Ocean Beach Planning

View of ocean beach crowds on a beautiful day, including someone creating sand art with a rake, from an overlook at the beach's north end
Looking south over Ocean Beach.

NPS / Alison Taggart-Barone

Bordered by Fort Funston at the south and Lands End to the north, Ocean Beach has been a destination for both San Franciscans and visitors since the 1850s. A National Park since 1975, this 3.5-mile stretch of coastline where San Francisco meets the Pacific Ocean still offers the same surfing, swimming, bicycling, and spectacular ocean views that have attracted visitors for nearly two centuries.

 

Projects

 
Loading results...
     
    There’s a lot going on at the beach! City, state, and federal agencies are currently working alongside numerous local partners and stakeholders on various plans, projects, and programs. The National Park Service and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) play a direct role in some of these efforts and an indirect or permitting role in others. GGNRA is a key member of the multi-agency Ocean Beach Coordination Team, and regularly participates in the team’s planning, public outreach, and implementation efforts. Learn more about what the team is working on from sf-planning.org.
    The Ocean Beach Master Plan (May 2012) is the result of an extensive interagency and public planning process led by the nonprofit San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (commonly known as SPUR). The plan offers a comprehensive vision to address sea level rise, protect infrastructure, restore coastal ecosystems, and improve public access. The National Park Service funded part of the project, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area was on the steering and planning advisory committees and provided technical advice. Find out more about the Ocean Beach Master Plan and follow-up implementation studies on spur.org.

    The Short-Term Improvements Project at Ocean Beach also goes by many other names, including the “Immediate Action Plan”, and the “Sand Backpass Project”. This work is being implemented by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), overseen by the National Park Service under a multi-year permit. The project involves beach nourishment activities (e.g., sand backpassing, where accreted sand at North Ocean Beach is moved to erosion hot spots at South Ocean Beach) and sandbag installation along the southern portion of Ocean Beach fronting the Great Highway. These actions are permitted through the year 2020. More information about the project is available on the following websites:

    https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=1216

    https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=59587
    The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the Federal Highway Administration are undertaking a project to build a new multi-use trail and parking lot between Sloat and Skyline boulevards on the two southbound lanes of the Great Highway that will be vacated by the Great Highway Roadway Improvements project. Although only a small part of this project will be on National Park Service lands, it is partially funded through the Federal Lands Access Program because of the additional access it will provide to Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. More information can be found at sfrecpark.org.
    The Fort Funston Trail Connection Project proposes to construct a trail between the new parking area at the intersection of Great Highway and Skyline Boulevard (part of the South Ocean Beach Multi-Use Trail Project described above) and the Fort Funston trail network, closing a gap in the California Coastal Trail. This project would be implemented by NPS but include partner agencies, stakeholders, and the public in its planning, compliance, and design. More information will be made available once the project enters the planning phase.
     

    For More Information

    Last updated: July 19, 2019

    Park footer

    Contact Info

    Mailing Address:

    Golden Gate National Recreation Area
    Building 201, Fort Mason

    San Francisco, CA 94123-0022

    Phone:

    415-561-4700
    United States Park Police Dispatch: Non-Emergency: 415-561-5505 Emergency: 415-561-5656

    Contact Us

    Tools