Baker Beach facts for kids
Baker Beach is a public beach located in San Francisco, California, U.S.. It sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, in the northwest part of the city. The beach stretches for about 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers). It starts just south of where the Golden Gate Bridge meets the land. From there, it goes south towards the Seacliff area, the Palace of the Legion of Honor, and the Sutro Baths.
The land where Baker Beach is now was once a large property of about 160 acres (65 hectares). A man named John Henry Baker settled here in the 1850s. He called his property the Golden Gate Milk Ranch. It was located about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the city.
After John Henry Baker passed away in 1863, his wife, Maria, lost the property in 1879. Years later, in 1897, Baker's grandson tried to get the land back for the family.
History of Baker Beach
Baker Beach is part of the Presidio. The Presidio was a military base for a long time. It was first set up by the Spanish in 1812 when San Francisco was founded. It remained a U.S. Army base until 1997.
In 1904, the beach area was made stronger with special disappearing gun defenses. These were called Battery Chamberlin. You can still see parts of these old defenses today. When the Presidio stopped being an army base, it became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This area is managed by the National Park Service.
From 1986 to 1990, the northern end of Baker Beach was the first home of the Burning Man art festival. In 1990, the park police allowed people to put up their large statue. However, they were not allowed to set it on fire. This was because the beach has rules about the size of campfires. After that, the Burning Man events moved to Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
A rare shark attack happened at Baker Beach on May 7, 1959. An 18-year-old named Albert Kogler Jr. was attacked by a great white shark. He was in water about 15 feet (4.6 meters) deep at the time. This was the only shark attack ever recorded at Baker Beach.
You can find large rock formations called serpentine cliffs along the coast near Baker Beach. When serpentine rocks are on the surface, they create a special kind of soil. This soil has low calcium and high magnesium. This unique soil allows rare types of plants to grow in the area. For example, a threatened plant called Hesperolinon congestum (Marin Dwarf Flax) can be found nearby.
See also
In Spanish: Baker Beach para niños
