Ocean Beach

Love going to the beach with both family and friends.
A day at the beach is always a beautiful day. Very relaxing, calm and soothing for one’s soul.
This beach is perfect because it has fire pits. Perfect place to unwind, and have a picnic. Watch the sunset and lounge around.
Also, a great place to walk and exercise. There is a great walking trail and light house with beautiful flowers surrounding it. In addition, the restaurants near by are delicious to eat at. Some what pricey but worth it.
Happy beaching!
Toodles~Mae

Gorgeous spot to view the sunset. Lots of people taking walks with friends, significant others, bike rides, and so many dogs!
My boyfriend and I happened upon the beach as we were on our way to my cousin’s place after our plane landed. We noticed the sunset was a particular sight to be seen and whipped over to park where we saw other cars lined on the street and hiked our way up to the beach. What we didn’t realize as we were climbed the steep hill up to the path was the clear parking lot less than a ¼ mile south along with a marked pathway for walking. A much easier way to the beach than the uphill climb we took through shrubbery.
As we made our way to the path we saw the most peculiar cloud formation that was like a vertex pulling the clouds over the water into a spiral toward the horizon. Among the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen coupled with a perfect cotton candy colored sky. The wind was strong as we snapped endless photos and soaked in the warm air — our bodies that time of year were accustomed to frighteningly cold temps so this was particularly gratifying.
For a beautiful view or a satisfying evening walk with your pup, this beach/​park has just what you need.

There are better beaches but I like this one because its very dog friendly. Its almost always overcast on this side so be prepared to bring an extra jacket or blanket. There are lots of fire pits at a first come first serve basis.

I have been to Ocean Beach at least a couple times. The singles group that I am a member of has had bonfires here and all and of course it hardly ever gets warm. Fortunately if you get hungry or need to make a pit stop that is across the way.

This place is next to SUTRO BATH RUINS. GREAT beach if mobility is not an issue. Really too bad there’s no access to these places nor equipment to allow mobility required people to still enjoy these activities. My wife ends up feeling like a burden since I prefer to do these things with her

On the western part of The City, this beach is not luxurious. No showers. No food vendors. Severe rip currents. Cold water. And the sand is kinda gross.
But it’s our beach. The surfing is decent and sometimes extremely challenging. Known for its tricky currents and waves, it draws surfers from all over the world.
In any case, the SFFD and National Park Service has you covered.

I remember back in the day while in college going here the first time for a bon fire with around 50 friends. This was maybe 10 years ago now but it feels like yesterday. We went in with the goal of having a huge fire that could be seen from afar. Not some half hearted attempt of a fire consisting of merely two wimpy little 5 hour logs barely glowing like we had done so many times. Well, this was a success. Probably 15 of us brought tons of wood to burn. We kept adding and the fire kept us all warm on a windy night. Some truth or dare was played and things got fun fast. I remember I had to answer a really embarrassing question or lick the toes of one of the girls there. This is why you go here — to make memories. I’m not sure if burning wood is allowed anymore but even so I’m sure you can have a good time regardless.

I can stare at the ocean all day. Great place to sit down, tan, and enjoy life.
Pro-​tip, bring your own beer. The Safeway by the beach is especially crowded during a nice day. You’ll wait in line for a long time to buy beer. Also, avoid going to the bath room in the Safeway. Really long line. You are better off using the restroom at a local business.

Being a native from Colorado I’m expecting cans of beer are a priority to take to the beach, but in the craft world of SF, cans just aren’t popular. It took some time, but I found 21 Amendment brewery being the only offering of cans in sight at the local grocery store. Chilling out on the boardwalk, and catching some rays brah; maxing and relaxing, sipping suds, and scoping out the people. It was a fun time. Some young local guy gave me $ 5 for my lighter, and another older local guy, sat down on my bench and told me about the local spots, while he macked on all the fly honey dips walking by in their bikinis and short-​shorts.

Let me start by saying, this place is one of the reasons why I feel so lucky to live in SF! Wow! This beach is beautiful and very natural. We wondered up and down the shore all day, it is definitely the perfect way to spend a sunny day. The only warning I would give is that the water is very rough there (2 teenaged boys drowned just past the surf the day after we were there) so swim with caution.
But to finish on a positive note: this beach is a place of relaxation, fun and gorgeous views… please go there and waste some time!!!

Beautiful afternoon after a cloudy day. On the way back from the Legion of Honor museum. I was quite surprised to see two kids going surfing considering how cold the Pacific Ocean must be. Wow, San Francisco is heaven on earth in terms of it’s natural beauty! Carved by God from the earth.

