One of the most famous walking trails in the bay area, Golden Gate Promenade/Bay Trail, wanders along the edge of the bay through the restored wetlands of Crissy Field. In the early evening, thousands of San Francisco residents come to the promenade to walk and enjoy the crisp air and stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The story of Crissy Field is similar to the great redemption stories our culture enjoys. In the beginning, Crissy Field was a lush wetland, but over the years it became a dumping ground for hazardous materials and then later transformed into an aviation airfield. Imagine Crissy Field in the late 1990s. About 70 percent was covered by concrete and asphalt, and the rest of the shoreline was a mash of abandoned barracks, storage sheds, debris-strewn beach, and weed-infested runway.
In 1994, the vision of the restoration plan of Crissy Field began under the Presidio General Management Plan. The goals of the restoration project were to restore the area to a sustainable tidal wetlands and to increase the recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to the Presidio. The restoration of Crissy Marsh began in 1997. Since then, almost 90,000 tons of hazardous materials had been removed from the area and about 100,000 native plants representing 73 native species have been planted.
This inspirational story of redemption concludes with the construction of the beautiful Golden Gate Promenade and the thousands of residents and visitors that walk and talk the evening away as they stroll along the promenade. There are so many aspects of this story that provide hope and guidance to a world full of environmental issues.
The Lodge At the Presidio is situated just a few hundred yards south of Crissy Field.
