Ocean Beach San Francisco with Kids: What You Need to Know Before You Go
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Family Beach Day in San Francisco
Most non-locals to San Francisco don’t consider spending time at the beaches in San Francisco and who can blame them?
The mild temperatures and often overcast conditions of Ocean Beach don’t quite compare to the quintessential, tropical beaches most people dream about.
However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a wonderful place to spend time with your family. Ocean Beach is a unique beach frequented by city locals because it’s in a great location, has gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, offers plenty of space to play, and is in close proximity to so many other great attractions and restaurants.
This post is your go to guide to Ocean Beach. Here we’ll answer all the questions you might have about this beach so that you and your family will be fully prepared for some unforgettable
ocean-side quality time.
Then, at the end, we’ll explore a couple more fun places in San Francisco that you and your kids will surely enjoy together.
What is
Ocean Beach?
Ocean Beach is the longest beach in the city of San Francisco and is a favorite amongst city locals and natives.
Every day, even when the weather is foggy, you are likely to find San Francisco locals walking along the beach’s shoreline, surfers riding the Pacific Ocean waves, and happy dogs jogging on the beach promenade with their owners.
On gorgeous, sunny days in San Francisco this wonderful beach is the place to be for families since it’s wide-open space is truly ideal for picnicking, building sand castles, and a watching stunning sunset.
Where is
Ocean Beach?
San Francisco’s Ocean Beach sits on the western most side of the city and borders the huge Pacific Ocean.
Ocean Beach is a 3.5 mile stretch of land that’s far less busy than other San Francisco beaches, which are closer to the more touristy side of the city. Because of this, it is a popular destination for local families looking for fresh ocean air and beach fun.
Since this beach spans across the city’s entire Sunset District and part of the Richmond District, it’s close to other great areas like the San Francisco Zoo, Sutro Baths, Lands End, and the western tip of Golden Gate Park.
What's the weather like at Ocean Beach?
The entire city of San Francisco typically has mild weather year-round with the temperatures usually in the 50s-60s.
Because of the city’s microclimates, and because of the sea breeze, the temperature at Ocean Beach is usually cooler than temperatures in the eastern parts of San Francisco.
Because of this, it’s pretty rare to see anyone in swim suits at Ocean Beach. In fact, people usually layer their clothing up when paying a visit here.
However, during the city’s historically hottest month of October, the temperatures at Ocean Beach have been known to reach the 80s and 90s, and on rare occasion, even the 100s!
Can I swim at
Ocean Beach?
Swimming and/or wading at Ocean Beach is NOT advised.
Here’s a few reasons why:
- The waves are rough. While this might be desirable for the experienced surfers you commonly see out at Ocean Beach, they are not safe for most people, especially young children.
- The ocean’s rip currents can pull swimmers offshore without warning.
- The water temperature at Ocean Beach is very cold. Even on the sunniest of days, the water temperature sits at around at 48 degrees. Brrrrr!
- There are no lifeguards.
What activities can I do at Ocean Beach?
Even thought swimming and wading aren’t advisable activities to do at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, there are plenty of other really great things to do with kids!
Here are some beach activities your kids would truly enjoy:
- building sand castles
- flying kits
- collecting sand dollars
- picnicking
- watching surfers
- admiring the snowy plover
- frisbee
- volley ball
- strolling along the shoreline
- biking on the promenade
What other things are there to do around Ocean Beach?
It is really easy to spend an entire day on the western side of the city where Ocean Beach is located.
Here are some other kid-friendly things to do once your family has had their fill of the beach.
- Explore Sutro Baths: The ruins of this historic San Francisco recreational swimming facility will make you wonder what life was like in the city back in 1894 when the bath house was first opened.
- Hike around Lands End: The clean air and scenic views from any Lands End hiking trail will help you escape the city bustle and get back in touch with nature.
- Play at Golden Gate Park: When in San Francisco, do as the locals do and enjoy some time at the park.
- Spend time at the San Francisco Zoo: At the southern end of Ocean Beach lies the SF Zoo, which is home to a couple thousand animals.
Is there parking at Ocean Beach?
Yes!
There are plenty of free parking options at Ocean Beach.
- Parking in the Sunset District: This neighborhood is mostly residential, so it’s really easy to find parking. Just make sure you read street cleaning signs and hourly parking signs to avoid annoying parking tickets.
- Parking lot: There is a huge parking lot at the northern tip of Ocean Beach that you can park at.
One thing to note, however, is that while parking at Ocean Beach can be tricky on rare, hot days when local families flock to the shore, these days are few are far between.
And if you do end up visiting the beach during a heat wave, arriving early in the day will give you the best chance at scoring a parking spot.
Are there restaurants near Ocean Beach?
While there are no big strips of restaurants by Ocean Beach, there are a great handful of family-friendly places to eat at within the 3.5 miles that Ocean Beach spans.
Here are a few areas near Ocean Beach that offer delicious bites that they entire family can enjoy.
- Golden Gate Park: At the western tip of Golden Gate Park, across the street from Ocean Beach are a couple of great sit-down places to eat: Beach Chalet and Park Chalet.
- Judah Street: The western end of Judah Street is located right across the street from Ocean Beach and offers options for great, family-friendly eats. If you’d like a cup of coffee, Java Beach is a favorite among neighborhood residents. Further up the street is another local favorite, Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, where you can get great Mexican food and margarita.
- Noriega Street: About four blocks south of Judah Street is Noriega Street, which also offers a small selection of eateries. One local favorite is Devils Teeth Bakery which serves coffee, pastries, and their decadent breakfast sandwiches. There is also The Pizza Place with serves whole pies and opens up its outdoor space on sunny days.
San Francisco Beach Day Packing List
Before we wrap up this guide to Ocean Beach, it is important to pack the right things in order to have the best time possible with your family. Here is a simple, but helpful packing list to help you and your family prepare for a great San Francisco beach day.
- Layers of clothing so you can adjust to the weather
- beach towel or picnic blanket
- sunglasses
- sunscreen
- sun hat or cap
- kite
- bluetooth speaker
- bag to put your trash in
- container for collected sea shells
- sand toys
- drinks and snacks
- beach chairs
In Conclusion
Ocean Beach offers great family fun.
San Francisco’s Ocean Beach is a popular place for many local families looking to to spend some good, quality time and would be a fabulous place for non-locals to visit as well.
While it’s true that the rough current at Ocean Beach isn’t suitable for safe swimming or wading, there are so many other great beach activities to partake in when at the beach.
It’s in an amazing location for other typical beach activities: sandcastle building, kite flying, picnicking, sports, seashell collecting, sea bird watching. With all of this, the entire family will definitely be entertained for a really long time.
Ocean Beach is also in close proximity to other local hot spots like Golden Gate Park, Lands End, the San Francisco Zoo, and several great restaurants.
So pack up your beach bag, keep this guide handy, and have a truly memorable family day out at this local family favorite.
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