Fort Funston, looking towards the ocean. More Ascender’s Photos.

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Today was good.
Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.

Dr. Seuss

Entering Fort Funston (aka Dog Heaven) Let the fun begin.

Fort Funston is a rugged stretch of coastal headlands, sand, and dunes south of Ocean Beach. In some places, the dunes reach heights of 200 feet or more. At the foot of Fort Funston’s cliffs is a wild and windy beach suitable for walking or horseback riding.

A wooden viewing deck hugs the hillside at Fort Funston, right off the parking area, and offers spectacular views of soaring hang-gliders and the coastline.

If you like to wade in the ocean, beware of riptides – actually rip “currents”. Here’s an excellent 4 minute video that explains how rip currents form and how to survive one. And one more danger (the “Pacific” Ocean isn’t always peaceful!) – beware of sneaker waves. These are disproportionately large waves that appear without warning and can sweep people off the beach and out to sea. (Check SFWATER to make sure there aren’t any sewage spills on the beach – especially during the storm season.)

From the cliffs that Fort Funston sits upon, you are given a great view point of the Pacific Ocean. Along here, it is possible to see whales swimming along and dolphins playing in the waves.

The area’s one gigantic canine playground, with sand and birds and cliffs and seaweed and smelly rotting stuff and lots of other happy dogs and dog-happy people.

Except under the most adverse weather conditions you will find yourself sharing the parking lot with hang-glider enthusiasts. From here check the ocean for flocks of feeding birds that may include Brown Pelicans, Brandt’s Cormorants, Western and Heerman’s Gulls as well as Forster’s, Elegant and Caspian Terns. There is always a chance of a Pomarine or Parasitic Jaeger, particularly during late summer and fall. Although few birds stop in the shrubs near the overlook, this scrub growth has attracted vagrants, notably a Sedge Wren and a Blackburnian Warbler. Killdeer, Blackbird and American Pipits

Unstable cliff area. People and dogs have been injured falling from these cliffs. (How funny are those illustrations of dog and person falling?)

Park visitors come to Fort Funston with their well-behaved dogs. Enjoy the fresh air, commune with nature, and enhance your and your dog’s social skills. Although off-leash activity is permitted, bring a leash for each dog in case more control is needed, and make sure you’ve always got an extra pick-up bag.

(I was concerned about the little girl with no shoes, it was quite chilly that day)

Major General Frederick Funston became a hero in San Francisco on April 18, 1906 when the city was struck by a massive earthquake. Funston led the army into the city to help fight the massive fires and provide aid to the survivors. That’s the Golden Gate in the distance.

Warning. Powerless flight vehicles operate in this area. Crashes have occurred on this observation deck. Serious bodily injury can occur. Use At Your Own Risk. (huh? powerless flight vehicles?)

The strong, steady winds make the cliffs overlooking the beach a popular site for hang gliding. The world record for the farthest thrown object was set here in 2003 by Erin Hemmings, who threw an Aerobie flying ring 1,333 feet. See the conditions right now – check out the hang-gliders’ Fort Funston web cam.

The fort, renamed for Major General Frederick Funston in 1917, began to take shape during World War I, with the construction of a parade ground, barracks and a series of coastal batteries. The batteries were declared obsolete shortly after World War II, but Fort Funston later became a Nike missile launch site. The fort was inactivated in 1963 and eventually transferred to the National Parks Service to be administered as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The barrels of its two massive, 16-inch guns weighed 146 tons apiece. Battery Davis served as the prototype for all 16-inch gun emplacements built in America after 1938.

(Chuckle… That is a dog walking my daughter in the background)