OVERVIEW
In the City of San Francisco at the border of Daly City, home to the Olympic Club, Lake Merced and the San Francisco Zoo, close to the intersection of John Muir Drive and Skyline Boulevard in the Outer Sunset District, resides Fort Funston which is part of the Golden Gate National Park Conservatory. Although it is the site of a historic fort build in 1900 and further developed during World War I, Fort Funston is better known for being one of if not the largest off-leash dog beaches in the Greater Bay Area. It is well utilized by all levels of hang gliders and horseback riding enthusiasts. If you are looking for a day at the beach with your dog, you will have fun doing the Cango at Fort Funston.
IS THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT/SERVICE WORTH A VISIT?
Despite some challenges getting down to the beach depending on the rainy season and climate, it is well worth going to Fort Funston, especially on a hot, clear day. We make a point of going out of our way to enjoy a day at Fort Funston and always enjoy ourselves. It truly does feel like an oasis. All the dogs are happy and nothing beats the fresh air that the ocean breeze provides.
HOW PET-FRIENDLY IS IT?
Comfort level of the pet-friendly beach area is pretty good. It is great once you are on the beach, but getting down can vary: There are very steep quasi-stairs on the southern end of the beach that are available and doable on the decent, but can be very challenging to climb back up, even when I was training regularly for triathlons.
Also, the stairs are impacted by the elements, meaning that they are covered by sand that can get very hot. I found this out when I had to climb back up to the parking lot carrying my dog Lovie and one of his buddies, Clover because they were yipping about how hot the sand was on their little paw pads. (For all these reasons and because they are the deepest stairs I have ever encountered which can make it quite challenging to go up or down, especially up, I would describe them as “quasi” stairs).
The other option to get down or back up is a chiseled cliff area towards the end of the beach and midway through the upper paths. Again, this is a natural beach and the cliffs are natural, so although the climbable cliff has been compacted by foot traffic, it can and has gotten eroded to the point of taking great athleticism to get down without jumping some distance or stretching out to reach up and climb. In ideal conditions, I prefer to descend on the stairs and then ascend on the cliff “pathway”.
Once you get down to the beach, it is like a sandy dog Disneyland because it truly is the happiest place on canine earth. Since it is right on the Pacific Ocean you benefit from the fresh ocean air that is quite an escape from urban air. On a hot day, there are a lot of dog owners and dogs but it never really feels crowded because of the openness. I think the openness also makes the dogs feel like they have more space than on a city street or a hiking trail and this may be why I have never witnessed any canine stand-offs or fights.
Even though Fort Funston is adjacent to a major highway that runs along all the western beaches of San Francisco, you would never know it once you are down on the beach. And though you do not have to worry about encountering cars that may collide with you and/or your dog(s), there can be a fair amount of four-legged foot traffic from equestrian enthusiasts and air traffic from amateur hang gliders. (Word of warning: it can get quite breezy along the shore and when there are people taking hang gliding lessons, it can feel like you are surrounded by flying monkeys on the way to Oz. There have been a number of hang gliding accidents, including a number of fatal ones.)
And the wind does not limit itself to hang gliders; it also makes its presence felt to beachgoers: It can get windy and foggy once you hit the beach even when it is sunny and warm just across the street at Lake Merced, so check the weather and LAYER!
IS IT CONVENIENT OR A PAIN IN THE —?
Parking is extremely easy as there is a large free parking lot. We have never had a problem finding a place to park even on popular hot days or weekends when many others have also made a visit to Funston part of their plans.
The surrounding area park area is pretty pedestrian-friendly along the paved paths that are also off-lead. Lake Merced across the street would also be a nice place to walk but I am pretty sure you would have to keep your dog on-lead.
Since it is an official dog-friendly beach, it is safe and comfortable to walk around with a pet. The only time I have witnessed pups in peril is when one jumps off the cliff in efforts to get to the beach more quickly; so if you have a dog dasher who likes to stray from the path and run ahead of you, I would suggest keeping them on-lead until you get down to the beach or use the stairs so you can keep them away from the cliffs. I have seen the fire department at the park more than once to rescue a dog who thought it was a mountain goat… and fortunately as far as I know, their rescue attempts have been successful.
It is not easy to dispose of waste on the beach and I have never seen any trash bins down on the beach, so you will probably want to encourage your dog to do its business on the upper paths or by the parking lot near the stairs so you do not have to carry bags filled with doody during your walk. There are plenty of trash cans along the paved paths and by the parking lot. There is also a water fountain by the parking lot and one in the middle of the upper paths.
The closest emergency vet is Blue Pearl Pet Hospital (formerly NorCal Vet Emergency and Specialty Hospital) located on Junipero Serra Boulevard approximately 3 miles away in Daly City. [Please note: we provide this information as a 24/7 resource not a recommendation.]*
