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Photo: Robert Campbell, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
A good place to walk, surf (or watch surfers), or just look at the ocean. If you're expecting a warm California beach like you saw on Baywatch, you'll be in for a surprise. The water will be chilly all year round. You won't be able to stay in the water long without a wetsuit. But if you do brave the water, be careful of riptides: the beach has an unusual riptide which claims several lives (usually tourists) each year. If you want to ocean swim, head to China Beach. Bonfires often line Ocean Beach on warmer days. Permits are legally required for bonfires (so be forewarned), but often spur of the moment bonfires happen on weekends. Local grocery stores usually sell cords of wood for this very purpose. Please remember to clean up after yourself, and don't leave any broken glass on the beach!
Ocean Beach is a beach on the west coast of San Francisco, California, United States. Bordering the Pacific Ocean, the beach is 3.5 miles long, and it is known for its strong currents, surf culture, foggy weather in the late spring and summer, and lack of high rise buildings. Located on the city's West Side, Ocean Beach is adjacent to Golden Gate Park, Sutro Heights Park, the Richmond District, and the Sunset District. The Great Highway runs alongside the beach, and the Cliff House and the site of the former Sutro Baths sit at the northern end. The beach is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is administered by the National Park Service. It is accessible via Muni Metro at the Judah and La Playa station.
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A beautiful 1930s building, the Beach Chalet is open for lunch, drinks, or dinner overlooking Ocean Beach and its brave surfers. Inside the Park Chalet are some exhibits with artifacts related to the history of the Golden Gate Park and San Francisco.
Once used for park irrigation in the past, now a scenic oddity at the western end of the park. A lesser-known windmill, the Murphy Windmill, is located at the southwestern corner of the park, but is under restoration. Near the windmills is the lovely Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden.
An unusual attraction is the herd of buffalo which have been here for over a century after being presented as a gift from the government of Texas.
As the home of the San Francisco Model Yacht Club, one is likely to see model yachts sailing on the lake.
On the hill above the Cliff House is the former grounds of the estate of Adolph Sutro, the wealthy landowner who built the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. Today the mansion is gone, but the beautifully landscaped grounds remain as a public park, with splendid views over the coastline and down to Golden Gate Park. Nestled within the foundations of the old mansion is a WW2 era bunker.
The Cliff House, a well known landmark at the extreme western end of San Francisco, provides fantastic views of the coastline and the jagged Seal Rocks just off-shore and also contains the Camera Obscura, a fascinating room-sized device which projects an image of the surrounding scenery inside.