Presidio Trust Unveils Outpost Meadow

Vibrant New Expansion of Presidio Tunnel Tops Opens July 17, 2025

Nearly three years to the day from the opening of the hugely successful Presidio Tunnel Tops, today park managers cut the ribbon on its expansion – the Outpost Meadow picnic area. The new 1.5-acre green space was celebrated at a ceremony with community and civic leaders who championed the site, which officially opens to the public on Thursday, July 17.

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The Presidio's new Outpost Meadow, by Myleen Hollero

Outpost Meadow adds space and amenities to Presidio Tunnel Tops, which has hosted five million visits since opening on July 17, 2022. Built as an extension of the nearby Outpost playground and Field Station discovery lab, it builds on Presidio Tunnel Tops’ popularity as a family-friendly destination for nature, play, and community.

Features of the new site include shaded wheelchair accessible picnic tables with overall seating for up to 240 people, a large lawn surrounded by gardens and easy access to Presidio Pop Up food trucks – all set against a Golden Gate Bridge backdrop. Picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis through October. A reservation system for some tables will be rolled out in fall 2025.

“The public loves Presidio Tunnel Tops, and they’ve told us they want more,” said Presidio Trust CEO Jean Fraser. “So, we’re giving them more picnic tables, BBQ grills, bike parking, shade, food trucks – and especially space for parents to relax while their kids enjoy the Outpost playground. We want even more joy in the Presidio.”

Outpost Meadow was designed by Field Operations, the landscape architects behind New York City’s acclaimed High Line. Design was informed by the original Presidio Tunnel Tops community outreach process, which engaged thousands of people. Operation of the new picnic area was further shaped by visitor and community feedback on topics ranging from the picnic table reservation system to signage to food service, art, and site activities. Construction was funded by a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency.

“Ensuring that more Californians can experience the benefits that nature provides is critical to building a healthier California,” said Gloria Sandoval, deputy secretary for access at the California Natural Resources Agency. “Outpost Meadow provides meaningful access for urban residents across the Bay Area – exactly the vision the ‘Outdoors for All’ funding was meant to support. Having the iconic Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop is a bonus feature.”

Beyond visitor amenities, the site incorporates environmental features that strengthen the park’s resilience and biodiversity. It features 23,000 native plants mostly grown in the Presidio Nursery, as well as 4,000 drought-tolerant ornamentals – providing critical coastal habitat for local wildlife. The meadow’s permeable surfaces also helps absorb stormwater, reducing runoff into the Bay.

Outpost Meadow, located along Mason Street in the Presidio, complements existing Presidio Tunnel Top amenities, including accessible walking paths, restrooms, scenic overlooks, a campfire circle, and the Presidio Visitor Center. Muni 30 provides direct service to the site, and the Muni 43 and free Presidio GO Shuttle provide service from the nearby Presidio Transit Center. Bay Wheels Bike Share stations are also nearby.

Partners and Funding

The original 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops was built with $98 million from generous donors raised through the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The $12 million Outpost Meadow expansion was funded through the California Natural Resources Agency and supports the “Outdoors for All” initiative. The project is part of Presidio Forward, the Presidio Trust’s multi-year initiative to renew the park’s infrastructure, landscapes, and historic buildings.

This expansion builds on the success of the Presidio Parkway restoration, a multi-agency, decades-long effort that transformed the Presidio’s waterfront from an area dominated by a highway into world-class public parklands. Working in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Presidio Trust has restored more than 50 acres of landscape along the waterfront at such sites like Battery Bluff and Quartermaster Reach.

Download images by Myleen Hollero

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Spanning 1,500 acres next to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. Historically a home to native peoples and a military post under three flags, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov and presidio.gov/tunnel-tops.

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Outpost Meadow adds space and amenities to the Presidio Tunnel Tops, which has hosted five million visits since opening.