California Current Conservation Complex

California Current Conservation Complex - Golden Gate National Recreation Area– visited October, 2023, during 2-weeks USA trip (rented car). In fact Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a huge complex of different state parks and other reserves including Alcatraz, Muir Woods (redwoods) located south, west and north-west of San Francisco. Probably the easiest component to visit if you are in San Francisco is the area near Golden Gate Bridge, on both sides of San Francisco Bay. Personally I focused on northern part. And additionally – if you drive north from San Francisco, crossing the bridge is free.

Just after crossing the bridge – to the right there is a parking space - H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point – Northbound – good place to leave the car and start exploring Golden Gate Bridge on foot (also good views of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz Island). Also the space around is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Golden Gate Bridge as a historical landmark may also has its place on UNESCO list one day as engineering masterpiece.

Better panoramas of the bridge are from area near Spencer Battery (google coordinates 37.827697856528495, -122.48177038786507, destroyed fortifications on the other side of highway, access via Bunker Road / Baker Battery Tunnel and Conzelman Road – one way traffic only). There are several view points but the best are probably from Short Range Battery (few meters from Spencer Battery). All those places are within Golden Gate National Recreation Area but …

The California Current Conservation Complex is an incredible, dramatic and ecologically important coastline and marine area stretching from Point Piedras Blancas in the South and Point Arena in the North. As the crow flies, 425 km separate these two points. In between, is a diverse mishmash of state parks, marine reserves, conservation areas, national seashores, national recreation areas, and a national monument that spans the whole California coast. The Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and California State Parks manage most of these special lands and seawaters.

The predecessor to this whole scheme called California Current Conservation Complex is the designation of the California Coastal National Monument in 2000, which was recently expanded twice by President Obama in 2014 and 2016. There are several gateway communities to begin exploring this vast coastline: Piedras Blancas - San Simeon, Pigeon Point, and Point Arena. To learn more information about this region, Monterey is the ideal starting point. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is splendid and certainly the best aquarium in California. From Monterey you can head south toward Big Sur or north to further explore Monterey Bay before arriving to Santa Cruz. Despite its more famous southern neighbor the North Coast and Coast Dairies are as dramatic, wild, and beautiful as any portion of the California coast.

Over the last decade, I’ve made dozens of excursions to different areas of this protected region. Each visit is rewarded with new discoveries that have increased my appreciation of “California’s [marine] Serengeti”. Exploring …