Fort Funston

Coordinates: 37°42′54″N 122°30′07″W / 37.714958°N 122.501915°W / 37.714958; -122.501915
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Kansas military base, see Camp Funston.
Fort Funston
A hang glider launches from Fort Funston Overlook, San Francisco. The launch platform is modified from a former fire control bunker.
Fort Funston is located in San Francisco County
Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Location in San Francisco
Fort Funston is located in California
Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Location in California
Fort Funston is located in the United States
Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Location in United States
LocationSan Francisco, California, United States
Coordinates37°42′54″N 122°30′07″W / 37.714958°N 122.501915°W / 37.714958; -122.501915
Operated byGolden Gate National Parks Conservancy
WebsiteOfficial website
Fort Funston
Lake Merced Military Reservation
Near San Francisco, California in United States
TypeHarbor defense installation
Site information
OwnerUnited States Army
Controlled byUnited States Army Coast Artillery Corps
Site history
Built1900 (1900)
FateDecommission 1963
Recent photo of an emplacement of Battery Davis. Some of the earth covering the fort has eroded.
An image showing the large Dutch sand ladder leading from the parking lot to the beach at Fort Funston.
Steps from the southwest corner of the parking area to the beach.
A 16-inch gun on the road to the fort
Assembling a 16-inch gun carriage at the fort
Panama mount fallen from cliff due to erosion. Another mount can be seen at the top of the cliff.

Fort Funston is a former

Frederick N. Funston (1865–1917), a Major General in the United States Army with strong connections to San Francisco, and included several artillery batteries. The fort is located on Skyline Boulevard at John Muir Drive, west of Lake Merced
.

The fort was constructed upon windswept headlands along the

sand dune ecosystem that once covered the western half of San Francisco grow along the top of the headlands, with trailheads forming part of the California Coastal Trail that runs through San Francisco County.[1]

History

The land was acquired by the federal government in 1900 as the

3-inch guns was built at the fort.[4]

Following World War I, the

155 mm guns on concrete "Panama mounts
" was built at the fort circa 1938.

In 1940 Battery Davis was joined by Battery Townsley at

40 mm Bofors gun batteries were placed around the fort.[4]

From December 1941 through April 1944 Fort Funston's garrison included elements of the 18th Coast Artillery Regiment.[8]

The gun batteries were declared obsolete shortly after

Nike missile launch site, hosting sites SF-59L (now the parking lot) and SF-61 from 1956 to 1963.[4] The fort was inactivated in 1963 and eventually transferred to the National Park Service to be administered as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. At some point Batteries Howe and Bruff were demolished, while the Panama mounts have either been destroyed by erosion or buried.[3]

Features

The area is covered with a network of trails suitable for hiking or horseback riding. There are two Dutch sand ladders that extend down the dunes to the beach. The beach is known for its magnetic sand[9] and strong currents, discouraging swimming.[10] Fort Funston is a popular dog park and the only park in the GGNRA that allows off-leash dogs.

The strong, steady winds make the cliffs overlooking the beach a popular site for hang gliding. The gliding is rated intermediate difficulty (Level III).[11] When the NPS first took over administration of the area in the early 1970s, rangers asked hang gliders what they needed. A few months later NPS opened up a gate so fliers could drive up to the old Nike site to park rather than hike in from the road, and they provided a port-a-potty.

Additionally, the world record for the farthest thrown object was set here in 2003 by Erin Hemmings, who threw an Aerobie flying ring 1,333 feet.[12][13]

Wildlife

  • Bank swallow
    (Riparia riparia)

See also

References

  1. ^ The Coastal Trail is temporarily closed due to erosion.
  2. ^ a b Fort Funston at FortWiki.com
  3. ^ a b c d Berhow, p. 217
  4. ^ a b c d Fort Funston at American Forts Network
  5. ^ Wurm, Ted (1979). "S.P. Ocean View Line". The Western Railroader. 42 (468). Francis A. Guido: 6&7.
  6. ^ Berhow, p. 227
  7. ^ Richmond P. Davis biography at NCpedia.org
  8. ^ Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, Coast Defense Journal, vol. 23, issue 2, pp. 12–13
  9. ^ "Information on black sand at USGS.gov". Archived from the original on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2012-12-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ Riggins, Alex; Warth, Gary; Grad, Shelby (August 3, 2019). "Encinitas beach cliff collapse that killed 3 women part of larger California coast crisis". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Fort Funston (Tips and Highlights)". Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. 2 August 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "First Quarter Mile Throw in History at Fort Funston". Business Wire. July 16, 2003. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  13. ^ "World record toss". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. August 7, 2003. Erin Hemmings of Mendocino, threw his Aerobie an incredible 1,333 feet.
  • Berhow, Mark A., ed. (2015). American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide (Third ed.). CDSG Press.
    ISBN 978-0-9748167-3-9
    .

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Funston.
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