Horseshoe Cove and Battery Yates

Located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in historic Fort Baker, Horseshoe Cove is a significant spot on the gateway to the Bay. With its protected waters, the Cove once offered shelter and hunting grounds for Native Americans, and later, became a safe harbor for damaged ships. The military was quick to secure this area in the early 1900s, setting up the now-abandoned concrete harbor defenses nearby, known as Battery Yates.

Today, Horseshoe Cove is home to the Coast Guard Station Golden Gate and the Presidio Yacht Club marina, and significant developments are in store for the future educational and recreational use of the water’s edge. (Road construction is currently underway to improve access.) Fishing is a popular activity on the pier, where a license is not required to cast your reel. You’ll be competing with brown pelicans, cormorants and diving ducks hunting in the bountiful waters.

From Horseshoe Cove, you’ll enjoy a spectacular, close-up view of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco. There are so many spectacular viewing points throughout the city and peninsula, and this is the one to choose if you also want to learn about Fort Baker’s military legacy and environmental riches.

Horseshoe Cove leads to an easy coastal trail that is also an important habitat for the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly. Follow the path, taking in a vision of water dotted with white sails, with fog hovering magically near the famous bridge. The path leads to Battery Yates, a row of concrete gun batteries built between 1892 and 1905. In service until 1946, Battery Yates was designed to prevent enemy ships from entering the gate. Today, you can peek into the fortified rooms and climb the rooftops where canons once perched.

In addition to Horseshoe Cove and Battery Yates, 334-acre Fort Baker encompasses numerous army buildings with self-guided walking trails to explore them. Converted buildings include Cavallo Point, now a first-class lodge; Bay Area Discovery Museum, an award-winning destination for families; and the Institute at the Golden Gate, dedicated to promoting action on global environmental issues.

HelloSanFrancisco Tip: One-night packages available at Cavallo Point range from $310 to $550 and include mid-week escapes, family packages and date nights with goodies like museum passes, spa treatments and Murray Circle meals. Even if you aren’t staying at the lodge, it is still worth dining on seasonal artisan foods at Murray Circle after your day at Fort Baker. For a less pricy alternative, there’s a small café above the Presidio Yacht Club.

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.