Baker Beach sits on San Francisco's Pacific shore in the Presidio, just south of where the Golden Gate Bridge meets the city. The National Park Service describes it as a mile-long beach at the foot of rugged serpentine cliffs west of the Golden Gate, with panoramic views of the bridge, the Marin Headlands and Lands End.
Look, don't swim
The Park Service warns that large waves, undertow and rip currents make the beach unsafe for swimming. Visitors can fish or explore the shoreline life along the beach and rocky shore. Restrooms and picnic tables are nearby.
The state rock
Outcrops of gray-green serpentine, California's state rock, protrude among the cliffs between Fort Point and Baker Beach. Serpentine yields soils unusually high in magnesium and low in calcium, which push rare plants to adapt. The NPS says the best views of the serpentine cliffs are from the overlooks on Lincoln Boulevard, north of the beach.
History
- Ranch days: The property was settled in the 1850s by John Henry Baker and was known as the Golden Gate Milk Ranch.
- Army years: The beach was part of the Presidio military post. In 1904 it was fortified with disappearing gun installations known as Battery Chamberlin, which can still be seen.
- Burning Man: From 1986 to 1990, the north end of Baker Beach was the original site of the Burning Man gathering. In 1990, park police let participants raise the figure but not burn it, and the event later moved to Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
- A rare shark attack: On May 7, 1959, 18-year-old Albert Kogler Jr. was fatally attacked by a great white shark off the beach, the only shark attack recorded there.
Good to know
The northern section of the beach is clothing-optional. When the Army left the Presidio, the area became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, run by the National Park Service.