SAN FRANCISCO - Golden Gate National Recreation Area was the most-visited national park in 2016, a year that saw record-breaking visitation nationwide during the National Park Service centennial.
More than 19 million people visited Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 2016, including 2.3 million that visited Fort Point National Historic Site and 1.1 million that visited Muir Woods National Monument.
“As the National Park Service enters our second century of stewardship, it’s inspiring to see the number of visitors, especially young people, enjoying their national parks," acting Golden Gate Superintendent Craig Kenkel said. “Golden Gate National Recreation Area is proud to welcome so many - from local neighbors to visitors from around the world."
Last week, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced 331 million people visited America’s national parks in 2016 - a third consecutive all-time record for the National Park Service.
“The National Park Service’s centennial and Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque campaign, combined with programs like Every Kid in a Park helped drive record visitation but more importantly helped us reach new audiences and the next generation of park stewards," Kenkel said.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area connected with new park audiences in 2016 through several initiatives aimed at breaking down visitation barriers. Hundreds of San Francisco residents made their first visit to Golden Gate National Recreation Area last year using free shuttles organized in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library summer reading program and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Packing the Parks program also hosted 70 Bay Area youth, many of whom had never visited a national park, on a multi day backpacking trip through parklands in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area spans nearly 83,000 acres, including 60 miles of coastline across Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. The park encapsulates many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most-loved spaces, from the picturesque Marin Headlands, to history-rich Crissy Field and unobstructed views at Sweeney Ridge.
For more information about park visitation, visit the National Park Service visitor use statistics web page at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
