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North of the Golden Gate Bridge, a hilly region with spectacular views over the Bay and San Francisco, ocean cliffs, and historic sites.
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A fort at the southern base of the Golden Gate Bridge that formerly housed 126 cannons to protect the bay against invaders and somewhat functions as the guardian of the Golden Gate. It was built beginning in 1848 to protect the entrance to San Francisco Bay during the Civil War, but it never fired a shot in combat. The fort appears in Alfred Hitchcock's film Cold Sweat.
The location is named for Captain Lowell A. Chamberlin, who served in the Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1976 as it is one of the last remaining coastal defense "disappearing guns" on the U.S. West Coast.
Founded in 1776, the Presidio was the oldest military post in the United States before becoming a base in 1994. It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has been designated by Congress as a National Historic Landmark . The highest historical designation that can be given to the United States. The park is a magnificent set of 775 hectares of mainly hilly and wooded areas. The Presidio has approximately 800 buildings within its perimeter, many of which have historical significance. Some buildings have residential tenants, others commercial. At the end of 2005, about 2,500 people lived in the Presidio, which houses the headquarters of Lucasfilm (owned by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas), a unique situation for a national park. Some of their drinking water comes from Lobos Creek (Rio de los Lobos), the last free-flowing creek in San Francisco. The Presidio Trust, which manages most of the park, is renovating the rest of the buildings with a view to increasing the number of its residents to 5,000. The Presidio contains 11 miles (17.7 km) of hiking trails, including the Golden Gate Parkway, Coastal Trail, an Eco Trail, and portions of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, Bay Trail, and Anza National Historic Trail. Cyclists can explore the area on 22.5 km of paved roads and along some unpaved parts of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. A world-class windsurfing area borders Crissy Field, while the nearby rocks and pier offer plenty of fishing and crabbing opportunities. Along the way you will also find many historical and architectural sites, as well as fantastic views and natural landscapes.