SF Beautiful gives awards to two Presidio locations

The non-profit organization named the Immigrant Point Overlook and the Batteries to Bluffs Trail to its list of honorees for this year's award ceremony.

Dedicated to our nation's newcomers, the stone plaza at Immigrant Point along Washington Boulevard offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Marin Headlands. A recently completed extension of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail links Immigrant Point with the Presidio's forested ridgetops. A nearby picnic area offers a peaceful spot to take a break from a hike or a jog. Since it's opening in 2005, Immigrant Point has served as the backdrop for a naturalization ceremony with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

A dramatic upgrade along the Batteries to Bluffs Trail allows Presidio visitors to experience the wild western shoreline as never before. In addition to picture-postcard views of the Golden Gate, the trail boasts sensitive habitat that supports rare and colorful plant and animal species. New access to Marshall's Beach takes hikers to the water's edge below. And trailheads near Battery Godfrey and Battery Crosby present a "living museum" of coastal defenses that span a century's worth of military history. The trail was completed in 2007 by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

San Francisco Beautiful hands out its Beautification Awards each year to individuals, groups and businesses that improve the quality of life in San Francisco. The group was founded in 1947 to save the city's then endangered cable cars. The theme of this year's award is "Hilltop to Water's Edge: The Unifying Power of Urban Beauty."