Presidio Tunnel Tops to Expand with New Picnic and Gathering Space

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Jul 12, 2023, 17:26 ET

Announcement Coincides with the First Anniversary of the Hugely Successful Park Destination

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Presidio Trust today announced it will expand the iconic Presidio Tunnel Tops by adding new parkland for a picnic and gathering area along with high demand visitor amenities, and will be known as the Outpost Meadow.

The announcement comes as Presidio Tunnel Tops marks its first anniversary. Since opening on July 17, 2022, the hugely popular destination has hosted nearly 1.8 million visits, welcomed 100 community-based organizations and featured a dozen large community-curated events drawing thousands from across the Bay Area. The Outpost playground itself has been a major attraction, with 400,000 visitors coming to climb, crawl, and swing over the last 12 months. The new gathering space will be just yards away, providing much needed seating and amenities for families and other visitors to that area of the park.

More than 10,000 people participated in the years-long, community planning process to make the Tunnel Tops a welcoming space. Picnic areas consistently ranked at the top of the list of needed park amenities. Existing picnic areas at Presidio Tunnel Tops have been overwhelmingly popular, demonstrating the demand for more group gathering space, especially near the playground.

Outpost Meadow will be created by transforming a 1.5-acre section of the parking lot east of Sports Basement into a public gathering space with views toward the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. The area will be located just west of the Outpost.

The site will feature multiple picnic tables and large picnic "banquettes" with a combined seating capacity for almost 240 people. Tables will be wheelchair accessible with companion seating and ample accessible parking nearby. Picnic areas will be surrounded by drought tolerant vegetation which will provide shelter from the wind and offer a buffer to the roadway and parking lot. Additionally, Outpost Meadow will include lawn space for visitors to gather and play, and easier access to the popular Presidio Pop Up mobile food trucks and carts.

In addition to visitor amenities, Outpost Meadow will deliver critical environmental benefits and help the park be more climate resilient. The meadow will replace asphalt with coastal habitat for native plants and wildlife. The permeable surface will absorb water during heavy rains, reducing the flooding that was seen during the recent severe winter storms. It will also improve water quality in the San Francisco Bay by redirecting some of the stormwater away from storm drains and into on-site retention basins. In total, park managers have converted about 180 acres of asphalt in the Presidio to permeable surface over the past two decades.

The Outpost Meadow expansion is made possible through grant funding from the State of California "Outdoors for All" initiative, designed to expand outdoor and recreation opportunities for all Californians regardless of zip code or income.

Renderings by James Corner Field Operations

Media Contact:
Lisa Petrie, Presidio Trust
[email protected]
M: 415.264.7787

SOURCE Presidio Trust