"In every grain of sand there is a story of earth." Rachel Carson

While these fortifications held back the enemy at sea and in the air, they also held back the urban sprawl that surely would have swallowed the area if the federal government had not set on a higher purpose. And so today, the area's defense is addressed by other more powerful weapons, and we have the pleasure of vast areas of open space along the headlands of the Golden Gate. The area now known as the Golden Gate Recreation Area stretches from Phleger Estate (next to Huddart Park) in San Mateo County to Point Reyes in Marin County.

Fort Funston has at least three claims to fame: hang-gliding, dog walking, and Battery Davis. Add to that beach access, spring wildflowers, unlimited views, and remote control gliders--and you have enough to meet the preference of every family member.

The cliffs from the bluff to the beach produce an updraft ideal for hang-gliding. This is a Hang III (intermediate) site, which is considered to be one of the nation's best for ridge soaring. Spectators fill the large wooden viewing deck, which was constructed over one of the seacoast fortifications to watch the colorful gliders soaring back and forth along the bluffs. This effortless and quiet motion is a far cry from the military activity that dominated this bluff for nearly 50 years.

The first flag went up over the parade ground at Fort Funston in the early 1900s, but it was the ominous threat of World War II that accelerated the defense effort. One of the batteries constructed in the late 1930s was Battery Richmond P. Davis, a state-of-the-art casemated facility that became the prototype of a new-generation heavy artillery. Similar batteries would soon be built at Fort Cronkite and Fort Barry in Marin County. Battery Davis was completed in 1938. It had up to 10 feet of reinforced concrete topped by 20 feet of earth to make it nearly invisible from the air. Firepower came from two 16-inch guns with a range of 25 miles. The guns weighed 146 tons each and rotated on a half circle of steel track. The track is still visible when you explore the large concrete structure. Battery Davis was disarmed in 1948. The last military use of Fort Funston was to host Anti-Aircraft Battery No. 3, a Nike missile site that was operational from 1954 to 1963.

If you have no interest in military history or hang-gliding, you may come for the dogs. For your version of Fido, this is dog heaven. Off leash activity is encouraged, and the Fort Funston Dog Walkers are actively involved in dispensing plastic bags and in policing the area. Our family has had more than a few dogs through the years, and Veralyn and I enjoyed many flashbacks of how Abby, our pet Dalmation for 14 years, would have enjoyed dashing over the sand dunes, through groves of cypress trees, and on to the surf in the beach below. This park is so focused that the warning signs caution people and dogs to stay away from the sandy cliffs.

Lest you forget why you came, Fort Funston also has fine hiking. The Sunset Trail meanders along the bluff for three-quarters of a mile north of the parking lot. The trail is mostly level, asphalt-paved, and suitable for wheelchairs and infant strollers. Benches and picnic tables are along the way, and with two massive concrete portals, Battery Davis welcomes you to take a look. At a split in the trail is a drinking fountain, complete with three large water bowls for Fido. A short distance north of Battery Davis is a marked trail to the beach, and farther on is an area protected for bank swallows. Soon the asphalt trail ends, and a narrow trail leads to the Great Highway and Ocean Beach. If you want a longer hike, consider the Cliff House four miles north, or take the Coastal Trail to Crissy Field about nine miles farther.