Sunset Dunes
Welcome to Sunset Dunes! This historic oceanfront park provides residents and visitors a place to walk, bike, stroll, relax, and connect along the Pacific coast like never before. Sunset Dunes is the largest pedestrianization project in California’s history, with the 2-mile, 50-acre park stretching from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way. San Francisco’s newest coastal park official opened on April 12, 2025.
Please share your ideas with us by filling out this form!
Highlights:
- A skate space, bike skills course and a bike pump track
- Outdoor fitness equipment, and a Nature Exploration Area for children
- Lounge spaces with chairs, hammocks, and elevated seating for ocean views
- Yoga, fitness, dance and tai chi classes
- Intimate event seating for live music and artistic performances
- Sculptures and interactive public art installations
- Murals celebrating surfing, coastal ecology, sea life, and neighborhood history
- New park amenities, including two water fountains, seven wildlife-friendly trashcans, bike parking and a temporary restroom at Noriega
2025 Community Engagement Process We’re hosting a Community Engagement process through 2025, to hear your feedback on the interim improvements and your ideas for the future park. We are holding two open houses, stakeholder meetings and an online survey (available on the website and via QR codes at the park) to gather community feedback.
We are simultaneously conducting technical and site feasibility studies, including Traffic studies, Accessibility assessment, Geotechnical, Structural and Soils analyses, as well as Ecological and Sea Level Rise studies.
The community engagement process and the feasibility and technical studies will support a Visioning and Planning Process, that will begin in 2026. Please take the survey and share your contact information to stay informed. We are planning to hold a community meeting in early 2026, to report back on the community engagement and the first round of technical studies. We will hold a second community meeting later in 2026. The California Coastal Conservancy has generously awarded a $1 million grant to fund this planning effort including the studies, analyses and public outreach components.
Dune Protection and Revegetation The Great Highway’s transformation into Sunset Dunesis 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 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 have installed fencing to shield the sensitive habitat while still allowing access to major beach entry points.
- We are tracking the success of the dune fencing and will consider new fencing or improvements if needed
Dune Revegetation and Stabilization Project
- In the winter of 2024-25, we replanted the Judah Dune Blowout with two acres of native grasses, based upon the recommendations of the San Francisco Estuary Institute’s Dune Study recommendations. 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.
- The pilot was a success and we are monitoring the growth of the dune grasses.
- Dune replanting needs to take place during the rainy season for the dune grass to successfully take root and grow. We are planning to hold the second phase of the Dune Restoration Project in late 2025 through early 2026. Exact volunteer dates are TBD, as they are affected by the weather.
- If you are interested in joining the Dune Restoration Revitalization Project, please email our volunteer team to sign up for updates, at RecParkVolunteer@sfgov.org
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.