Fort Funston

Dog Heaven!!!
A must go to place for your loved dog.
Worth driving 1-2hours one way to just visit the beach.
My dog is apparently much more happy now after going to this beach.
My dog kept dreaming about this place ever since.
I have to come here again.
There are all types of dogs wondering around.
Even my dog who is an introvert loves this place.

Prettiest nature place I've been to in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

It started raining when we were already on the fort.

...and the after-rain view from the fort cliffs was breathtaking.

absolutely amazing.

if you're around check out all three of Fort Funston, Funston Beach and Lake Merced.

the order of hiking can be a bit tricky, but it's so worth it!

Absolutely the dog heaven in the Bay Area. We went on a good day in February and surprisingly not windy. Many dogs running around and good access to the beach. Five stars from my pup on her fifth birthday.

This is one of the most beautiful dog friendly spots in the Bay. As a bonus, dogs can be off leash. The trail is paved and well maintained, making it easy to walk. There are free water stations and free parking.

If you enjoyed Fort Funston, another fun and scenic place to check out is Mori Point.

Perfect for half a day outing with your pup. It’s a short 15 min hike to the beach. If you are confident about your dogs’s recall then you can leave him or her off leash throughout the hike. And of course in the beach. I saw many dogs off leash on the hike having a jolly good time. Simba has a mind of his own so we didn’t leave him off leash on the hike. But he surely enjoyed fetching on the beach…

Incredible beach, incredible views. Dog and horse friendly beach and hiking, walking trails. Great for trail running, watching sunsets, listening to waves, relaxing.

My favorite place to let my dog off-leash and meet other dogs...she runs on the beach and is all around beautiful! Just a reminder - please don't bring unfriendly/aggressive dogs...you have all the other parks where all dogs are leashed. Please let off-leash dogs run free and enjoy themselves without aggressive dogs or owners.

Fort Funston is, hands down, one of the best off-leash dog parks in California--with a few caveats. If miles of beach and coastal trails are your thing, if you're physically fit enough to tackle some steep terrain or steep stairs to access the beach, if your dog has decent to superior recall off leash, then this park is doggie Nirvana. We go every weekend because Aussie is our copilot. :D We clock 5-6 miles round trip from the parking lot, but you definitely don't need to go as far to let your dog revel in freedom. The cliffs block one side of the beach and the ocean blocks the other. It's nearly impossible for your puppers to get lost. You do have to have excellent recall at the top of the cliffs making your way down. If your dog delights in chasing crows or running off without listening, there are many places where they could plunge off the cliffs or run into the parking area and get hit, so keep the leash on that little one until you get to the beach. Once on the beach, you're very safe. The waves are big here, though, especially on windy days. So if your dog is going to bolt into the water when conditions aren't safe, ignoring your recall command, keep it on leash. And there are horses to keep an eye out for. A company has guided rides down the cliffs, making their way to the beach, a couple times a day on the weekends. Stay alert and leash up if your dog doesn't respond to a sit/stay or ignore the horses when they are on the beach. This company will get aggressive with your dog and try to whip them if they're bothering/stalking/herding the horses, which just riles the horses up and creates a VERY DANGEROUS situation. And finally, my pet peeve... Just because this is an off leash park, it doesn't mean that your dog gets to play with any other dog it wants to. There will be dogs who are game and others who aren't. You are responsible for your dog interacting with other dogs. Be vigilant reading body language. Protect your dog from dangerous encounters. A wagging tail doesn't necessarily mean, "I'm friendly." Watch for: stiff body posture--again, not tail, but a hard stare, a freeze, a curled lip, a raised head or turned to the side when another dog is greeting. Dogs that want to play have relaxed and often goofy/bouncy body language. Or they play bow-- that's when they lower the front part of their body and their butt is in the air. Those are all welcome signs to play. Watch for the warning signs and call your dog away from dogs who just want to enjoy the beach and not wrestle with your dog. Thank you!

Such an amazing place to bring your dog and walk as long as you want with a view of the ocean. Absolutely beautiful! Fort Funston beach is also great but is very steep to get back up - good to keep in mind when bringing people down there.

Great views,beautiful place for a great walk and you can bring your dog but have on leash or make sure listen to voice command, very step cliffs

One of my favorite beaches in the San Francisco bay area, gorgeous views, with the hang-glider above in the sky and no leash dogs playing all around, perfect for kids and families. The hike to the beach is an added bonus, more exercise!

Amazing park. Dog friendly. Easy access to hiking trails and beach.

First time going to this off-leash dog beach and I have to stay it's our new favorite beach to go to so many friendly dogs off leash playing with each other My puppy had a lot of fun

We wanted a hike that would be a little bit diverse in terms of the type of trail, for example, concrete, dirt, sand, and not too hilly. It’s been warm lately and sunny, so we wanted a little bit of fog. And we had that here. Fort Funston is an excellent hike during the summer Because the coast usually has fog or a little bit of relief from the heat and the sun. It’s gorgeous here. There are sand dunes, there are cliffs, and there are paved trails. There’s a little something for everyone, and there are a lot of very happy and friendly dogs.

Fort Funston is my favorite place to be in Northern California. You can walk your dog, you can just walk yourself, you can sit in your car and read, you can really do anything it’s just a great place to be. Obviously it’s incredibly beautiful, there are always friendly people with their dogs, and what’s unique about Fort Funston from other parks and preserves is that no matter what the weather is like, it’s not bad enough that you don’t want to be there. I actually like going here when it’s completely engulfed by fog and there’s ocean mist hitting your face, it’s like walking through a cloud. I live about 20 minutes away, and my favorite routine is to smoke a joint and walk a few loops around Fort Funston while I organize my thoughts. Take walks around Fort Funston with a good attitude and you will thank yourself.

Wonderful views north and south along the coast. Today, all of Marin headlands & Pt. Reyes were in view. A popular place to walk dogs. Many dogs off leash. Essentially, an informal dog park.

Very nice rolling hills by the beach. Plenty of sandy and green hiking trails with ocean views and access to the beach. There's also a glider launch point at the old fort. Beautiful. Dog friendly! Ran into horse riding party.

Great place to take your dog or stroll the coastal paths on a nice day. Lots of parking and plenty of space to spread out. You can also check out the hang gliders that take off from the area. Beautiful place to catch the sunset. There are paths that are paved and sandy trails that branch off the main loop.

A couple things to note. It gets really windy and foggy often, so be prepared. There are three Porta potties for restrooms. There is one beach access point near the north end of the park, otherwise the area has many cliffs that should not be used to access the beach below.

Beautiful cliffs and views of the sea. If you're ready for some exercise then hike down to the beach on the sandladder. Otherwise just hike along the bluffs. Be careful to stay within marked areas because the cliffs drop off quickly. There's a hang gliding area. Free parking.

Bluff formation and erosion with good growth of vegetation on sand that formed the stepping landscape. A lot of dogs running loose and getting lost. Parking can be hard to find in late morning. Great high ocean view and hang gliders on a windy day.