Park Stories

Highlighting the people, engaging programs and beautiful places that make the Golden Gate National Parks special. Can't get enough? Sign up for our monthly E-ventures newsletter, and become a member today to receive our gorgeous Gateways newsletter quarterly. More about our publications here

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A silver lupine brush at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands in the background.
Legacy News article
Judy's legacy has been transformational in ways that she herself probably didn’t even imagine. As a gardens volunteer on Alcatraz, she knew that volunteerism promotes compassion and empathy. She believed that nature is healing. She was grateful for the access to national parks where she resided. Her "seed" gift –...
Silver lupine brush at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
Legacy News article
When you make a planned gift to the Conservancy, you become a member of the Silver Lupine Circle -- a community of park lovers who, like you, ensure these national treasures will be protected and nurtured for generations to come.
A silver lupine brush at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands in the background.
Legacy News article
Jean Colvin and Bharat Rawal, residents of San Francisco and members of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for over 15 years, have long valued the parklands as a respite from the world’s ills: a serene and peaceful environment, a space to exercise and recreate, a walker’s paradise, a place...
A silver lupine brush at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands in the background.
Legacy News article
Mark Lundgren moved to San Francisco from the East Coast 35 years ago. While he loved living in the city, he also felt a deep attachment to the natural world, and the Presidio was his respite. He became a tireless volunteer with the Presidio Habitat Stewards program as well as...
A park ranger leads a program at Alcatraz Island
Gateways Article
Ranger Oliver Goodman was raised in a family where "nobody hiked, nobody camped," but attending protests and participating in community events were a part of everyday family life. Alcatraz immediately struck him.
Bald Eagle
Article
“This is a super exciting time for Bald Eagles in the Bay Area. We must be doing something right for Bald Eagle ecology."
Parks Conservancy board member Shane Douglas
Gateways Article
Shane Douglas is an advocate for America’s public lands and for getting people into the outdoors. We caught up with Shane to ask how all his park work overlaps.
Lidia D'Amico opens a window to the ocean on Alcatraz.
Gateways Article
National Park Service biologist Lidia D’Amico works, in short, for the birds.
Sharaya Souza sits in Black Point historic gardens surrounded by wildlfowers.
Article
Editor's note: This article is part of our 2023 Annual Report to the Community , where you'll find all we've accomplished together in the past year, along with interactive postcards from the park sites of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Check it out >> Sharaya Souza (Taos Pueblo, Ute...
Collecting seeds at Mori Point.
Gateways Article
For Martine Glaros, it’s “like hiking and going on a treasure hunt at the same time.” Desmond Murray called it “needle in a haystack stuff.” Imagine finding a bloom in the park and going back weeks later when it’s no longer flowering, grasses and shrubs growing up around it, and...
Park leaders stand in front of the China Beach monument.
Gateways Article
David Smith became the new Superintendent of the GGNRA in January 2023. We sat down with David to get to know him better, and talk about his priorities for the GGNRA and how they overlap with the Parks Conservancy's work.
A sunset photo of the rainbow pride flag flying in the parks.
Gateways Article
Time travel is a walk in the park in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). For Pride Month and beyond, let’s make our way through some of the queer history in the parks. In more recent history, our park sites existed as military bases and fortifications—see the batteries and...