Why leave town when you can stay in a 1,480-acre park filled with redwood trees, stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and plenty of new places to eat, drink, play, and explore? The Presidio—the spectacular national park located right in the city—is a prime location for a leisurely staycation.
Originally a Spanish military settlement dating back to 1776, and later a U.S. Army post, the Presidio has been part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since it was decommissioned in 1989. It’s a treasure that is easily accessible to locals and visitors. But if you only ever spent part of the day in the park, you’re missing out on many of its charms, not the least of which is the profound effect of being surrounded by natural beauty and tranquility.
If you want to get away without actually going away, here’s a tempting itinerary for a weekend in the Presidio.
Friday Lunch: Taqueria Colibri
(Courresy of Taqueria Colibri)
Hotel check-in starts at 3pm, but come early to kick off your stay with lunch. On weekdays, the back patio of Colibri transforms into Taqueria Colibri. Seating is limited, but you'll find a few tables and chairs behind the bar in the secluded Hardie Courtyard. The menu offers a wide range of tacos, including al pastor, carnitas, carne asada, pastor de pescado, suadero, and two vegan options, soy chorizo and potato, or mushroom and corn. They're served street-style on divine tortillas made in-house and topped with one of their four freshly made salsas. You might as well get an order of homemade chips and fresh, chunky guacamole too—both are terrific. Before you go, check out Earth Wall, a six-foot wide Andy Goldsworthy installation made from eucalyptus branches and clay taken from the courtyard during the Officers’ Club renovation.
// 50 Moraga Ave. (Presidio) colibrimexicanbistro.com
Friday Afternoon: Check In at the Inn.
(Paul Dyer)
The Inn at the Presidio offers mostly luxurious suites and is a bit more secluded than the equally appealing Lodge at the Presidio, which has more rooms and unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Inn is decorated with a contemporary mix of art and vintage artifacts from the Presidio's military days, including a wall full of bugles. Both hotels have large lobbies with plenty of indoor and outdoor areas for lounging or enjoying refreshments.
// 42 Moraga Ave. (Presidio) presidiolodging.com
Friday Evening: Hike the Ecology Trail.
(Amy Sherman)
Tucked away behind the Inn at the Presidio, the 1.4-mile Ecology Trail zigzags its through the Presidio's largest watershed, Tennessee Hollow, and envelops you with birdsong, dappled sunlight, and the scent of eucalyptus. The winding but not-too-steep path leads through redwood groves and rare serpentine grasslands. At the south end of the trail is Inspiration Point Overlook, where you can get a view of the bay, the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz, and Angel Island.
// presidio.gov
Friday Night: Dinner at Piccino Presidio
(Courtesy of @piccinopresidio)
The Dogpatch's beloved Cal-Italian spot, Piccino, opened its second location, Piccino Presidio, in March. The relaxed restaurant has a large bar, an open kitchen, and an expansive patio with twinkling strings of lights. The menu is a tempting array of options for sharing—not just the exceptional thin-crust pizzas that strike a delicate balance between crispy and chewy, but also small-plate appetizers made with the season's freshest and most delectable ingredients, such as polenta topped with crab and preserved Meyer lemon, and a salad of fresh artichokes and baby turnips.
Pro tip: Before dinner, stop by the Inn at the Presidio's happy hour from 5pm to 7pm, where you'll find cheese, fruit, warm cookies, and more. Chat with guests in the dining area or take your glass of wine out to the fire pit.
// 1 Letterman Drive Building D (Presidio) piccinopresidio.com
Saturday Morning: Presidio Field Station
(Courtesy of @presidiofieldstation)
Refuel with the hotel's complimentary breakfast, where you'll find much more than the typical continental fare, including fresh pastries from Starter Bakery, fruit, ham, prosciutto, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, cereal, fresh fruit, juices, and more. Afterwards, head to the Presidio Field Station, which anchors one end of sprawling playground directly below Tunnel Tops. Designed with kids in mind, this inviting, hands-on discovery lab is also a great spot for adults to begin their Presidio adventure. Try a cup of tea made from locally foraged herbs and flowers, check out a backpack or fanny pack with high-powered binoculars for bird watching, or try geocaching. Grab a self-guided adventure map to make the most of your day.
// 603 Mason St. (Presidio) presidio.gov
Saturday Afternoon: Picnic Lunch in the Park
The view from Tunnel Tops
(Courtesy of @presidiosf)
Feeling peckish? The Presidio Pop Up offers food from a rotating selection of nearly a dozen food trucks. Stalwarts include Satay By the Bay SF, known for its Singapore-style satay with peanut sauce and chili crab fries; Señor Sisig famous for its crave-worthy Filipino-Mexican mashups of sisig-filled tacos and burritos; and Bacon Bacon, which does bacon-topped cheeseburgers, banh mi, fried chicken sandwiches, and more. Grab something and enjoy a picnic on the Main Parade Lawn or in the nearby Battery Bluffs Park, which features drop-dead gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge. As of this summer, you'll also be able to head to Outpost Meadow, a new green gathering space coming to the Tunnel Tops. Alternatively, the patio at the Presidio Bowl is open to bowlers and non-bowlers alike and has a full bar and grill.
// 105 Montgomery St.(Presidio), presidio.gov
Saturday Night: Dinner at Izzy’s
(Stephanie Russo)
You'll find Izzy's just a few blocks from the Presidio gate in the Marina. A San Francisco institution for almost 40 years, this steakhouse recently underwent a renovation and now offers both tried-and-true classics, as well as some new additions such as oysters Rockefeller baked with miso, chorizo, and piquillo pepper. Fans of prime rib will want to order “The Gomez,” a 10-ounce slab of meat served with Izzy’s au gratin potatoes and creamed spinach that's named for the infamous local bootlegger, chef, and restaurateur Izzy Gomez. Other menu standouts include pretty much all of the sides and steak sauces; crullers are the must-order dessert. The centerpiece of the dining room is a new mural by artist Matthew Benedict depicting characters from San Francisco’s colorful history.
// 3345 Steiner St. (Marina) izzyssanfrancisco.com
Sunday Morning: Explore Andy Goldsworthy’s Ephemeral Art
(Courtesy of @tishmanspeyer)
Check out of the hotel, and get an early start exploring two of Andy Goldsworthy’s site specific artworks, Spire and Wood Line. Wood Line is a 1,200-foot-long sculpture crafted from eucalyptus branches gathered through the Presidio’s forest rejuvenation efforts—an initiative rooted in plantings by the U.S. Army dating back to the 1880s. Completed in 2011, it's designed to slowly return to a completely natural state over time. Spire, a natural skyscraper soaring almost 100 feet, was created from Monterey cypress trees that had previously grown on the same site for over a century. You can reach it via the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
//Various locations (Presidio) for-site.org
Sunday: Brunch at Dalida
(Isabel Baer)
After exploring, you deserve a lavish brunch. Dalida opened to rave reviews in 2023, and quietly added brunch last year. The full Turkish breakfast spread offers creamy kaymak, weekly seasonal preserves, feta, a tangle of plaited cheese, spicy pepper paste, walnuts, tahini, molasses spread, and chubby pita. Order it along with chilbir, a dish of eggs poached in a mix of seasonal greens grown in the restaurant’s kitchen garden and topped with garlic yogurt. It’s the perfect leisurely feast for two. To drink, there are plenty of enticing brunch cocktails and coffee, but do try the tea—it’s sourced from the mountains of Georgia and includes fragrant thyme from Armenia.
// 101 Montgomery Street, Suite 100 (Presidio) dalidasf.com
