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 Magazine. More about our publications here

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Six youth leaders from summer 2019.
Gateways Article
All six Middle School Programs Instructors this summer were past participants in Crissy Field Center programs, so inspired by their own experiences that they wanted to mentor a new generation of park lovers.
A banded juvenile Red-tailed Hawk takes flight after release.
Park E-Ventures Article
As the chilly summer fog peels off the San Francisco Bay Area, grab your layers and get outside with the Parks Conservancy for these can’t-miss happenings from September through December.
Raven Chacon, together with Bay Area guitar-percussion duo, The Living Earth Show.
Park E-Ventures Article
This fall, thanks to our Art in the Parks program in partnership with the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Parks become an art gallery and performance space with something for everyone to enjoy.
tagged Turkey Vulture
Article
I have always loved Turkey Vultures. It all started when I met Toulouse, the Turkey Vulture, when I was a volunteer at the Animal Resource Center at the San Francisco Zoo. As a GGRO Intern in 2008, I watched the Turkey Vultures do their wobbly, effortless soaring around Hawk Hill...
volunteers restore natural habitat using tools
Article
You have seen it, you have likely walked by it countless times, but what really is ice plant and what are its effects on our parks?
fog drifts through a coastal forest
Article
Fog is a staple of San Francisco and its surrounding neighborhoods, especially in the summer. How do the natural ecosystems of the area take advantage of this mysterious mist?
two people smile for the camera while holding plants they removed during a volunteer event
Article
The National Parks have a never ending “To-Do” list and a great portion of this list is taken on by our amazing volunteers. This season we are pointing a spotlight to a very special volunteer who has been working with us for almost a year!
Myotis yumanensis (Yuma myotis)
Article
Did you know that there are bats in California? Or even in the Bay Area? Not only do we have a large bat population in this region, but bats are an essential part of California’s ecosystems and they may be at risk.
A trail cuts through tall grasses in a green field overlooking rolling hills in Rancho Corral de Tierra
Article
Only about 1 percent of original grasslands remain in most of California. Read about what caused the decline of grassland habitat throughout much of the state, as well as efforts by the Parks Conservancy and volunteers to help maintain and restore habitat for our endangered and threatened species.
Attendees form a circle during an event
Article
The indigenous Ohlone people were the first to live, steward, and walk in the coastal hills and scrubland of San Mateo County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Read about the legacy of their stewardship and the evolving relationship between indigenous people and the parks.
Boardwalk trail along Redwood Creek through Muir Woods
Park E-Ventures Article
Here is a list of our top accessible trails you can enjoy on your next visit to the Bay Area or if you’re a local, on your next weekend.
Researcher wearing white gloves holds a bat delicately in hands
Park E-Ventures Article
The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, a plague-like disease decimating species of hibernating bats in North America, has been found in California.