Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

Candlestick Point State Recreation Area holds the distinction of being the first urban state park in California. Before it became a public space, this stretch of shoreline was a neglected wasteland. During World War Two, the land was filled in with the intention of building a shipyard, but when the war ended, the project was abandoned. Without any government oversight, the area became a local dumping ground for years. It was only through intense, years-long advocacy by residents of the Bayview and Hunters Point neighborhood that the land was saved from further industrial development and reclaimed as a natural resource for the community.