San Francisco National Cemetery Overlook: The Silent Sentinels

Why is it significant?

Conclude your journey at the peaceful, wind-swept crest of the San Francisco National Cemetery Overlook, perched on a scenic knoll commanding sweeping views of the Golden Gate.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Conclude your journey at the peaceful, wind-swept crest of the San Francisco National Cemetery Overlook, perched on a scenic knoll commanding sweeping views of the Golden Gate. Established in 1884, this sacred twenty-eight-acre burial ground was the very first National Cemetery established on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Rows upon rows of pristine white marble headstones curve gracefully across the sloping green hillside, sheltered beneath a cathedral of towering Monterey cypress and eucalyptus trees that sway gently in the Pacific breeze.

More than thirty thousand service members, military spouses, and historical figures rest in this hallowed soil, representing every conflict in American history from the Mexican-American War and Civil War through the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam. Among the notable burials are Major General Frederick Funston, who directed federal disaster relief following the 1906 earthquake, and Union General Edward R.S. Canby.

The cemetery also holds the graves of dozens of African-American Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments who served with distinction on the western frontier and in the Philippines before garrisoning the Presidio and serving as some of the nation's earliest national park rangers in Yosemite and Sequoia. Taking time to absorb this physical setting connects you directly with the generations of master builders, military strategists, and visionary civic leaders whose perseverance shaped San Francisco into a global capital of maritime beauty and architectural distinction. Taking time to absorb this physical setting connects you directly with the generations of master builders, military strategists, and visionary civic leaders whose perseverance shaped San Francisco into a global capital of maritime beauty and architectural distinction.

From this serene terrace, gaze out at the orange suspension towers of the Golden Gate Bridge rising through the ocean fog, a timeless symbol of passage and memory.

You have completed your exploration from Pacific Heights to the historic Presidio. Linger here to absorb the peaceful bay panorama or follow Lincoln Boulevard down toward Crissy Field.