Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (or simply
Candlestick Point) is a
state park unit of
California, USA, providing an urban
protected area on
San Francisco Bay. The park is located at the southeastern tip of
San Francisco immediately south of
Hunters Point and north of
Sierra Point in Brisbane. This
landfilled area was intended to be used during
World War II as a
shipyard by the
United States Navy. However it was abandoned as the war ended. Without government controls, the area was used by nearby residences as a garbage dump. In 1973 the
California State Legislature purchased the land with $10 million and in 1977 voted to turn this area into a state
recreation area. After the designation Candlestick became the first urban recreation area in the state. To this day Candlestick remains as a major recreation area in San Francisco, offering a wide view of the bay. The park features various picnic areas, two fishing piers, fitness courses as well as hiking trails. This park is also a popular area for
windsurfing because of strong wind.