The PaddlerUK magazine September 2015 issue 4 | Page 75

Right in the middle of all this
excitement is San Francisco itself, with its many
famous restaurants, tourist attractions and
nightlife. Crissy Field and Horseshoe Cove are
the most popular. Crissy Field is the most
popular kayak launch point on the San Francisco
side of the bay, being just inside the Golden Gate
Bridge, its perfect for getting out towards the
bridge quickly and getting some great pictures,
while Horseshoe Cove is perfect if one wants to
launch from the Sausalito side and it remains a
calm, safe, protected launch even on the nastiest
of days!
All along the SF waterfront you’ll find a rich
seafaring history, from the maritime museum at
Hyde Street Pier, to the classic fishing boats of
fisherman’s wharf. Aquatic Park is a
great place to pull up for lunch, with
its long sandy beach and beautiful
view, it’s a local favourite! It sits just
south of Fort Mason and is always
buzzing with activity. Also ever

present isis the remnants of a long and vast
military buildup in the region, with history going
back over 150 years. The Presidio, Fort Mason,
Fort Baker, etc. The army and navy had a very
large footprint here on the bay for well over 100
years, but now, they are all but forgotten, with
only the buildings, fortifications, piers and naval
air stations left standing idle.
Sausalito and Tiburon with its surrounding bays
and tidal inl