We stopped by over the weekend as a family, on a mission to Yelp all the beaches! Lots of sandy steps to the beach, but well worth it for the view alone! Our kids had a blast building sandcastles, collecting shells and splashing in the waves! An off-leash beach with 200 foot sandy steps to a beautiful view! A popular hang-gliding spot due to the winds as well and lots of trails! SYOY! :-) read more

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We walked this area and there was so much discovery. I usually come into a new place, ignorant... and I love the surprises that I find along the way. Please come and create your own adventure. read more

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Fort Funston where fun is in the name....how can I not love this dog play area? I mean, look how happy Gustav is! The one downside is that it's gets messy, so be prepared to bring towels and water to clean out the sand before they get into your car . Still 10/10 for me. I'm glad we went when the rain stopped and the sun was out. Will def bring Gustav back for another doggy play date. read more

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This truly might be one of our favorite places on earth!!!! it is the most magical cliff sides with large amounts of succulent and foliage trails, beach access, and happy dogs with a chance to spot paragliders. It's a perfect location to go on a "urban hike" or have a picnic. There is parking but can get full on a weekend. There are lots and lots of dogs at this location, many of them off leash, which does not bother my family, but if you are dog averse, it might not be the best place for you. Please be respectful and pack out any trash you bring to this stunning spot!! read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fort Funston is a fun dog friendly beach for dogs to roam and play. Be prepared for a mud masked dog face. We like to go with furiends as a pack walk along this beach and hike trail. Plenty of parking and there is a water fountain along the paved trail. The days we've come have mostly been overcast. We hope to come one day when it's truly sunny. read more

Fort Funston - Sandy beach Mud masked happy dog face - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

My family and I went to Fort Funston Beach on a warm Sunday in San Francisco. We chose this beach because it's conveniently located near our house. Parking was easy, and the stairs leading down to the beach are accessible. However, the return journey up the stairs can be challenging for some. This beach is dog-friendly, and dog thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there was some dog poop scattered around. read more

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It's very windy and the dogs can fall off the cliff go to Crissy Field beach!!! It's a much better overall experience.

We loveee Fort Funston! Like everyone says, this is doggy Disneyland. Perfect place to take your dog on a hike or down to the beach. Lots of different options for trails and the trails are super clean. For a dog friendly area we were shocked by how clean the beach and trails were. The views are beautiful and there's so much parking. 10/10 no notes fort funston read more

Quick take: great place to cool off Such a nice place to cool off during the summer heat in the rest of the Peninsula. Lots of families and people walking their dogs. Some leashed and some off leash. We walked down the beach until we came to a killer flight of stairs back to the parking lot. Definitely a challenging flight of stairs. The weather and views are worth the huff and the puffs. read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

An amazing park to visit. There are many walking trails and places to rest. The beach is always stunning and there is so much space here. The parking lot was packed when we arrived but the beach did not feel over crowded. Very dog friendly here read more

Fort Funston is stunning!!! Dogs are allowed off leash and there are a lot of different trails and areas to walk around so it never feels too crowded. The parking lot is free and there's lots of available spaces even on the weekends. I would recommend bringing a jacket because it can be very windy even on sunny days since you're close to the ocean. read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love love love Fort Funston. It is my favorite place in the Bay Area. A fully off leash dog friendly beach vast majority of dogs are friendly with humans and dogs, some owners choose to keep their dogs on leash. There is a nice accessible partially shaded loop and a sandy beach side that is only accessible via a relatively difficult sandy stair trail. Parking is plentiful and rarely full, even on busy days. It can get really windy sometimes which makes it cold and at its worst, inhospitable. Once I went when the wind was so strong my exposed skin was stinging even the next day from being sandblasted lol, I recommend checking the weather before hand. You'll see fishermen, kites, paragliders, and lots of dogs here :) read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Beautiful trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Love this place where I take my dog for walks off leash. This spot is very safe, no cars and my dog can't run out onto the street. I love that this place has ocean views, different trails with varying degrees of difficulty, walk on sand or dirt trails. I can also walk down to the water and beach. Fantastic place! read more

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Love this place! Perfect walks in the morning enjoying doggies :) Hand gliders and sea fishers Paved walking paths Lots of parking read more

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Always an enjoyable experience at Fort Funston..From Sand Dunes to panoramic views..Fort Funston is a great experience.. read more

Fort Funston - Always an enjoyable experience here! - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite place to walk my dogs off-leash. Tons of friendly dogs and unbeatable views. Easy to walk for those who want something not to grueling. Beach access is available but does take some sand walking and effort. Gorgeous!!! read more

