Our 18 Favorite Photos of 2018

Ryan Curran White

As we put 2018 in the rearview mirror, we reflect on a year of heart-nourishing moments in the parks, enrichened by people like you.

We asked our staff photographers to share their most-cherished images of the Golden Gate National Parks taken this year. Scroll through this gallery to see the parks through the lens of our talented shutterbugs, including captions from the photographers themselves.

After you’re done, follow us on Instagram (@parksconservancy) to see more stunning photos of your local national parks.

Crissy Field Day (Saturday, October 2018) was a special day. It marked the beginning of Crissy Field’s next chapter taking flight. Community from across the Bay Area gathered to celebrate the ecological and historical landmark, all in the view of the mighty Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. The love was truly palpable amid the ocean breeze. Visit crissyfieldnext.org to get involved in shaping this waterfront park’s future.

Curran White/Parks Conservancy

These parks are fiercely alive. While I was having a solitary moment on a hike back to the Tennessee Valley Trail trailhead, a family of black-tailed deer crossed my path. I managed to snap this shot while the deer was examining if I was friend or foe.

Curran White/Parks Conservancy

This photo was taken at the last formal reunion for Alcatraz Island alumni on the island. To me, this looks like a Renaissance painting. A hushed crowd stands hanging on every word of an elder (former guard George DeVincenzi, center) recounting stories from the days of the federal penitentiary.

Curran White/Parks Conservancy

Public Service Announcement: Respect the almighty, unbridled power of the ocean from a safe distance.

Paul Myers/Parks Conservancy

Enjoying a hike at Lands End

Paul Myers/Parks Conservancy

Dramatic day heading up towards Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands.

Paul Myers/Parks Conservancy

Sunrise on Mt. Tam is magical. When I realized this photograph shows the city, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge, it made getting up 90 minutes before dawn worth it.

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

Photographing the Golden Gate Bridge is a challenge. How to make a new and interesting image of such a familiar icon? For me, when the flock of cormorants flew into the bottom of the frame, it completed the photo.

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

This big pinniped came ashore on a busy weekend at Crissy Field, rolled around in the sand and then leapt back into the bay. Thankfully, park visitors gave him plenty of space, and I caught this image, which reminds us how closely entwined we are with the natural world around us.

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

Summer camp is a time to continue learning and growing while on break from the school year. During a group activity, these two young people used their binoculars and bird books to identify wildlife in Crissy Marsh. Listening to them discuss and narrow down the species drove home why Crissy Field Center programs are so impactful.

Alexandro Paz/Parks Conservancy

This photo captures the spirit of our volunteers, staff, and interns. They make hard work look elegant and easy. They bring their whole selves, work together as a team, challenge each other, make each other laugh, and still have the energy to pose.

Yakuta Poonawalla/Parks Conservancy

Cultural programs, festivals and celebrations bring people together. The human and natural worlds are so deeply connected, and the more I find commonalities between both, the more I start seeing true and deep appreciation for each other.

Yakuta Poonawalla/Parks Conservancy

I begin the new year at work always looking forward to MLK Day of Service in January. It’s a day that allows me to start the year with intention, acknowledge the great work done by environmentalists and activists of the past, and get inspired by new stewards!

Yakuta Poonawalla/Parks Conservancy

Women’s Trail Day (WTD) was an event inspired by a previous trail crew intern, Mirella, to bring female, non-binary, and non-gender conforming folks together to perform trail work together, which is typically male-dominated. This was our first WTD program at Lands End, and it was a great success!

Sue Gardner/Parks Conservancy

Most construction signs are labeled “men working,” but that doesn’t stop the ladies of the trail crew! We simply added the letters “WO” to this sign before we got to work at one of our newer trail sites in Marin City at the Orchard Trail.

Sue Gardner/Parks Conservancy

Rising and setting, the sun offers time to reflect.

Yakuta Poonawalla/Parks Conservancy

San Francisco Habitat Stewards volunteer takes in the view at Lands End.

Alexandro Paz / Parks Conservancy

I felt like I was home with my family during this moment at the Naturaleza y Cerveza Trail Mixer. This group was chatting away, making crafts, sipping beverages, and enjoying their time together. Multiple generations, speaking in multiple languages. Surrounded by the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, the air was filled with energy.

Alexandro Paz/Parks Conservancy

December 17, 2018

Ryan Curran White

Ryan Curran White is the Content Marketing Manager for the Parks Conservancy.

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Our 18 Favorite Photos of 2018

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