SUPERBLOOMS in the Presidio

Over the summer, the Presidio unveiled SUPERBLOOMS at its crowning urban glory, Tunnel Tops Park. The colorful installation is by Tosha Stimage, an artist of several disciplines, and founder of SAINTFLORA, a floral company specializing in original flower creations.

Her artistry at Tunnel Tops comprises colorful ground murals of three Presidio native plants: checkerbloom, the Chilean strawberry, and the state flower, the California poppy.

You can see the creations as you walk between the park’s expansive Picnic Pavilion and the Presidio Transit Center. This latest installation is part of a larger project showcasing BIPOC artists, celebrating and honoring diversity and the interconnectedness of all—land, flora, fauna, humans—together in an ecosystem.

Presidio Tunnel Tops is just as it sounds—a park on top of tunnels, Presidio Parkway tunnels, to be exact. It’s a crown jewel of ingenuity within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). Take a walk around and through it to see SUPERBLOOMS and enjoy the sprawling gardens and lawns, reservable barbecue areas, and the view—which is pure San Francisco gold … of course, that’s the Golden Gate Bridge.

The short and sweet Cliff Walk is an easy way to see the park, and you can take a break at one of the giant benches artfully constructed from Presidio trees. A gas fire pit built into giant boulders is host to campfire talks and a great way to warm up when Karl pays an extra-long visit.  Tunnel Tops Campfire Circle happens every Friday to Sunday at 4:00 p.m. National Park Service rangers share stories of people who have been an important and dynamic part of the Presidio’s story, including Buffalo Soldiers, indigenous people groups, and Japanese American internees.