Presidio Tunnel Tops and Field Station | SFM Ambassador Scott Benbow’s City Guide

The Presidio Tunnel Tops, a park at the 4.5-mile mark of the San Francisco Marathon, opened to the public in 2022 and has become a popular destination. On a clear day, the views of the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands are breathtaking. On a cloudy, cold, or rainy day, Tunnel Tops provides fascinating indoor activities for children and adults.

Written by SFM Ambassador Scott Benbow, edited by Pavlína Marek

Overseen by the team that designed New York City’s Highline, Tunnel Tops shares an important characteristic with the project in Manhattan. The new park sits over a major vehicular thoroughfare; Tunnel Tops is above and almost entirely obscures the hustle and bustle of Highway 101, which takes drivers to and from the Golden Gate Bridge.

What to do in Tunnel Tops

Tunnel Tops introduces visitors to this part of California’s history, nature, and environment. In the park, you’ll find food vendors, picnic sites, and the Outpost playground.

Food

Who doesn’t like food? Especially if you’re visiting for the race weekend, you’ll probably want to grab a bite to eat. You can either reserve a grill and a picnic table and do your own cooking or you can take advantage of the Presidio Pop-Up with its many local vendors and diverse representation of cuisines open every day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ranger Talks

The Presidio Visitor Center (open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) offers ranger talks every day at 4 p.m. at the Presidio Tunnel Tops’ Campfire Circle. Learn about the park, its nature, and its history in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the bathrooms are nearby!

Wildlife

Just across the path from the Tunnel Tops, you can observe wildlife at the Crissy Marsh. After decades of serving as an industrial area and Army airfield, the Crissy Marsh is a part of the shoreline restoration project. Nowadays, the wetland is home to around 100 bird species.

The Field Station

If you or your travel companions are fascinated by history and wildlife, visit the Field Station, which instructs visitors to “let your curiosity be your guide.”

The station is inspired by scientific base camps in places like the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica. It captures visitors’ attention by allowing them to touch, manipulate, and interact with the exhibits. The Field Station offers a direct connection to nature by providing information about ecosystems and wildlife habitats, fostering personal responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Families with younger children can borrow a Presidio Explorer Backpack, which holds a magnifying glass, binoculars, and guides to the animals and plants that live in the Presidio.

Admission? $0!

Finally, in a city often criticized for being expensive, all of the activities at Tunnel Tops are free of charge.

How to Get There

If you’re traveling to run the San Francisco Marathon, you’ll be picking up your bib at Fort Mason. The Presidio Tunnel Tops park is a short and very scenic walk from there, making for a great way to do some light cross-training the day before the race.

About Scott Benbow

Scott Benbow is a San Francisco Marathon Ambassador, attorney, nonprofit specialist, and passionate SFM runner. He lives in San Francisco and runs the hills of our incredibly beautiful city with us every year.