Golden Gate - (former) Crissy Field Center - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 48.235 W 122° 27.314
10S E 547956 N 4184199
Crissy Field, once an army air field, is now a center for hikers and nature lovers.
Waymark Code: WM66Y2
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/14/2009
Views: 15
UPDATE: Due to the
Doyle Drive replacement in San Francisco, this former Crissy Field Center was (temporarily?) moved to a
brand new location.
Crissy Field was named after Major Dana Crissy, who was commander of Mather Field in Sacramento. In 1919, Crissy was involved with the Army's First Transcontinental Reliability and Endurance Test across North America. This was a coast-to-coast race, with 46 planes flying west and 15 planes flying east. Crissy was killed the first day out from San Francisco, while trying to land in Salt Lake City, Utah. Major Hap Arnold, who was then commander of the yet unnamed Presidio airfield, requested that it be named Crissy Field.
Originally, Crissy Field was a seasonal home to the Ohlone Indians and later became a landing point for Spanish ships. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the marsh land was filled in to support the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. From 1919 to 1936, Crissy Airfield was the only continuously active Army airfield in the western United States. In 1999, restoration of the land to its native marshes began. Today marsh-loving wildlife enjoy this restored area.
The Crissy Field visitor center has small nature exhibits, gift shop and a second floor observation deck overlooking the restored marsh land. In addition to the visitor center, they also operate a warming hut and gift shop further west along the shore line.
Crissy Field is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.