| Crissy Field Beach (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Crissy Field Beach
Photographer Description of Crissy Field Beach
Panorama taken from Crissy Field Beach. This panorama shows the view over Crissy Field and the San Francisco Bay near to the Golden Gate Bridge, visible to the left of the beach here. It was an overcast, and slightly misty, afternoon, so much of the definition of the headlands around San Fransisco Bay has been lost. This is an open sandy beach, a bit off the tourist track, though people do hire bikes near Fisherman's Wharf and cycle out here.Crissy Field Beach - Further Information
In 1998, massive restoration works transformed Crissy Field - once the focus of military protection, now the focus for environmental protection and the most favored location to visit by San Franciscan locals.This area had been sand dunes and a salt water marsh when first settled, but in 1915, it was filled in with garbage land-fill to level the area flat to host the Panama-Pacific International Exposition and Grand Prix race track as San Francisco put on a show to demonstrate recovery from the 1906 earthquake. Further environmental damage and contamination was unavoidable when the beach was used for an aircraft landing strip from the 1920s and during WWII through to 1974.
After volunteers removed 87.000 tonnes of hazardous waste materials during clean up, over 100,000 native plants were planted to help restore the habitat for wildlife and sea birds such as herons, willets, grebes and gulls. Fishing and crabbing are plentiful and over 100 species of migratory birds are thought to use this salt marsh as a refuge, including some endangered species. Along the marsh, plants include buckwheat, sand verbena, yarrow, tansy, goldenrod, beach primrose and lupines. There is a Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center, a Warming Hut where light refreshments are served - and the Crissy Field Center which opened in 2000 with a mandate to 'connect the diverse population of the Bay area to the urban environmental issues' via school field trips, work shops and a variety of educational programmes for visitors of all ages. The Center has its own visitors center with a cafe, bookstore and an arts and resources lab.
Now fully restored and an environmental oasis surrounded by the urban jungle that is San Francisco, the Criss Field beach is recorded as being the favourite recreation location for native San Franciscans for it's outstanding views across the Bay, of the Golden Gate Bridge and for the beauty of the beach area. Being perfectly flat, Criss Beach promenade is therefore very accessible for all ages and abilities and criss-crossed with miles of paths and trails, many suitable for wheelchairs and baby buggies. Great for rollerblading, cycling, relaxing in the Bay-side sunshine, exploring the coast and discovering the wonders of nature in this protected environment. You may even be lucky enough to spot a whale in the Bay!
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Bus: Mason Street (29)