Not long after I’d first moved to San Francisco, I had a friend from the UK visit. My apartment overlooked the N Judah tram line, and seeing the “Ocean Beach” destination board on the trains made her want to check it out. So one day, when it was sunny and warm in Duboce Triangle, so she put on her swimsuit and light clothing, grabbed a towel and sunscreen, and took the trip.

When she stepped off the tram at its final stop, she was greeted by horizontal rain and dark clouds. She ran back to the same train she’d arrived on as it was turning around, came right back to my place, and sunbathed in Duboce Park instead.

All of this is to say, I know SF’s beaches aren’t LA’s, but I’m still surprised by how little used they are. Even Cliff House couldn’t turn a profit, despite a rich history, architecture to die for, and an amazing location at the end of Golden Gate park. I understand we have a lot more gray days than SoCal, but when the sun is out, our beaches are magnificent.

I was thinking about this today because we took our two dogs out to Pacifica, and once again I was baffled by how empty the beach was. It was a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon, and there were less than twenty people visible on the whole beach. At the top is view along Sharp Park beach looking south, and here’s one looking north.

It’s a twenty minute drive from the Mission District, I was easily able to find parking on the sea front, just a few hundred feet from this spot., even though it was a Sunday afternoon. Maybe I shouldn’t spoil the peacefulness by spreading the word, but I would love to see more people enjoying the truly chill atmosphere of this out-of-the-way beach. Here’s what you need to know if you are planning a visit.

Getting There

Pacifica is a small town a few miles south of San Francisco. It’s on the PCH, but is much more of a residential community than a tourist spot. It has a concrete pier beloved by fishermen, but not much else in the way of amenities for visitors. It can boast the world’s most beautiful Taco Bell though! I haven’t found an easy way to get there from SF with public transport, most routes seem to take 90 minutes or more, and involve changing from BART to a bus service. From where I live in the city, an Uber ride is about 12 miles and costs $30.

There are multiple entrances to Sharp Park Beach, including a trailhead with a gentle path that goes to Mori Point, a promontory that marks the southern end. It’s often hard to find parking close to the trailhead, because there are only a few official spaces and the residential area it’s in fills up quickly. It might be tempting to use the Moose Lodge parking lot, but moose are notoriously territorial, so I don’t recommend it.

If you are driving, my favorite parking spot is actually right along the seafront. There are parking lots all along Beach Boulevard, and even row of spots facing the ocean, on the western side of the street. If not, you’ll almost certainly find some parking spaces a block or two away.

What to Do

I haven’t seen many people swimming or surfing, and there’s no life guard, so it’s not a place for having fun in the ocean. It is very dog-friendly though, with a lot of people walking their canine companions along the beach, or on the seafront path a few feet above. There’s usually plenty of room to play fetch without getting in the way of the other beach-goers. There are often a few people with kites, families on a day out having a picnic, or couples promenading along the path above the beach. If you want more of a hike, there are a lot of paths to explore at Mori Point, the south end of Sharp Park Beach, and you’ll see plenty of birds, crabs, and maybe even a whale if you’re lucky!

I still haven’t found a good answer to why Pacifica never seems to attract the crowds, though I’m guessing the NorCal weather, poor transport connections, and lack of tourist attractions have a lot to do with it. With the outrageous house prices across the Bay Area (I’m all about that YIMBYism) I can’t say it’s truly cheap, but it still retains some blue collar roots, and hasn’t become a billionaires playground like Malibu. If you’re a visitor, or just a San Francisco local who hasn’t been there yet, I recommend checking out Pacifica whenever you need a nice, quiet little beach community to relax in.