Outdoor Activities Include Hiking, A Sunday Picnic & Fire Pits With Food Vendors
The Presidio in San Francisco is an oasis of outdoor activities, with sand dunes and forests, beaches and hiking trails, lawns and picnic tables, Rob Hill Campground, a fresh water lake and sweeping views of the city’s famous bridge.
It also has several events and here is a rundown of the highlights.
Outdoor Events
Family bike riding is always an option at the Presidio, with its 25 miles of trails and rental opportunities at the Sports Basement and Roaring Mouse. For a guided tour, the YMCA offers Y Bike Learn to Ride programs one Sunday per month, and guided monthly fike rides.. The annual Presidio Kite Festival returns on Saturday August 10 from 11 pm to 5 pm, with partner Highline Kites. The free all-day event features a free build your own kite booth, hands-on learning from kite experts, a kite art exhibition, giant kites, mega team flying, Taiko drummers, and food trucks. Stargazing returns on July 11 when the SF Amateur Astronomers bring their giant telescopes and help people of all ages see the night sky’s most interesting astronomical beauties up close.
The Presidio Picnic & Twilight
The Presidio Picnic blends the national park setting with the international cuisine showcasing the diverse Bay Area cultures. Presidio Picnic celebrates a different cultural heritage each month, with ethnic dance performances on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Presidio Picnic runs each Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., thru Oct. 21.
On Thursday evenings, starting May 16 through September 19, Presidio Twilight will light up the main post with fire-pits, cabanas, delicious selections from mobile food vendors, live music, lawn games, and sweeping views of the sun setting over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Historic Commemoration
Pasados del Presidio, June 28-29, honor the heritage of early American cultures at the Presidio—Ohlone, Spanish, and Mexican—and the founding of El Presidio de San Francisco in 1776.
On Saturday June 29 at 10:30 am, Los Californianos, descendants of the original founding families of the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition (1775-76), return to the Presidio to recognize the journey of their ancestors. The public program includes formal remarks, a procession by the Amigos de Anza horse mounted riders, and a roll call of the people who made the original 1200+ mile trek from Sonora, Mexico. Two 60-minute Guided History Tours (June 29 from 1 pm and 3 pm) focus on the park’s rich Spanish and Mexican heritage. Learn about the early expeditions of people and animals to this area of California and the indigenous world they encountered; the adobe walls of the Spanish fort; Spanish cannons; and the foundations of the original Presidio. Meet at the Welcome Desk at the Presidio Officers’ Club.
Exhibitions
Due to its overwhelming popularity, the Presidio Trust’s award-winning exhibition Exclusion: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration, has been extended through spring of 2020.
The exhibition explores the complicated history of Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt signing the 108 Civilian Exclusion Orders from the Presidio’s Building 35 in spring 1942—orders that unjustly incarcerated 120,000 Japanese Americans, purportedly in the name of national security. Exclusion is found in the historic Presidio Officers’ Club Museum, along with permanent exhibitions on the Presidio’s cultural history, a cozy communal fireplace and event space, Arguello Restaurant, and Earth Wall a sculpture by noted artist Andy Goldsworthy. There is a self-guided tour and the exhibitions are free.
The Walt Disney Family Museum presents Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World, a celebration of animation’s most beloved and recognizable character. Guest curated by legendary animator Andreas Deja, Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World features more than 400 objects, including rare and never-before-seen original sketches, character model sheets, and concept artwork, together with nostalgic merchandise, vintage photographs, and a variety of Mickey’s earliest and most recent animated short films.
The exhibition is a testament to Mickey’s transcendent influence, from cartoons and comic books to real-life appearances at Disney Parks worldwide. May 16 thru Jan. 6, 2020.
Transportation
The free PresidiGo Shuttle takes visitors from two locations in downtown San Francisco to the Presidio, and PresidiGo’s Around the Park service offers visitors two routes within the park. San Francisco MUNI buses access the Presidio as well. Options for bike rental include Sports Basement and Electric JUMP Bikes. See: https://www.presidio.gov/transportation
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