News Release

Golden Gate National Recreation Area to Rehabilitate Hawk Hill Nike Radar Site To Conduct Environmental Cleanup and Improve Pedestrian Circulation

NPS/Frank Schmidt

News Release Date: March 9, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO—Located within five miles of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Sausalito, and Fort Baker, Hawk Hill lies within the popular Conzelman road scenic overlook corridor.

This former military road lies overlooking the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands Unit of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is accessible via car, bicycle, or on foot, and attracts locals and visitors from all over the world.

The National Park Service (NPS) is currently planning phase three of the Hawk Hill Visitor Improvement project. This phase will rehabilitate historic structures, expand educational opportunities through enhanced wayfinding and interpretive materials, improve sustainability and accessibility of overlooks and seating, and protect natural and cultural resources.

During planning for Phase 3, NPS will evaluate options for cleanup of hazardous materials and soil contamination at the site, which remain from its former active military period. Site cleanup activities being considered will protect site workers and visitors and provide protection for unique habitat which supports a wide array of wildlife, including the endangered Mission blue butterfly.

The NPS will be issuing a Community Involvement Plan, in compliance with the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as a public reference to seek community involvement and comment, throughout this process.

The NPS is committed to encouraging public participation and providing opportunities for communication between the park and the affected community, interested stakeholders, and community residents during the environmental investigation and cleanup activities at the site.

Please visit the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Planning webpage for more information about this project: https://www.nps.gov/goga/getinvolved/parkwide-planning.htm, or the NPS Park Planning webpage at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/hawk_hill_haz_manage to provide comment on this proposal.

Following public comment and review the NPS expects to begin activities at the site within the next year. The National Park Service will exercise response authority by developing an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis to be completed by December 2020. This process will solicit stakeholder feedback, develop site risk analysis, and establish the criteria for determining the appropriateness of various mitigation options.

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Golden Gate National Recreation Area, situated in and around San Francisco, is the most visited park in the National Park Service, hosting more than 15 million visitors in 2018. A diverse park with abundant recreational opportunities, as well as natural, cultural, and scenic resources, it encompasses more than 80,000 acres across three counties. The park also administers two other NPS areas, Fort Point National Historic Site, a Civil War era fortress built on the northernmost point of land in San Francisco, and Muir Woods National Monument, which comprises an impressive stand of old growth coastal redwoods in Marin County.