Fort Funston is a must visit for dog lovers and owners alike. This former military installation, which once housed the 16-inch guns of Battery Davis, and then, Nike missiles, features gorgeous views of the Ocean Beach coastline. The paths are mostly paved, and very easy to traverse. They lead along the cliffs and coastline, and have paths down to the beach proper as well. The park is dog friendly, and allow off-lease dogs to roam around. During our visit, we saw dogs of all breeds and sizes roaming around with their owners. Most were off-lease, and all were very well behaved and friendly. There was at least 1 watering station that we came across as well for dogs to stay hydrated during their outing. The trails are apparently also popular for hang-gliders who launch off the cliffs, as well as horse riders who traverse the inner trails. Although we didn't see any during our visit. The area tends to get very windy, so make sure you layer up accordingly. There is plenty of free parking in the lot at the entrance, and porta potties are also available in the lot as well. read more

Super fun! Now I know why every dog lover recommends coming here! You will definitely return home with shoes full of sand though. Even though we rescued our dog a year ago, we never wanted to come here because he wasn't that well behaved. Main pain point is leash reactivity. We have been working super hard on it for the past year and finally have started feeling more confident taking him on hikes with us. Do be aware that there are a TON of dogs here, 99% offleash. But the upside is that all of the dogs we encountered on our visit were very well behaved. Our dog was probably the worst! This place is HUGE. Our dog Yuki was way too excited at first so he kept barking and not listening. We were able to find a strip of land off to the edge that was empty. We let him offleash and just let him release some energy, doing full sprints chasing us. He was so much better after that. We walked all the way over to the beach, but it looked like it might've been closed or something. We kept going and had Yuki run up and down the huge sand hill. He was super happy with his tongue flopping everywhere. So many offleash dogs, but they were so well behaved! Most of them didn't even look twice at Yuki and preferred to sniff. The ones who were interested in Yuki would just sniff him a few times, and would return to their owner. If your dog is reactive, I'd definitely be mindful if you want to come here. If the reactivity is a level 10, probably put this place on the backburner for a while. I'd say Yuki is around 5 out of 10 nowadays. It definitely helps if we can burn off energy first though. All in all, you probably know your dog the best and can decide whether this place would be a good fit! read more

If you have a dog, COME HERE! This is a gorgeous spot on the west side of the city with ocean views and walking paths where pretty much everyone has a dog or a small child with them running free and enjoying the space. Parking is free, they have restrooms, benches, tables and there is even a viewing platform where you can watch hang gliders. The five star rating is earned and once you come here, you won't be able to stop. The only negative thing I can say about Fort Funston is that they need more trails and more play areas so I can spend more time with my dog here. read more

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I've been hiking around fort Funston over the years - great place to hike. I recently got a dog and brought her here for her first birthday... perfect spot for dogs. She loved it. 100s of well behaved off leash dogs zooming around. We packed a picnic and we were able to find a table. Tables on walkway above beach. Then we packed the picnic and headed down to the beach. Long walk down - but worth it. Long straight beach - dogs can run without getting out of site. Can't overemphasis what a gem of a spot for dogs this place is. Absolutely awesome. read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fort Funston is a fantastic place for beautiful views and cute dogs. A nice large parking lot and a paved path makes this an easy place to go. read more

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I've been to this park twice and there's always lots of people, lots of different paths to adventure if you want to get away from the crowds. The place fills up fast so make sure to get here early and get a good parking spot. Sometimes the Porto potties are completely full and/or don't have toilet paper. I always keep a roll in my car for emergencies. read more

If your mood is in the slumps and you just so happen to be in the SF/Daly City area, you should make your way over here. Not only is there a fresh air breeze and a beautiful cliffside ocean view, but there are also a bunch of doggos frolicking at their happiest (they are allowed to be off leash here)! Collectively brightened my day for sure. There's a main paved trail but I didn't spend enough time here to see where it leads (bad reviewer, I know). Best to stay on the pavement if you have weak ankles because the sand here is super shifty and fine even on the cliffside lol it's like treading through the lightest of snow (fun fact: apparently SF used to be covered with sand dunes and this spot has one of the largest remaining ones in the peninsula). Can easily lose balance even on slight inclines/declines. Plentiful free parking when I visited on a sunny weekday early afternoon. Not very difficult to reach here either; no windy driving maneuvers. Major plus! read more

Fort Funston - Cliffside view :) - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great morning scroll with my dog (mochiko) since the weather in the city is finally nice until it may start raining again. Seen lots of cute pups/doggy with paw parent(s) having the time of their lives running around and what not. Shout out to the lady who came to give my mochiko's bootie that was left behind in the midst of his walk. Here's photos of mochiko happy he's able to be out on a long walk, it's been a minute. He got a little tired so we had to take quick breaks. read more

