Last week, we celebrated with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Parks Service the opening of a beautiful new bicycle connection to the western bikes-only sidewalk of the Golden Gate Bridge.

After years of planning, outreach and design work, this new stretch of the Presidio Coastal Trail closes the gap from Lincoln Boulevard in the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge. It also provides an alternative to traversing the often-crowded Bridge Plaza while offering stunning views from the western side. See for yourself!

As the Parks Conservancy stated, this trail is an important bicycle connection which takes visitors “deeper into the Presidio to explore areas filled with history, natural features, and wildlife.” Read more about the history of this project at the Parks Conservancy website here.

Bert Hill, one of nine San Francisco representatives on the Golden Gate Bridge District Board and a long-time SF Bicycle Coalition member, had this to say:

Looking Northwest, the stunning beauty of this new Golden Gate perspective cannot be fully appreciated through a car window, or via camera. The relative solitude, the coastal smell and constant breeze complete the effect. We now have an alternative route where we can relax and enjoy the experience.

This project would not be possible without the hard work of all those who have been a part of the design team. In particular, we’d like to thank Kate Bickert and Jennifer Greene at the Parks Conservancy for all their efforts towards the opening of this new trail. We’ve worked with them and the many project partners over the years on behalf of our members who love and cherish the Golden Gate Bridge.

So come one and come all! Invite your friends to join you for a ride to Marin and try out this new stretch of the Presidio Coastal Trail. If you have any more thoughts or comments on getting around in the Presidio, please contact janice@sfbike.org.