Fort Funston sits on Skyline Boulevard at John Muir Drive, west of Lake Merced, on bluffs about 200 feet above the Pacific. The National Park Service calls it one of the premier hang-gliding spots in the country. On most days you'll see gliders overhead and plenty of dogs on the trails.
From military post to park
The federal government acquired the land in 1900 as the Lake Merced Military Reservation, according to Wikipedia. It was renamed for Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston after his death in 1917, and coastal batteries went up during World War I. Battery Davis was built from 1936 to 1939 to hold two 16-inch Navy guns, which weighed 143 tons apiece and came by rail from Mare Island. It was the prototype for casemated 16-inch batteries in the U.S. The fort is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Nature
- Dunes: the San Francisco Peninsula was once covered in sand dunes. Its largest remaining dune field is at Fort Funston.
- Bank swallows: listed as threatened in California, they nest only at Fort Funston and Año Nuevo on the coast. They dig holes in the sandstone cliffs and raise chicks from March to June.
Visiting
- Park in the lot off Skyline Boulevard.
- The loop trails are paved and wheelchair-accessible. The trails down to the beach aren't, and the climb back up is steep and strenuous.
- The NPS says hang-gliding is especially good in March and October.
- The surf and undertow below are extremely dangerous, so keep a close eye on kids.
Dog safety
The NPS warns that if your dog gets stuck on the bluffs, you should not go after it, because you're more likely to fall than your pet. Firefighters have made cliff rescues here this month; see our report on the Oct. 24 rescue.