It had been a fortified location since September 17, 1776, when New Spain established the presidio to gain a foothold in Alta California and the San Francisco Bay.

[7] On October 1, 1994, it was transferred to the National Park Service, ending 219 years of military use and beginning its next phase of mixed commercial and public use.

The park has many wooded areas, hills, and scenic vistas overlooking the Golden Gate itself, the Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.

The Presidio was originally a Spanish fort sited by Juan Bautista de Anza on March 28, 1776, built by a party led by José Joaquín Moraga later that year.

Several famous U.S. generals, such as William Tecumseh Sherman, George Henry Thomas, and John J. Pershing, made their homes here.

Importantly, it was the assembly point for army forces that invaded the Philippines during the Spanish–American War, America's first significant military engagement in the region.

One of the main objectives of the Presidio Trust's program was achieving financial self-sufficiency by fiscal year 2013, which was reached in 2006.

These imperatives have resulted in numerous conflicts between the need to maximize income by leasing historic buildings and permitting public use despite most structures being rented privately.

Further differences have arisen from the divergent needs to preserve the integrity of the National Historic Landmark District in the face of new construction, competing pressures for natural habitat restoration, and requirements for commercial purposes that impede public access.

[17] The Presidio of San Francisco is the only site in a national recreation area with an extensive residential leasing program.

George Lucas won the development rights for 15 acres (6.1 ha) of the Presidio, in June 1999, after beating out several rival plans, including a leading proposal by the Shorenstein Company.

The $300 million development includes nearly 900,000 square feet (84,000 m2) of office space and a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) underground parking garage with a capacity of 2,500 employees.

George Lucas's proposal included plans for a high-tech Presidio museum and a 7-acre (2.8 ha) "Great Lawn" that is now open to the public.

The promenade is part of a trail expansion plan that will add 24 miles (39 km) of new pathways and eight scenic overlooks throughout the park.

The center is operated by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and overlooks a restored tidal marsh.

The project restored a naturally functioning and sustaining tidal wetland as a habitat for flora and fauna, previously not in the site's evidence.

The park at Crissy Field expanded and widened the recreational opportunities of the existing 1+1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) San Francisco shore to a broader number of Presidio residents and visitors.

Negotiations between Caltrans, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and the Presidio Trust to finalize the land transfer for the park lasted from 2015 to 2018.