Many people are surprised to learn that a national park in an urban area has such rich biodiversity. In the Marin Headland's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, there are 37 threatened or endangered species, a greater number than any other national park in the continental U.S. Along the California Coastal Trail in the Marin Headlands, you’ll find ecologists from Golden Gate National Recreation Area hard at work to preserve these important species. In the past, many conservationist have also worked tirelessly to protect this area from development.

At Rodeo Beach, a former dirt parking lot is now a restored wetland habitat that provides a home to the California red-legged frog, a federally listed threatened species. In pre-Gold Rush times, the California red-legged frog was abundant statewide. It was also considered a delicacy. Nearby along the Coastal Trail is Hawk Hill, renowned for birding, photography, and even military history. It is also the site of a multi-year restoration effort to restore habitat for the endangered mission blue butterfly.