What a stunning beach. Absolutely marvelous.
I brought my girlfriend here. We were bundled up and holding each other, exhibiting public displays of affection that would make you feel awkward. She then looked at me and said, «Babe, if I swam across this ocean, would I make it to China?»
I smiled and replied, «No, sweetie, the water is way too cold and you would drown from fatigue.»
We broke up that night.
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Not a huge fan of this beach.
For some reason the sand was really hot. Like, burning our feet hot. We basically had to speed walk our way to the water. Looking around, it didn’t seem to bother anyone else.
The beach was really crowded. To put it into perspective, it would be like the equivalent of Santa Monica Beach, in terms of the tourist-​y crowd. (Myself included)
We parked by the Windmills and walked over. The walk from the park was pleasant. The entire surrounding area was really lovely. Just don’t see much appeal in the beach.

You’d like to think that you’ve seen it all. From that very beginning, a boy driving a convertible SAAB and dropping you off in front of the beach, he said «let’s fly kite» with his big bright smile, his teeth whiter than the whitest sand and his hair curly and sun kissed blond. His hands held your hand over the kite, at that moment you thought this could be the love story of a life time but you’d be wrong.
Beach bonfires, summer evening filled with stars, colder than any other winter you’ve ever been. Waves. Have you seen red stem of roses on the beach on New Year’s Day? It’s tragically beautiful: low tides, long stem dark red roses, for as long as you can see, planted deeply into the sand, little children in shorts and diggers, gray ladies in sun hats, summer like weather on January 1. Trail runner’s pass through from the Golden Gate park to the Golden Gate bridge. Drinks in the Cliff House with your girlfriends. Your puppy, then five months old, thought she found a fish but it was only a three year old’s shovel. Don’t cry baby. Both of you. Look, there is a new and fresh dungeness crab, ready to play. Sand castles or fresh graffitis screams some lover’s name painted on the sea wall. Rip tides warning sign on the pedestrian side walk, in English, Chinese and Spanish. Only one language you cannot read.
Decades passed, you’d be still coming here, that’s how many lost foot prints? Container ships headed to sea or making a returned journey? Surfers holding the board the way you’d hold a new born. Never a starfish here, only occasional broken pieces. But there are seasons where they do appear, try early fall. Failing that, pieces of sand dollars on some days closer to the Cliff house on low tides. Pick the shells and bring to your lover’s home. He collects them from all over the world, long before you two met.
Most of the days now you just walk on the beach where no one’s here, bundled up in the summer, bundled up in the winter. You are near winter now. Hair dyed black. Oversized white sweater, Calvin Klein size 2 jeans. Rain boots in orange color. Never many words uttered between the sea breeze. You just walked until the sandy beach ended and the wind finally penetrated all of your extremities, no matter how covered you think you were, you felt freezing inside and out.
When he did speak, he spoke with the simplicity of a midwesterner’s farmer’s boy. «The Riptide is still closed.» «Oh?» You couldn’t think of anything else to say. Had you been there before? With him? With others? You couldn’t recall, Like the boy flying kite story at the beginning, you had to be reminded, and reminded often.
You may change. He may change. But the beach never changes: high tides or low tides.

When it comes to quality of this beach its not your typical golden sand beaches like Santa Cruz or Southern California beach but it does however create many unforgettable experiences.
It’s a long stretch of a beach that reaches from one end of the sunset district and into the Richmond.
Many of my ocean beach experiences consists of morning jogs, monthly bonfires or introducing tourists to one of the fewer beaches in the city itself. If you don’t mind driving a little up north across the golden gate bridge, I highly recommend Stinson beach which is a more private beach with cleaner sad, blue water and ridiculously stunning views.
The one thing about SF and Ocean Beach is that the city weather almost never feels appropriate because of its Cold and Cloudy year long weather. However do check out sustro baths and lands end up the Richmond side of the beach. You will be amazed.

This is probably one of the best beaches in San Francisco. Perfect place to watch the sunset too! It could get super packed in here so parking may be difficult depending on the day and time you come here.
I suggest taking your shoes off or sandals and just walk barefoot in the sand just because it’ll make walking easier.
Once you get closer to the ocean, you may find some dead animals which is saddening. Some areas of the beach are kind of dirty thanks to the people who can’t clean up after themselves.
What’s really cool is that during some nights, there’s a huge group of people who come here and have bonfires. Great place to have a kick back with friends!