Fort Funston - Happy dog - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

My dog loves this place! A perfect off leash dog beach and everyone here is a dog person so they're very friendly to your pups too. Parking does get busy later in the day so if you can come for the morning I would recommend that. Also for those who don't live in SF or Daly City, it is COLD here! My first time I didn't expect that as it was 80 degrees in east bay and when I got here it was around 60 and foggy. Bring a jacket for sure even if it's warm where you live. read more

Fort Funston - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Folks this is a tough review. This is a magical park and a wonderful place to reconnoiter and be by oneself or take your dogs for a walk. What it is not a place for is letting your trash flow free in the wind or not containing it in the first place. I was saddened this morning by the site of a crow or raven, trapped by a plastic bag; The handle of which had become wrapped around his wing. Due to the groups sense of self preservation. Ironically, he would not let me get closer than 4 feet. And some of the murder were trying to free their friend by pecking at the bag or dive bombing it. Some were actively trying to tackle the bird. I tried luring him or her with food. All the other corvids came to me except for that one. They will probably die because they cannot fly and will wear themselves out hopping around with this bag tied to their wing. If you or anybody you know visits any of our parks, please pack every scrap of trash out with you when you leave. Do not chase or harangue the population of corvids here. You wouldn't scare or aggressively run down school children or give a child a bag to put over his head would you? These creatures are smarter than the average seven or eight-year-old and they remember you. If you do something like this to the corvids out here, I hope they do to you what they do to beings deserving of it. read more

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We really really loved this dog friendly beach! So many great walks and paths and the best part is that dogs are allowed to run freely. The one thing is that there are a lot of micro-plastics on the beaches which is a little sad to see. I also recommend to come after noon when the tide is a little lower so you can do the full walk without having to walk around. Overall, it's a great atmosphere and the doggies definitely had a great time. read more

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Breathtaking views and super breezy. It's always super chilly at Fort Funston even during summer. Such a beautiful place to hike or take a walk, animals welcome. You can take the walk down the long picturesque stairs to the ocean beach or walk the trails above. So beautiful and open. Near parking, hang gliders and paragliders set up for drop off near the edge of the cliff, it's so exciting to watch. Fort Funston was once designed to be a defense instillation and Military reserve named after former Major General Fredrick N. Funston who served important ties during WWI. Old bunks and cellars still reside giving us a glimpse into the seriousness of our defense system long ago. Now Fort Funston's memorial and attributes still stand as an important memory is San Francisco history and a safe haven for locals to enjoy the beautiful history and scenery. read more

Thanks to all the jerks that feed crows (ravens) either giving them food directly or leaving trash with food content, there are trash containers! the parking is now infested by huge crows and colonies of smaller ones. Those stupid people should receive $25k in fine like in some national parks. Be aware that if you leave your car there, it won't take long before those birds rip apart the rubber of your sunroof sealing, roof racks and even wipers and scuff the paint. read more

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Love this place. Great exercise and a little dog heaven. Great place... Walk the steps then... At the top dog heaven. Time it happy dogs drinking water and beautiful views. read more

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Most epic aside from Kehoe beach. Plenty of space for the dog off leash, cliff hikes, dune trails, amazing plants and wildlife. Poorly kept bathrooms and no officials around. Keep an eye out for cliffs edge while dancing along the dunes. read more

Love this place: good hike and dog beach! My dogs enjoyed running here and I love people and dogs are so nice here. Huge parking and good walking path to the beach. There are lots of dead crabs this time(September 21') and don't know why. My dogs were definitely curious about these dead crabs. read more

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Very easy and dog friendly hike! My little chihuahua was able to complete it, and she was pooped at the end. She loved being free and off leash to explore with the other doggos. There are a ton of dogs (big and small) on the trail with their owners off leash and roaming free. I've been here a few times and have never been scared to let my little one off leash (until recently). All the dogs are friendly and owners are very careful to keep their dogs on leash if they know they might not be as friendly. Just be wary of some owners. Our recent trip here kept me on guard. As my pup was walking beside me an owner was passing us with her Rottweiler (I love all dogs and I am cautious with my little one cause she's tiny and will not fight back). The owner warned me as she struggled to keep her dog on a leash that the dog likes to chase little dogs. I immediately picked up my dog and walked the other direction. It was the only time I've been scared to have my dog off leash on the hike, but idk if it would've made a difference if she was on leash if the dog chased her. I honestly wish I would've said something to the owner, but I'm not a confrontational person. I hope in the future she is able to hold on to her dog if they decide to chase a little dog. There are little dogs everywhere so it's bound to happen. Anywho, this is a great place otherwise. There are a lot of cool hang gliders flying above and spots dedicated to take off and land if you're ever interested. Views of the ocean are gorgeous and the trail leads to the beach. There are a couple ways to get down, but I've only taken the big sand hill route. Dogs and their owners are also free to roam the beach and play in the water. There is a big parking lot for cars but be careful on timing cause it does fill up fast. I tend to go after 1pm and can easily find parking. There are also porta potties in case you need to go after your hike. They are in the front area near the parking lot. read more

