Outdoors Outer Sunset, Lands End & Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach
An outdoor spot in Outer Sunset, Lands End & Ocean Beach, free to visit and worth about an hour. Best time to go: Sunset.
Why go
Three and a half miles of wide, windswept sand along the Pacific, edged by the Great Highway.
It is one of 6 curated places we feature in Lands End & Ocean Beach, alongside 2 sights, 1 activity and 1 place to eat. The closest of our other picks is Beach Chalet, 0.7 mi away as the crow flies.
- Type
- Outdoors · Beaches
- Neighborhood
- Outer Sunset
- Price
- Free
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time
- Sunset
Nearby
Our closest curated picks, including 1 beyond Lands End & Ocean Beach. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.
- 1Beach Chalet
1925 building at the end of Golden Gate Park with WPA murals downstairs and a brewery restaurant above Ocean Beach.
Food · 0.7 mi straight-line - 2Sutro Baths
Concrete ruins of an 1896 glass-roofed bathhouse at the water's edge, below the Lands End Lookout.
Sight · 1.4 mi straight-line - 3Legion of Honor
Fine arts museum in a copy of a Paris palace in Lincoln Park, with Rodin's Thinker in the courtyard.
Sight · 1.8 mi straight-line - 4Lands End Trail
Cliff-edge path through cypress trees above the Golden Gate, with views of the bridge and the Marin Headlands.
Outdoors · 1.8 mi straight-line - 5Lands End Trail
Cliffside trail with Golden Gate views, shipwreck remains and the Sutro Baths ruins.
Outdoors · San Francisco · 1.9 mi straight-line - 6California Academy of Sciences
Natural history museum, aquarium and planetarium under a living roof in Golden Gate Park.
Activity · 2.5 mi straight-line
On these curated routes
Ocean Beach is a stop on our San Francisco New Year's Eve route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
When to go: weather by month, based on San Francisco
Our climate figures for Lands End & Ocean Beach come from nearby San Francisco. Average daily highs in San Francisco run from 56°F in January to 74°F in September; December is usually the wettest month. For Ocean Beach itself, we suggest: Sunset.
Modelled monthly averages for San Francisco from NASA POWER, not a forecast. San Francisco weather by month (covers Lands End & Ocean Beach).
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Ocean Beach, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Coordinates
- 37.75944, -122.51083
- Destination
- Lands End & Ocean Beach, California
Ocean Beach: quick answers
How much time do you need at Ocean Beach?
Plan on about an hour at Ocean Beach. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Ocean Beach?
Our pick: Sunset. Insider tip: The surf is dangerous; walk the sand rather than swim.
Is Ocean Beach free?
Yes, we list Ocean Beach as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.
Which TripsCircle routes include Ocean Beach?
Ocean Beach appears on San Francisco New Year's Eve, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Ocean Beach to your crew's plan
Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Lands End & Ocean Beach.
Plan Lands End & Ocean Beach
- Lands End & Ocean Beach travel guide 6 places
- San Francisco weather (covers Lands End & Ocean Beach) weather by month
- The Embarcadero & Ferry Building to Lands End & Ocean Beach 6.1 mi straight-line
Lists & regions
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.