Oh how fresh the ocean breeze is. I was raised with the beach in my backyard and it was the first time I had the opportunity to see the Pacific as it was my first time visiting the West Coast. I was coming from the Golden Gate Bridge on a bike and stopped by the beach to take in the gorgeous view.
Here you will see people enjoying their dinner, running, walking, reading, parked in their cars, and more all enjoying the view.
It is definitely a peaceful site to see.

My concept of beaches was shaken up when I moved to San Francisco. I am used to BEACHES (sun, sand, polka dotted bikinis) coming from a coastal country, but I am warming up to the concept of beaches in San Francisco. Keep your swim wear away, this might not be the best place for it. It is chilly, a dip in the water may not be a possibility but I did throughly enjoy my time here with a ton of friends around a hearty bonfire.
For runners, there is a long promenade. Happy place for dogs or throwing a frisbee. Safeway close by if you wanna run for s’mores :D
Easy to get to via public transport!

Quitter la ville.
C’était devenu urgent, j’avais trop besoin de voir l’Océan.
Un dimanche, 27° plein soleil, nous avons décidé, avec les collègues, de prendre le tram à Market Str., et de s’arrêter à «Ocean Beach». La bonne idée !
Au fur et à mesure qu’on s’éloignait du centre, le paysage défilait, les maisons pastels, penchées, les espaces verts… Jusqu’à l’océan.
Une plage immense, et finalement peu de gens. Si vous avez l’occasion de vous arrêter ici, ça vaut tellement le coup, c’est hyper apaisant, parfait pour prendre un grand bol d’air.
Il y a peu de commerces dans le coin ceci dit, alors prévoyez le coup, et emportez un piqué-​nique ou allez bruncher chez Outerlands, à 20 minutes à pied. Promis, vous né le regretterai pas !

Ocean Beach fue una enorme bocanada de aire fresco, nunca mejor dicho, en una semana repleta de actividades, charlas y talleres en una reunión anual de la empresa. Venir aquí a ver el atardecer me supuso poder ver el horizonte en una ciudad que, aunque no se caracteriza por ser la que tiene más, cuenta con decenas de rascacielos que son algunos preciosos, pero que te impiden ver a cientos o miles de metros frente a ti.
Tengo muchas ganas de volver y verla a plena luz del día, lo que no quiere decir que en pleno ocaso no merezca la pena. Grandes olas, hogueras, surferos, kilómetros de arena a la redonda. Acércate, que merece mucho la pena venir y ver los molinos.

I’ve walked several times now from starting point of zoo to either Seacliff or the GG Bridge.
Great time of exercise and enjoying the expansiveness of the ocean.
When it’s sunny, what a great thing to experience!
Nice part of SF, especially near Sutro and land’s End!

So this beach… it’s not the cleanest, starting off by saying that. There’s twigs and rocks in the dry sand and when you get closer to the water you see dead fish laying there. I saw two big dead fish laying in the sand with sticks around it last time I went. Then I saw a dead seagull too. RIP to all. That can’t be healthy or clean. It does have sand dollars! I found five of them the last time I was here and that was on Sunday, June 7^th. There was also a whole bunch of Velella Velella that washed ashore too. They made an outline of the water coming to shore. @ first I didn’t know what they were, but they are squishy. I stepped on one. I did some research and those things are TOXIN. Don’t touch it! If you do, don’t touch your face afterwards. You’ll start to itch.
This beach does have amazing views of the sun setting when the sun comes out, surfers, and it is a big beach. A lot of the time there isn’t sun, so taking pictures here won’t turn out bright and cheerful like California beach pictures look like. But the days when the sun is out, it’s really pretty and it makes you want to take pictures and watch the sunset.
I would actually say if you are going to bring your kids here, WATCH them! This isn’t a beach where you could let them roam freely since there are dead things laying around, a lot of Velella Velella and unknown looking stuff, kids are very curious and you don’t know how long those dead things have been sitting there. So just a warning to families who bring their kids! Be careful here!
I would only go back to this beach for more sand dollars, but I wouldn’t swim in the water or have a picnic here, not after the things I saw. I can’t trust it or risk it. :\

Una playa enorme, de mil vidas, de cien mil historias; perros, surfers, agua fría y sand dollars en la arena para que los que paseamos por su orilla infinita las recojamos como recuerdos de una visita al Pacífico.
Mojar los pies, remangarse el pantalón… iba escuchando una música magnífica* por primera vez mientras se me perdíà la mente y la vista entre las olas y el paisaje. Me sentía afortuna y en calma. Ocean Beach en un espacio de naturaleza inmensa abierto a un océano que a los europeos y nos queda muy lejos, sin duda, vine a darme un chapuzón. Y a leer. Y a sentarme en la orilla.
*Jon Hopkins