United States
California (CA)
San Francisco
Things to Do in San Francisco
Ocean Beach
See all things to do

Ocean Beach

See all things to do
See all things to do
Ocean Beach
4
About
At the edge of the Pacific, beachcomb, build sand castles or bonfires, but don't swim. The tumultuous waters can be too rough to handle.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Ocean Beach
See all
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
665 within 5 kms
Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant
812
0.2 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • American • Bar • Seafood
Park Chalet
128
0.3 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • American • Bar • Seafood
Ocean Beach Cafe
5
0.4 km₱ • American • Cafe • Fusion
Safeway
3
0.2 km
TJ Cafe
8
0.5 kmCafe
Feng Ze Yuan Restaurant
4
0.6 km
Sri Thai Cuisine
24
0.9 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Asian • Thai
Bitchin' Baklava
14
0.9 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Bakeries • Mediterranean • Middle Eastern
Hook Fish Company
43
1.1 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Quick Bites • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
Thanh Long
300
1.3 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Seafood • Asian • Vietnamese
See all
Attractions
614 within 10 kms
Golden Gate Park Windmills & Tulips
84
0.1 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Gardens
Queen Wilhelmina Garden
28
99 mGardens
Golden Gate Park Visitor's Center
32
0.1 kmVisitor Centers • Speciality Museums
Lands End
2,874
1 kmHiking Trails
Balboa Natural Area
2
0.4 kmParks
Sutro Baths
435
1 kmHistoric Sites
Golden Gate Bridge
49,804
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Legion of Honor
2,072
1.7 kmArt Museums
Sutro Heights Park
35
0.7 kmParks
Golden Gate Park
9,621
2.2 kmParks
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
420 reviews
Excellent
174
Very good
161
Average
69
Poor
11
Terrible
5
Jenny A
1 contribution
Dangerous water
Jul 2023 • Friends
It's usually windy and cold and there are homeless people and off-leash dogs. Other times, it's deserted. Either way, do not go into the water, even only to your ankles. The rip currents here are some of the worst in the nation and the waves will pull a person out to the ocean. Surfers can handle the rip currents but the non-surfer would be petrified. People die on this coastline almost every year yet the city finally put up a danger sign in 2021. So many lives could have been saved if they'd put up a danger sign sooner!
Written 22 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Snakewrangler
Brentwood, CA524 contributions
Its a very large beach
Aug 2023
Very large beach. Great views to walk along the ocean and watch the surfers. Lot and lots of dogs. Had one of the parking lots closed so parking was tough, get there early.
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eee
Cupertino, CA86 contributions
good beach in sf!
Jul 2022
super huge beach!!! Its over 3-4 miles long and the atmosphere is really nice here. Be careful for jellyfish when walking, and fires are also allow in part of the beach. Watch out for trash and coal tho.
Written 30 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kittygal 🇺🇦 🌻
Los Angeles, CA8,278 contributions
My Favorite Place
Apr 2023 • Solo
As a youthful law student, I lived out at 41st and Lincoln and commuted via the N Judah. The nearby beach was my go to spot for a study break in all seasons.

Nowadays, I stay at the Seal Rock Inn up the hill when I visit, but always make the walk down to the seafront. I can see the ocean from my accommodation, and often hear ship horns carefully sounding their way into the bay, in addition to the many foghorns that have come to be a lullaby for me.

And I still shop at the Ocean Beach Safeway for necessities. It's providing great service, as always.

This trip, everything was in gorgeous spring bloom, an extra treat to see.
Written 28 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arun K
Nagpur District, India2,933 contributions
Amazing Sandy Beach !
Aug 2022 • Couples
Ocean Beach is on west coast of San Francisco bordering the pacific ocean, adjacent to Golden Gate National Recreational area.
It is huge sandy beach ideal for sunny days. It is pleasant spending time on beach even in summer, as you don’t feel the heat in the awesome windy atmosphere.
A unique place for spending whole day with family, doggy for beach sports & picnic.
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott
San Francisco, CA5,251 contributions
Awesome beach
Aug 2022 • Friends
Ocean Beach is a pretty awesome place. For any of the major events there are bonfires all over the beach which does make it almost impossible to breathe. But this is definitely one of California's better non-swimmable beaches.
Written 20 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jydeoo
Lagos, Nigeria2,311 contributions
At world's end
Aug 2021 • Solo
Great long beach, facing west, very much like the place to take ships sailing to the grey havens. It could be a great place to hike on a beach, as it is quite a stretch, but it is definitely a good place to watch the sunset.

Written 31 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruhungrytientien
San Francisco, CA25 contributions
Beautiful non-swimming beach
Nov 2021 • Solo
I love the location of this beach. This beach is about 1 mile long along the Pacific Ocean. The Seal Rocks and Cliff House is on the north side of the beach. Towards south east you have the Golden Gate Park. This beach is also managed by Gold Gate Park & Recreation. This beach is a top beach for surfing but not for swimming due to dangerous rip current and big crashing waves and colder water temperature. Not only you get a great view of pacific ocean, you will get a closeup view of cliff house and seal rocks.

Today there were school field exercise day for middle schoolers and a number of two on two beach volleyball pickup games going on. Also plenty of dogs on the beach chasing the tennis ball. This beach has the best sunset, it’s almost 90 right angle position to the sun. So in a perfect clear day you will see sun sink its half into the Ocean.

During low tide you can walk the west end of Cliff House to the Sutro Bath. One important tip, if you are planning to walk to the other side; do wear a rubber shoe and sneaker. I need to climb some rough rocks to the Bath. Otherwise, you will be wearing a lots of sand into your shoes.

You can take N-Judah Train or Muni Bus 5, 7, 18, 38R to get here.

ruhungrytientien
Written 21 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dmbia
Iowa282 contributions
Take the train right to the beach
Aug 2021
San Francisco is not a tropical city, and it's definitely not known for its beaches. Ocean Beach is lovely, though, and it's very easy to get to. Just take the N-Judah light rail all the way to the end of the line at "La Playa". Cross the street, and you're there. There are beautiful views of the Pacific, and you can watch surfers enjoying the waves. There is no charge to visit the beach, and a MUNI day pass to get there is only $5. It is a beautiful beach, and the ride to get there is nice too. Realize, though, that even in summer it's not all that warm in San Francisco. The sand is nice, but it's probably not a place you'll want to sunbathe.
Written 26 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wendy L
Evanston, IL498 contributions
Fog Again
Jul 2021
Unfortunately we walked to this beach from GG Park on a pretty foggy weather day, so were unable to fully appreciate its beauty. We did make it all the way to the water's edge and could see some of the rocky coast, but sadly the only things we saw clearly were each other and the seabirds around us. Oh, well, we took the chance. The other truth about this area (besides the fog) is that summer is not hot. It was in the high 60's and very windy. I guess on a clear day it would feel warmer, but I do not think beach days here are like beach days on the East Coast right now. Other than the fog, we were really not disappointed. Being near the ocean is often all you need to feel invigorated, and we were happy to be there. Walked from the Park, called an Uber to get home. Easy.
Written 11 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 309
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

OCEAN BEACH: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ocean Beach
According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Ocean Beach: