1954 Map of Point Bonita

About this map

The Marin Peninsula and the northern reaches of San Francisco meet at the iconic Golden Gate in this mid-century topographic survey. The northern shore is dominated by massive coastal defense installations, including the Fort Cronkhite Military Reservation and Fort Barry Military Reservation, which protected the entrance to the bay before the expansion of the Marin Headlands State Park. Across the water, the urban grid of San Francisco pushes toward the Pacific at Ocean Beach, featuring the planned greenery of Golden Gate Park and the rugged outcrops of Lands End and Point Lobos. In Marin County, the map captures the residential growth of Sausalito and the community at Marin City, while the Shoreline Highway snakes through the coastal valleys toward Muir Beach. This era shows the landscape at a threshold between its strategic military heritage and its future as a premier recreational and residential corridor.