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Ocean Beach
Beach and Surf Spot
Outer Sunset, San Francisco
This beach is famous for their sunsets. It's one of the most popular in the city!
"much colder and windy then the heart of the city."(10 Tips)
"Grab a fire pit on warm evenings for the perfect end to a day in SF."(12 Tips)
"Great place to watch the sunset, if it's not foggy."(6 Tips)
"Then enjoy the beach with a picnic and stay for sunset if clear."(45 Tips)
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Great beach for a run, especially at low tide. Clean and usually pretty deserted. The distance from the zoo to Cliff House is about 5k, so it makes for a good 10k run up and back.
Upvoted Mar 7- Brittany AtkinsonJanuary 21, 2014Take the N Judah to the front of the dunes (last stop) then get a milkshake right as you get off at java beach. Then enjoy the beach with a picnic and stay for sunset if clear.
Upvoted Jan 28 - We Travel And BlogJanuary 16, 2015Great place to watch the surfers, or park to go in yourself! Technically illegal to sleep in your vehicle, but if you're gonna do it, this parking lot is the place to be ! #vanlife
Paul FrankOctober 7, 2013There's sand (it's a beach). A lot of sand. There's water (it's an ocean). Enough water to go all the way to Japan. There's a beach & there's an ocean. It's called "Ocean Beach". Makes sense to me.
Brian StraussJanuary 21, 2019Amazing every season of the year. We were there on a wild day in January. Water table in the sand was high. Made for great castle moats. Rip currents kept us out of the water.
Bring all the sweaters you own. &/or snag a fire pit. Be careful, your clothes will smell like smoke!- Aaron CruzJuly 25, 2014Always the first place I head when I get to SF. Walk along the Pacific. Walk up to nearby Cliff House. Make sure to bring warm clothes, much colder and windy then the heart of the city.
The cement stairways leading from the parking lot down to the sand are numbered, starting with 1 on the north end (closest to cliff house). Dogs are allowed off leash from stair1 to 21; on-leash south
Caroline DengJune 28, 2015Always check the weather before you get here. Ocean Beach is amazing on a sunny day, but cold and windy on a cloudy one. My favorite drive in SF.
Totally thought this was a Back Street Boys concert on a drunken night but it was just a bunch of campfires with millennials.
I grew up in Southern CA. By comparison, this beach is disappointing. However, I like to stop here on a bicycle ride, they view is calming and relaxing - but caution it can be very windy.
Tim DengAugust 24, 2015Beautiful beach with bonfire pits! Come here with firewood and food to cook something and warm up at night
Geoffroy BablonNovember 4, 2014Come here in the early morning and you'll likely find some surfers, seagulls, and misty clouds.
- Fodor's TravelJanuary 28, 2016The city offers a number of outstanding beaches like Ocean Beach on the Western edge of town for watching surfers and sunsets. Read more
Brittany SübersSeptember 5, 2017It can get crowded. I was able to share a fire pit easily with another group. Parking can be tricky. Police will extinguish your fire around 9:00pm.
lululemonApril 29, 2014Adjacent to the Great Highway, Ocean Beach has few tourists, no highrises and plenty of ocean vibes (think: shorebirds, surfers and beach bonfires). Go for a run!
Al AbutJune 29, 2014Bring a windbreaker, even on a sunny day. And bring your small dog for a walk every Saturday at 10am. It's been going for 8 years strong!
Ashlea OwenJanuary 29, 2017It's beautiful here! It's consistently a view you can't beat. It's dog friendly and fire friendly at specific times of the year.
The fire pits are first come, first serve. Wear layers!
Ting SNovember 5, 2015I've seen over hundreds times of sunset here. I love it. Just make sure you put on enough cloth before you heading to ocean beach.
Trevor HillSeptember 23, 2016Beach volleyball on the north end Saturday and Sunday mornings. Organized through meetup, all skill levels welcome, friendly bunch!
PoojaSeptember 9, 2016Can get windy and cool even in the summer, so come prepared with a jacket or scarf.
Jeremy BydlonMarch 16, 2016Absolutely loved this place. Soft sand, lots of area, and the sunset was spectacular.
Often crowded but if you know where to look there are spots with less people.
Bring a strong magnet in a cup and you can gather your own black iron oxide magnetic sand. Very fun to play with.
ExploratoriumNovember 2, 2011If you're here at sunset on a clear day, watch for a "green flash" just above the sun. You'll need some luck, though—it's rare to see it and it only lasts a few seconds!
Small dog off-leash walk every Saturday at 10am, starting on the beach across from Beach Chalet. Huge dog lover community. Always a good time.
Gaby SchneiderSeptember 24, 2015I'm a bit beach-spoiled since I grew up here, so Ocean Beach is a little boring to me! But it's a short hike to some more picturesque spots on Land's End.
Great Highway from Sloat to Lincoln is closed to vehicles. Great for walking and skating.
The Bold ItalicMarch 10, 2011Bonfires are allowed in the pits between Lincoln Way & Fulton, directly west of the park. No fires are allowed on "Spare the Air" days or on days of extreme fire danger.
Ocean Beach is my fav place in the world to be. Soothing and beautiful. Day or night.
Stephanie DAugust 25, 2014Get a breakfast sandwich from Devil's Teeth and then hunt for sand dollars on the beach to burn off all that bacon, cheese, and buttery biscuit. Heaven.
Go for a run when it's cold, foggy and cloudy because when that rare, sunny, warm day comes, you'll run the risk of tripping over people tanning, dogs running and kids playing.- Great place for bonfire and star gazing. If you need to get away the sand dunes block out the city and you really feel like only bean and you exist.
- Emily FaraoneJuly 2, 2016Grab a fire pit on warm evenings for the perfect end to a day in SF. Bring lots of blankets!
- ExploratoriumAugust 16, 2011Bring a magnet! We love to collect “black sand” or magnetic mineral magnetite at Ocean Beach. Drop a magnet inside your plastic cup & wave bottom of the cup just above sand to attract minerals. Demo: Read more
BérengerApril 6, 2016Just at the end of the N train. An awesome big piece of sand, perfect for picnics and sunset watching!
Come watch the sunset, walk along the shore. If you like taking sand dollars or shells, think about picking up trash for a change :)
Alex ChenJuly 29, 2018Great expanse, try to snatch a fire ring early during season. Gets cold at night.
- Massive beach with plenty of space to spread out with friends. Good surf.
Bennett W Wong2 weeks agoLove it for the views, even better when there is sunshine and a light breeze of wind.- Alexey StepanovSeptember 9, 2015Nice sunset, good wind for kite, but wery dirty sand: dead birds & etc.
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"best beach in SF. great bbq spots as well."
Patrick K. - 9.3
"watch the kitesurfers take off, explore the rocks + find little sea life during low-tide, build sandcastles with a view. best enjoyed on a day with little wind."
Claudia A. - 9.2
"little beach hidden from the trail. Climb up to the top of the rock and get a glimpse of the stunning view"
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