Sunset Dunes

An historic oceanfront park is coming to San Francisco’s western edge, giving residents and visitors a place to walk, bike, stroll, relax, and connect with the pacific coast like never before. Sunset Dunes — the largest pedestrianization project in California’s history — will officially open on April 12, 2025. The 2-mile, 50-acre park will stretch from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way.

Following the passage of Prop K in November 2024 , the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has been working closely with the City’s Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Department of Public Works (DPW) to complete the necessary infrastructure projects to transform the former Great Highway into a park:

• Lincoln and Sloat Quick-Build Connections Project | SFMTA
• Preparing for Great Highway Changes: New Traffic Signals and Safety Improvements in Place | SFMTA
• Sunset Boulevard Pavement Renovation | Public Works
• Ocean_Beach_Sand_Backpass_2025.pdf

Rec and Park is working quickly to install new park amenities such as water fountains and wild-life friendly trashcans, vista points, gathering spaces, public art, new signage, and recreational elements. These interim projects will support the recreational use of the new park and esplanade to ensure that Prop K is swiftly and effectively implemented.  We are now getting ready to launch a planning process for the next stage of the Great Highway to create San Francisco’s newest coastal park.

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Highlights

• Murals celebrating surfing, coastal ecology sea life, and neighborhood history
• Lounge spaces with chairs, hammocks, and elevated seating for ocean views
• Intimate event seating for live music and artistic performances
• Sculptures and interactive public art installations
• A skate space, outdoor fitness equipment, and a Nature Exploration Area for children, bike parking, and a bike pump track

Opening Timeline

The transformation of the Great Highway into a full-time park will roll out in phases. Here’s what to expect:

• Friday, March 14 – The Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, and the Great Highway Extension southbound lanes from Sloat to Skyline boulevards will be permanently closed. MTA will begin work at the Lincoln and Great Highway and Sloat and Great Highway intersections, upgrading signals, paving, and creating safe bicycle and pedestrian routes to and around the park.
• March 17 through April 4 – PUC will conduct its sand backpass operation in the city-side lanes of the Upper Great Highway. PUC completes the backpass every 2–5 years to reenforce the coastline against sea-level rise, erosion and storms. In the ocean-side lanes, Rec and Park will begin implementing key park elements such as seating and recreation areas while community partners install temporary art.
• April 17-12 —Rec and Park will continue to add improvements for wayfinding, comfort, and activations.
• April 12 – Sunset Dunes officially opens with a ribbon cutting and community celebration , fully welcoming the public to San Francisco’s newest connection to the coast.

Future Project

In 2025, we’ll be engaging consultants to deliver technical studies required to support planning for the future of the park, including Traffic studies, Geotechnical, Structural and Soils analyses, as well as Ecological and Sea Level Rise studies. We will also be observing and soliciting feedback on the success of the current installations to inform future planning efforts. With these studies in hand, we plan to begin a community engagement process to develop a vision for the park in 2026.

The California Coastal Conservancy has generously awarded a $1 million grant to fund this vision planning effort including the studies, analyses and public outreach components.

We look forward to beginning the community engagement process in 2026.

A Park for the People, Named by the People

San Franciscans were presented with a once-in-a-generation chance to make history and leave their mark on the coast—by naming the city’s newest oceanfront park. The Great Park Naming Contest invited the community to dream up a name that reflects the spirit of this spectacular new space.

• March 1-16, 2025 The public submitted more than 4,200 name ideas online.
• March 18 A virtual community meeting was held to review nominations and gather feedback on park name themes. Meeting Agenda Meeting Video Download (MP4)
• March 20–April 2 The public reviewed and evaluated a refined list of names through a second survey. The survey asked participants to evaluate names using a set of criteria: Historical Significance; Connection to Nature and Environment; Iconic Placemaking; Community Resonance; and Appropriateness and Clarity
• Early April Staff reviewed survey responses and identifed potential names that are befitting of this iconic new park.
• April 9 Staff presented and made recommendations to the Recreation and Park Commission, which voted and determine the final name of the park, Sunset Dunes .

Dune Protection and Restoration

The Great Highway’s transformation into a park is among the most significant public space projects in California history, adding approximately 50 acres of parkland along the city’s stunning Pacific coastline. This project enhances coastal access while preserving the natural environment.

A key focus is protecting the sand dunes, a vital native habitat that has supported local plants and wildlife for centuries and helps protect against climate change. The dunes act as a natural barrier against rising seas and extreme weather, as well as sand encroachment into the park space and neighborhood beyond.

Dune grasses keep the dunes stable, but when people trample them, the grasses die, causing dune collapse. Known as “dune blow-outs”, these failed dunes no longer have grass, allowing sand to continuously blow into the park and surrounding neighborhood.

To protect this vital ecosystem, we’re taking key steps:

• Dune Fencing – as required by the Coastal Commission, we are installing fencing to shield the sensitive habitat while still allowing access to major beach entry points.
• Dune Restoration Pilot Project – Following the San Francisco Estuary Institute’s Dune Study recommendations, we have successfully replanted the Judah Dune Blowout with two acres of native grasses. This project was made possible by over 100 dedicated volunteers, along with support from the California Academy of Sciences, the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Surfrider Foundation, Reimaging San Francisco, Friends of Ocean Beach Park, and our hardworking staff. Over five days, we installed fencing and planted more than 1,500 native beach wildrye dune grasses. Phase 1 of this restoration is now complete.

Dune replanting takes place during the rainy season, so stay tuned for future volunteer opportunities. In the meantime, you can help protect this fragile habitat by staying on designated trails and respecting dune restoration areas. Together, we can preserve this incredible natural environment while creating a beautiful and sustainable coastal park for all to enjoy.

Background

In April 2020, the Great Highway was closed to vehicles from Lincoln to Sloat to provide recreational opportunities and social distancing space during the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2021, the Great Highway reopened to vehicular traffic on weekdays while retaining the weekend park usage. In December 2022, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation establishing the Great Highway Pilot, a hybrid usage plan that closed the road to vehicles on holidays and weekends and, during which, traffic and visitor data was collected on the Great Highway’s use as both a roadway and park. In November 2024, San Francisco voters approved the passage of Proposition K, which transforms the Upper Great Highway to a permanent 24/7 recreational public park for walking, biking, rolling and more.

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