known as Crissy Field was a derelict concrete wasteland.
Crissy Field became part of the GGNRA in the 1990’s with the Base Closure Act. Since then, Crissy Field has undergone an amazing transformation and restoration. More than 90,000 tons of contaminated material was removed and an 18 acre tidal marsh was created. This marsh is now home to a great many birds.
In addition to the marsh, another 16 acres of the old dunes have been restored, to create a habitat for the native plants and animals that once thrived here.
Much of this work has been done by volunteers and is ongoing. It just goes to show that man CAN help to undo some of the habit damage done in the past. It’s not perfect and what is lost cannot be truly found again. It’s a start though, and the results are worth it.
From the Golden Gate Bridge on the West end, to the Palace of Fine Arts on the East end, Crissy Field has become a much loved spot for dog walkers, joggers, cyclists, and tourists.
As a final note, these photos were taken on different days which is why some are a tad hazy and others are clear. I hope you have enjoyed them. If you should ever pay a visit to San Francisco, be sure to visit Crissy Park as it provides wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the city skyline.
