Battery Alexander, built in 1901, was a concrete coastal defense installation in the grove of trees behind the restroom that held mortars capable of firing 12-inch diameter shells in a high arcing path to penetrate the decks of ships offshore; soldiers there used the mortars for target practice but never engaged an enemy. Nike Missile Site SF-88, designed as a last line of defense against Soviet bombers, is the only fully restored Nike missile site in the United States and endures as a reminder of Cold War fears and tension. Point Bonita Light House, in operation since 1855, continues to guide ships through the hazardous waters of the Golden Gate Strait into San Francisco Bay, and the walk to the lighthouse follows the spine of the continent's edge above Bonita Cove with views of San Francisco on one side and the Pacific on the other.

Photo: Creative Commons

Photo: scotthessphoto.com / Creative Commons

Photo: Joseph Alvarado

Photo: Joseph Alvarado

Photo: Joseph Alvarado

Photo: Joseph Alvarado

Photo: Joseph Alvarado