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Remember Playboy's Playmate of the Month when you unfolded the centerfold picture at the drugstore? Of course, the very first thing I looked at was not the bodacious ta-ta's. No, it was the text box that listed her Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs. Color you surprised, right? Anyway, "Long walks on the beach" was right up there along with "World peace" and "Sense of humor". Well, if Misty with the 48-inch D cup lived in San Francisco, this is where she'd go with her date because it's a lot more romantic than Ocean Beach. The fort's military history almost feels incidental except for the graffiti-laden remnants that remain behind from the last century. What feels much more enduring are the 200-foot sandstone cliffs which attract the confident hang gliders to the bluffs where they take off with enviable ease. To describe the area as 'windswept' can be an understatement as the crashing ocean waves can attest. There are pleasant hiking trails on top of the bluffs amid the sand dunes where you mainly see dogs yanking their owners along. There are two distinct spots where you can get to the beach, one a simple slope of sand with the occasional cement outcropping, and the other a steep sand ladder that takes you right back to the expansive parking lot. The long uninterrupted walk of the beach is the main attraction for me as you can saunter all the way to Ocean Beach and back. Here you'll watch the ocean beckon with fierce beauty or look above to see the graceful aerial patterns mapped out by the hang gliders. All I know is that I have something in common with Playboy centerfolds. RELATED - Interested in going to a beach? Here's a collection of beaches I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3rMOJ7b read more

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Hidden Gem worth an hour drive!! I will be going back soon, all dogs off-lease and friendly from the Dunes to the Ocean Beach! read more

Wonderful place to leave the busy world and enjoy the waves crashing and water rushing. Great to take your dog for a walk or go fishing. read more

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Great place to have your dog run around off leash. Be forewarned, there's a shooting range neaby which can spook dogs which are noise sensitive. Great beach, the walk down is lovely. It's the walk back up that sucks. There's even some fountains right before you get down to the water. There's portopottys, fountains, and trashcans at the edge of the parking lot. We've run into an old man who lets his aggressive German Shepherds run 200ft away from him to harass our dogs, while he fails to recall them, and then says they're friendly. read more

Beautiful park. Lots of dog walkers. Highly recommend for a morning away from people in a beautiful oceanside setting. There was ample parking when we visited on a Monday morning, although I imagine it can get busy on a nice weekend. Plenty of trails to choose from so you don't have to be close to others. Three questionable but practical port-a-potties. Just close your eyes and try not to breathe and you'll be fine, though I think the cool air suppresses the smell. I will definitely be coming back here. PS: for those not familiar with NorCal beaches, the water is cold. read more

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OK, I debated about the 5 stars because of - you guessed it - the outhouse. Yikes! It was worse than anyone before me described. Take my word for it, go at your own risk. Other than that, this place is great. We had a wonderful time walking along the dunes and our dog was in heaven. Met another dog who became instant friends, and off they went. We were a little concerned about the dogs and the edge of the cliff, but actually they seemed to "get it"! Ironically, we ended up at the vet the next day due to the fact that our dog was clearly in pain. Turns out she had very sore muscles from all the running on sand dunes! Who knew? Turned out to be an expensive walk.... read more

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COVID-19 precautions. Popular. Dog friendly. Scenic. Fun hiking. See below for more info: COVID-19 precautions: People are wearing masks with the exception of a few runners. Parties give each other physical distancing. Popular: For Funston is a popular hiking area in the city. There are a few parking spots which quickly get taken on the weekends and then cars park on the road. Additional parking is available across the street around Lake Merced. To avoid crowds, I recommend a weekday morning hike. Dog friendly: Fort Funston is dog friendly. I did an early morning hike and easily saw over a dozen dogs. There is a grass area where many furry friends run around without a leash. Scenic: Fort Funston is scenic. You can take the beach trail and enjoy the waves, or the battery trail for the trees and nature. Fun hiking: There are two main trails which are neither too long nor too short. Both can be done in an hour with your household, furry friends or solo. read more

Fort Funston - Beach - Parks Near Me - San Francisco, California