Fort Baker

Fort Baker — from an early Spanish settlement, to a seacoast army base, to Cavallo Point, a national park lodge at the Golden Gate with sweeping views and restored historic buildings where environmental groups convene.

Fort Baker, nestled in the Marin Headlands looking south to the Golden Gate and San Francisco, was a military fortification since the turn of the nineteenth century. By the time the fort was transferred to the Park Service, buildings were in disrepair, infrastructure was completely broken, and hazardous materials contaminated the land and buildings. The challenge was to convert this National Register Historic District to a National Park site worthy of its spectacular location.

A Plan was in place for the overall site, but there were no guidelines for reuse of the beautiful but deteriorated buildings. The first step in planning was exploring economic possibilities to reimagine the fort. A lodge and conference center rose to the fore as the best option. This reuse idea matched the park’s mission with enough financing to support the rehabilitation of the buildings and revenue streams to sustain them over time.