Destination San Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city and a fantastic destination for tourism. The Bay Area has great scenery, fine museums and theaters, and is home to the world’s foremost innovators in technology. Did you know that the people who call the San Francisco Bay Area home love it because it is so close to fascinating cultural, natural, historic, and recreational sites? Whichever way you go, the trip may start by the Bay, but the discovery begins on America's public lands.
Up the Coast: North of San Francisco
Muir Woods
Opened in 1908, Muir Woods was the first National Monument created in an urban setting. Six miles of trails afford views of thousands of old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest living things in the world. You can walk along Redwood Creek past spectacular wildlife and flowers. The park is open every day of the year including all holidays from 8 AM until sunset. Just 14 miles from Downtown.
Point Reyes National Seashore
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and long beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1,500 species of plants and animals to discover. Visitors can view elephant seals, migrating whales, raptors, herds of Tule elk, wildflowers, a self-guided Earthquake Trail and Kule Loklo, a recreated Coast Miwok village. 45 miles north of Downtown.
San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
This refuge is a haven for wading birds and ducks, vast stretches of lush pickleweed marsh, and a sense of solitude in the midst of seven million people. Just a stone's throw away from San Francisco and California's famed Napa Valley, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge offers a rare peek into how the San Francisco Bay Area once was with its expansive marshes and bay waters. 40 miles north of Downtown.
On the way to Tahoe: East of San Francisco
Rosie the Riveter / World War II Homefront National Historical Park
Explore and honor the efforts and sacrifices of American civilians on the World War II home front. Find out how the national home front effort changed America. Many faces, many stories, many truths weave a complex tapestry of realities from this time of rapid change, opportunity and loss. 17 miles northeast of Downtown.
John Muir National Historic Site
John Muir was many things: inventor, immigrant, botanist, glaciologist, writer, co-founder of the Sierra Club, fruit rancher and conservationist. Visit his home in Martinez to see where he worked, wrote and lived during his efforts to preserve and protect some of our greatest national treasures including Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as National Parks. 40 miles east of Downtown.
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
Enjoy wildlife viewing and photography as you drive the three-mile, graveled auto tour through wetlands. Walk a one-mile trail along a lush riparian slough. Relax and enjoy the scenery on the viewing platform. Thousands of waterfowl are present from September through March. Many birds and mammals can be seen year-round. 125 miles northeast of Downtown.
Touring to Yosemite: East of San Francisco
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge consists of nearly 45,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian habitats for the protection and benefit of wildlife. The refuge is located within the Pacific Flyway, a major route for migrating birds. The extensive wetlands of the refuge and surrounding lands provide habitat for up to a million waterfowl each winter. The refuge along with other protected lands forms a part of the largest contiguous freshwater wetland in California. This area has been recognized as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, an Audubon Important Bird Area, and as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site. 125 miles southeast of Downtown.
Merced River Recreation Area
Merced River Recreation Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the wild and scenic river. From high in Yosemite National Park, the Merced River rushes through glacially-carved canyons, rugged mountains and foothills to the San Joaquin Valley. Public access points and the many rafting outfitters allow whitewater enthusiasts to challenge the rapids at their own pace. Enjoy a day of fishing before gathering around the campfire to cook up the day's catch at one of the area’s campgrounds. 180 miles southeast of Downtown.
Down the Coast: South of San Francisco
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge spans open bay, salt pond, salt marsh, mudflat, upland and vernal pool habitats of South San Francisco Bay. Millions of shorebirds and waterfowl stop to refuel at the refuge during the spring and fall migration. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the refuge each year to enjoy its diverse wildlife and habitats. 40 miles southeast of Downtown.
Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries
Supporting one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, these are habitats for whales, dolphins, otters, seabirds and other marine life in a rich coastal environment. Cruise Monterey Bay, explore tidepools at Duxbury Reef, see harbor seals at Bolinas Lagoon or giant elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park, kayak and birdwatch on Tomales Bay. Take a virtual tour of the Monterey Sanctuary at its Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, opening in late July 2012. 75 miles south of Downtown.
Fort Ord Public Lands
Come out and enjoy some of the last undeveloped natural wildlands on the Monterey Peninsula. Located on the former Fort Ord military base, here the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) protects and manages 35 species of rare plants and animals along with their native coastal habitats. In addition, there are also more than 86 miles of trails for visitors to explore on foot, bike or horseback. 120 miles south of Downtown.
The Pacific Ocean: West of San Francisco
Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
Located within the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, these remote and rugged islands protect an incredible bounty of seabirds, sea lions and seals. Located 28 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, these islands are home to the largest seabird nesting colony south of Alaska. While closed to the public, many private boat tours bring visitors to the islands to observe the abundant wildlife visible by boat. 32 miles west of Downtown.
