Fort Funston may be the prettiest of all the San Francisco beaches.
Sandy cliffs drop 200 feet to a beautiful beach at the southernmost edge of San Francisco. This is the wildest of the San Francisco beaches and the views are gorgeous.
Covid note: the Fort Funston beaches, pathways and parking lot are open.
This beach seems to be a local secret. But it's well known to San Franciscans with dogs and it's a very popular spot for hang gliding and flying remote-controlled airplanes off the cliffs.
The cliff in the photo below is the one the hang gliders take off from. You can see two people at the top.Some people ride horses on the beach, from Mar Vista Stable nearby, but there have been so many complaints about the way the horses are treated, I don't recommend it anymore.
From the parking lot on top of the cliffs, there is a steep, rugged path going down to the beach. The view on the way down is really beautiful, with ice plant clinging to the cliff sides and the breakers crashing on the sand below. It's quite a workout climbing back up to the parking lot.
The beach starts south of Ocean Beach and runs along the bluffs for about a quarter of a mile. With a really high tide, the water comes all the way up to the cliff, but most of the time there is plenty of room to walk.
It's about a twenty minute walk from one end to the other. Keep an eye out just past the breakers for Bottle Nose dolphins, seals and an occasional whale.
This is not a swimming beach; the undertow is deadly and the current along the coast is very strong. Occasionally you will see surfers out there, but it is way too dangerous for the rest of us.
If you're not up for the steep climb down to the beach and back, there are flat paths along the tops of the cliffs with great views as well. Just head right from the parking lot.
The path starts out paved, turns to sand here and there, and rambles along the cliff top.
It then heads through a wooded area, and winds down to the lower level.
The World War 2 ruin, Battery Davis, has a tunnel that connects the main path with smaller ones nearer the sea.
The path winds around, heading towards Ocean Beach, but doesn't quite get there.
Right next to the parking lot there is a platform (with an old gun battery). From here you can look both ways, up and down the coast, and watch the hang gliders.
Fort Funston is the most popular of the "dog beaches" in San Francisco, beaches where dogs are allowed to run off leash.
Dogs love going to Fort Funston, judging by all the smiling faces and wagging tails!
The luckiest dogs in San Francisco come here to run on the beach, ears flying, and chase sticks in the surf. They even have their own faucet for water and a supply of litter bags for their staff.
Most of the dog activity is on weekends and after work.
The updrafts from the beach and the strong onshore airflow create the perfect lift for hang gliding when the conditions are right. The strongest winds off the ocean are usually blowing in spring and summer, so that's when you'll see the most hang gliders.
There is a flat area along the cliff covered with wood shavings which is set aside for take-offs and landing, just to the left of the parking lot.
The best spot to watch the hang gliders from is the viewing platform near the parking lot.
Interested in doing some flying? Contact the local hang gliding club at www.flyfunston.org.
There are usually a number of people near the parking lot flying their remote-controlled airplanes and comparing notes on their machines. From the cliff top they can fly the planes out over the water.
Map data (c) OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
COVID-19 Status: at midnight on Monday, March 16, San Francisco was placed under a "shelter-in-place order.
All residents were ordered to stay home, except for necessary trips to grocery stores and essential medical visits, and solo outdoor activities like hiking.
The city had been gradually reopening of many businesses and activities, but has just come under a strict, stay-at-home directive.
Most recently, December 6, SF has moved to a very restrictive status due to a sudden increase in infection and hospitalization rates.
Public transportation options have been cut way back. See SF transit for more info.
See COVID rules for current SF status.
<Mask rules: everyone in SF is now required to wear a mask when they are outside and within 30 feet of other people.
Masks must be worn in stores and places of business and people not within the same household must stay 6 feet apart.
What is open? Muir Woods, the Botanic Gardens, Golden Gate Park, Japanese Tea Garden, Pier 39, SF beaches, Golden Gate Bridge, and Twin Peaks (by foot or bike) are all open.
Parking lots for SF beaches and the Golden Gate Bridge are open. But the Welcome Center lot and Merchant Road lot are closed.
Restaurants were open for indoor as well as outdoor dining, but as of Friday, Nov 13, indoor dining was suspended, due to an increase in Covid cases. And as of Dec 6, outdoor dining is also suspended.
Businesses can allow customers inside, but on a limited, 20% capacity, basis. This now applies to grocery stores as well.
The SF Zoo is now closed again.Alcatraz is closed as of Dec 6. They are selling tickets for Jan 4, 2021, and beyond, but that's iffy. See Alcatraz.
Dec. 6 changes: hotels, gyms, tour buses, and boat cruises are closed again. Also indoor hair and nail salons/barbershops are closed.
Museums are closed, at least until Jan 4.
Hotels aren't accepting reservations (except for essential workers and locals needing quarantine).
Exploratorium: opening spring 2021.
Playgrounds: open.
Schools: many private schools have begun reopening; SF public schools are still on hold, except for a few charter schools.
On hold: indoor swimming pools and indoor movie theaters are still closed.
Last to open will be concerts, live theater, sporting events, nightclubs and festivals.
For info on what's open in other cities and counties of California, see California reopening schedules.
See coronavirus news in the SF Chronicle for details and updates.
Also see site and parking lot closures for the National Park Service (Alcatraz, Muir Woods, etc.)
Plus helpful info on which parks and hiking trails are open in the Bay Area.
And to check the air quality (fires) in SF and the Bay Area, see airnow.gov and the SF Chronicle map showing current tests.
Get the latest tips on visiting San Francisco.