Fort Funston is a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the southwestern corner of San Francisco. It occupies windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, steep cliffs and the beach below. The site includes some of the last remnants of the sand dune ecosystem that once covered the western half of San Francisco.
The land was acquired by the federal government in 1900 upon the establishment of the Lake Merced Military Reservation, with the purpose of assisting in the coastal land defense for San Francisco Bay. The fort, renamed for Major General Frederick Funston in 1917, began to take shape during World War I, with the construction of a parade ground, barracks and a series of coastal batteries. The batteries were declared obsolete shortly after World War II, but Fort Funston later became a Nike missile launch site. The fort was inactivated in 1963 and eventually transferred to the National Park Service to be administered as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The area is covered with a network of trails suitable for hiking or horseback riding, many of which descend via Dutch sand ladders to the beach. The beach is known for its magnetic sand, and the strong, steady winds make the cliffs overlooking the beach a popular site for hang gliding. The world record for the farthest thrown object was set here in 2003 by Erin Hemmings, who threw an Aerobie flying ring 1,333 feet.[1] Fort Funston is the only area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where off-leash canine activity is allowed.
References
- ^ "First Quarter Mile Throw in History at Fort Funston". Business Wire. Business Wire. 2003-07-16. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_July_16/ai_105504992/. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
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Coordinates: 37°42′45″N 122°29′57″W / 37.7125°N 122.49917°W