New Visitor Center and Accessible Trails Will Deepen Public’s Connection to Iconic National Park Site
San Francisco, CA-The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has received a new $5 million grant from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund to support restoration efforts at Lands End-bringing the Fund’s total support of the Lands End project to $8.6 million.
The partnership between the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service (NPS) is resulting in a remarkable gift to the community-the restored and revitalized trails, forests, native habitats, and scenic overlooks at Lands End.
The recent major gift from the Goldman Fund will enhance the following projects and anchor the work already accomplished on this site:
* Visitor center at the Lands End Trailhead at Merrie Way with informational displays describing the area’s rich cultural and natural history. This facility will allow locals and visitors to enjoy an indoor space that will complement the dramatic outdoor restoration work already completed.
* Improve the Trailhead and Overlook at the end of Camino del Mar, overlooking the coastal trail on the Pacific.
* Restore and improve the Eagles Point Trailhead and Overlook that will create an accessible trail from Eagle’s Point at the edge of the Sea Cliff neighborhood.
“The relationship with the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund goes back decades to 1983, when the Fund was the lead funder of one of the Golden Gate National Parks’ first restoration projects: Black Point Battery at Fort Mason," said Greg Moore, executive director of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. “We are deeply grateful to the Fund’s legacy with the parks and continued support of our work at Lands End to make this national park on the edge of San Francisco a treasured jewel for families, runners, hikers, volunteers, and students."
Lands End-attracting more than 1 million visitors each year to its spectacular coastline-is unique for its rocky shores, unparalleled views, close proximity to a large residential neighborhood, and easy access by public transportation. The trails offer breathtaking 30-mile views stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Point Reyes to the Farallon Islands and Pacific Ocean. Closer to shore, the remnants from shipwrecks testify to the rugged nature of the coastline.
A recent NPS survey indicates that within a 48-hour period, almost 5,800 people visited Lands End. Visitors to this site included more families and local visitors, reflecting the diversity of the community. The Lands End Stewardship Program-a robust community-based volunteer group-is dedicated to restoring native habitat on windswept shores and rebuilding trails in the area and has planted over 80,000 native plants already. Nearly 900 volunteers contributed over 10,300 hours of service in 2009 alone.
“The Goldman Fund provided the first significant philanthropic investment in a century to Lands End and was the catalyst for a remarkable transformation that inspired other philanthropists and public agencies to contribute to the conservation of this place," said Amy Lyons, executive director Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. “Lands End has always been special to Mr. Goldman as he used to walk there with his father as a young boy and continued the tradition with his grandchildren. Sometimes, he was accompanied by his good friend, the late Brian O’Neill, superintendent of the Golden Gate National Parks from 1986 to 2009."
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
