Introduction:
What? :
Fort Point National Historic Site is a stunning piece of Civil War-era architecture, a testament to preservation, and one of the best spots for jaw-dropping, up close view of the Golden Gate Bridge towering and spanning above it.
Fun place to visit and spend an hour or more.
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Where? :
Tucked beneath the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio of San Francisco shoreline.
There are several parking lots nearby.
When? :
The park is open year-round.
Due note 1:
The site is part of the National Park Service and it is free of charge entrance.
Free parking is available in a lot near the fort, but it is limited and fills up quickly. You can park at the parking lot down the road.
Arrive early, especially on weekends.
Due note 2:
The fort is open Thursday through Monday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Always check the official NPS website before visiting.
Due note 3:
This is San Francisco, and this location, right on the water at the mouth of the bay, is notoriously windy and chilly. Even on a sunny day, you'll want warm clothes.
Due note 4:
You can come here with bikes as part of your San Francisco day ride to the Golden Gate Bridge.
My thoughts:
This was a fun place to visit, learn about the history and enjoy the unique viewpoints from this location.
The Visit:
Completed in 1861, just before the outbreak of the Civil War, Fort Point was designed as a formidable Third System masonry fortification—the only one of its kind built on the West Coast.
It was built to guard the crucial entrance to San Francisco Bay, a vital port in the USA west coast.
It was used intermittently for housing and training, and even served as a guard post during World War II.
You can spend hours walking through the fort's four levels, exploring the dark, vaulted casemates (the gun rooms), which are beautifully constructed with millions of hand-laid bricks.
These spaces, designed to house massive cannons, now host exhibits on the lives of the soldiers, the architecture, and the fort's evolving role.
You must visit the roof of the forest.
When plans for the Golden Gate Bridge were drawn up in the 1930s, the fort sat right in the way. The bridge’s south anchorage includes a magnificent, sweeping steel arch that literally leaps over the fort's entire courtyard.
Standing on the top level, you are directly underneath the enormous, rust-red girders, feeling the rumble of traffic above you.
From the rooftop you can also see the Sun Francisco skyline, Alcatraz, and the Marin Headlands.
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