Bay Nature Hike: A Look Back at Crissy Field's Restoration

Join Bay Nature, Lew Stringer of the Presidio Trust, Michael Chasse of the National Park Service, and Karen Offereins of the Parks Conservancy for a hike through Crissy Field on Saturday, March 14, 10am–12:30pm. Crissy Field is one of SF's nature recreation hotspots, with more than one million visitors each year—but it hasn't always been this way. "When Lewis Stringer began work at the abandoned military airstrip overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in 1997, it was a 'derelict concrete wasteland,'" writes Bay Nature senior reporting fellow Tanvi Dutta Gupta. "Stringer supervised AmeriCorps members as they pulled invasive ice plants and planted native species. Thousands of volunteers helped. Soon, one of the biggest urban restoration projects the United States had ever seen, and the largest philanthropic gift NPS had ever received, would transform Crissy Field." Join this hike to learn about Crissy Field's restoration and how it became the beloved recreation space it is today. This event is inspired by Bay Nature's "25 Years of Change" piece in our Winter 2026. This hike is free for Bay Nature Members.

Meet your hike leaders:

Lewis Stringer is the Associate Director of Natural Resources at the Presidio Trust. He has over 25 years’ experience applying technical, policy and scientific expertise to the design and implementation of ecological restoration, research and education programs in the San Francisco Bay Area.  After years of managing habitat restoration projects at sites such as Crissy Field, Lew is now focused on bringing ecological innovation to the design, research, and maintenance of the Presidio’s cultural landscapes. Lew also serves on the steering committees of Reimagining San Francisco and the Golden Gate Biosphere Network. He completed his graduate studies in Land Rehabilitation from Montana State University in 2003 with a focus on plant ecology in disturbed landscapes. Prior to his time with the Presidio Trust, Lew worked as an ecologist for the National Park Service at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Glacier National Park, where he focused on restoring remediated Army landfills.

Michael Chasse is a Biologist with the Natural Resource Management & Science division for the National Park Service at Golden Gate.  As the park's Vegetation Management lead for natural areas in San Francisco, he directs habitat restoration and volunteer engagement in a variety of habitats including coastal dunes and bluffs, maritime chaparral, coast live oak and willow riparian woodland, coastal grasslands, and tidal wetlands. His team works across several park sites including Crissy Field, Fort Point, Baker Beach, Lobos Valley, Lands End, and Fort Funston. Michael has worked in the park for close to 30 years, first as an intern, then for 5 years with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and for the last 22 years with NPS. He completed his graduate studies in Resource Management & Land Use Planning at San Francisco State University with a focus on habitat restoration for San Francisco's endangered manzanitas.

Karen Offereins (she/her) is a Program Manager on the Community Engagement Team at the Parks Conservancy.  She brings her love of the natural world to programs and events with community partners from San Francisco to all three counties within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  She is passionate about community science and connecting people to the beauty and incredible ecosystems of our parklands.

Meet up location: We will be meeting up at the picnic tables near the bathrooms at the East Bluff Picnic Area at Crissy Field's East Beach. Google Maps Link. The picnic tables are at the end of Jauss Street, so exit the bathrooms and walk away from the Bay until you hit Jauss Street, then walk west along Jauss Street until you run into the picnic tables. They should be visible from the bathrooms. 

Hike length: Roughly 1.5 - 2 miles.

Hike difficulty / Elevation change / Uneven terrain: Easy, flat gravel pathway with minimal elevation gain.

Parking: There is a large, free parking lot near the East Bluff picnic area. Google Maps Link. 

Access to restrooms and water: Bathrooms are available near our meeting location.

Other notes: Bring water, binoculars, spotting scopes, snacks. Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots are recommended. All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entirety of the hike. Dogs are not allowed on Bay Nature hikes.

Photo courtesy of Amir Aziz.