Fort Point San Francisco

Issue #066 - Golden Gate's Coastal Trail, California

Fort Point sits under the southern anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge. This brick fortress was built by U.S. Army engineers from 1853 to 1861 to protect the mouth of San Francisco Bay from any hostile fleet. The fort is open to the public. Climb the old cast iron stairs to the upper levels of the fort that was once manned by 150 soldiers and armed with 127 huge cannons. Through the openings to the right of each of the arches in this photograph is a small gun opening. There’s a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, looking straight up from the top level of the fort. On a rainy or foggy day, the soft, diffused light through these arches fills dark shadows with detail. There are rusty old details of ironwork and cannon to photograph. Now protected by National Park status, rangers on duty in Fort Point wear the uniforms of the Civil War era.