China Beach, San Francisco

Last updated

China Beach
Seacliff District SF.jpg
China Beach is seen in the foreground with the sea wall.
Location map San Francisco County.png
Red pog.svg
Location in San Francisco
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in California
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in United States
Location San Francisco, California, United States
Coordinates 37°47′16″N122°29′35″W / 37.7878821°N 122.4931363°W / 37.7878821; -122.4931363 [1]
Operated by Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Website Official website

China Beach is a small cove in San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood. It lies between Baker Beach and Lands End and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was once used as a campsite for Chinese fishermen who anchored their boats in the cove. There is a monument to them at the trailhead by the parking area by Sea Cliff Avenue. [2]

Contents

It was previously known as James D. Phelan State Beach Park. Swimming is not safe at China Beach because of many possible dangers and the lack of lifeguards in the area. At low tides, there are tide pools, and it is sometimes possible to walk to Baker Beach. China Beach offers a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands.

China Beach with Golden Gate Bridge China Beach with Golden Gate Bridge.jpg
China Beach with Golden Gate Bridge

A marker on the trailhead leading down to the beach reads "CHINA BEACH Since gold rush times, this cove was used as a campsite by many of the Chinese fishermen who worked in and around San Francisco Bay. Their efforts to supply the needs of a young city helped establish one of the area's most important industries and traditions. Gift of Henry & Diana Chung Family 1981."

China Beach is also home to Coyote Gulch, a stream defining the boundary of Baker Beach and China Beach, the stream is constantly changing due to Locals and Kids digging, and natural causes making the boundary not clear. Kids are sometimes seen playing in the stream, but there is concerns of contamination despite conversation efforts.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond District, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States

The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California, developed initially in the late 19th century. It is sometimes confused with the city of Richmond, which is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutro Baths</span> Abandoned saltwater swimming pool complex in San Francisco

The Sutro Baths was a large, privately owned public saltwater swimming pool complex in the Lands End area of the Outer Richmond District in western San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marin Headlands</span> Southernmost peninsula of the Marin Peninsula in California, United States

The Marin Headlands are a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, United States, located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, which connects the two counties and peninsulas. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Headlands are famous for their views of the Bay Area, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Beach</span> Public beach near San Francisco in the United States

Baker Beach is a public beach on the peninsula of San Francisco, California, United States The beach lies on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in the northwest of the city. It is roughly a 0.5 mi (800 m) long, beginning just south of Golden Gate Point, extending southward toward the Seacliff peninsula, the Palace of the Legion of Honor and the Sutro Baths. The northern section of Baker Beach is "frequented by clothing-optional sunbathers," and as such it is considered a nude beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crissy Field</span> Former U.S. Army airfield, now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Crissy Field is a public recreation area on the northern shore of the San Francisco Peninsula in California, United States, located just east of the Golden Gate Bridge. It includes restored tidal marsh and beaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Brighton State Beach</span> State beach in Santa Cruz County, California, United States

New Brighton State Beach is a 95 acres (38 ha) beach park on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County, California, consisting of a beach and campgrounds. The park is located east of Santa Cruz in Capitola, on Park Avenue off of Highway 1. The park is adjacent to Seacliff State Beach, which is known for its fishing pier and sunk concrete freighter, The Palo Alto. The beach overlooks Soquel Cove and Monterey Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate National Recreation Area</span> U.S. National Recreation Area surrounding San Francisco Bay Area

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area protecting 82,116 acres (33,231 ha) of ecologically and historically significant landscapes surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of the park is land formerly used by the United States Army. GGNRA is managed by the National Park Service and is the second-most visited unit of the National Park system in the United States, with more than 15.6 million visitors in 2022. It is also one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a size two-and-a-half times that of the consolidated city and county of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abel Tasman Coast Track</span> Hiking trail, New Zealand

The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a 60 kilometres (37 mi) long walking track within the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand. It extends from Mārahau in the south to Wainui in the north, with many side tracks. It is one of two main tracks through the park, the other being the Abel Tasman Inland Track, which stretches for 38 km between Tinline Bay and Torrent Bay off the main coastal track. The coastal track is well sheltered, and with mild weather in all seasons, it is accessible and open throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodeo Beach</span> Beach in California, US

Rodeo Beach is a beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area located in Marin County, California, United States, two miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is characterized by a spit of around 50 meters width at the mouth of a long embayment, known as Rodeo Lagoon; for much of the year the lagoon is cut off from the ocean, making the beach spit a baymouth bar. Part of the beach is sheltered by cliffs. Rodeo Beach is known for its dark, pebbly sand, its uses for surfing and sunbathing, and its locale as a place for viewing, but not collecting, semi-precious stones. This beach is unique among California beaches in that it is largely made up of coarse, pebbly chert grains, both red and green in color. Its mineral composition sets it apart from every other beach in the state. Surfing is possible throughout the year and at all tidal stages, but is best in summer—although there is a risk of shark attacks. Due to the North bar offshore of this beach it results in big waves in the winter months with the big swells that come in. Strong currents make swimming dangerous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pescadero State Beach</span> California State Beach

Pescadero State Beach is alongside State Route 1, located 14.5 miles (23.3 km) south of Half Moon Bay and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the city of Pescadero, in San Mateo County, California. The beach has a 1 mile (1.6 km)-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots and picnic facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Point State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Salt Point State Park is a state park in Sonoma County, California, United States. The park covers 6,000 acres (2,428 ha) on the coast of Northern California, with 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails and over 6 miles (9.7 km) of a rough rocky coastline including Salt Point which protrudes into the Pacific Ocean. The park also features the first underwater preserves in California. The constant impact of the waves forms the rocks into many different shapes. These rocks continue underwater providing a wide variety of habitats for marine organisms. The activities at Salt Point include hiking, camping, fishing, scuba diving and many others. The weather is often cool with fog and cold winds, even during the summer.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit cooperating association that supports park stewardship and conservation in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area—the most visited national park in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lands End (San Francisco)</span> Park within the Golden Gate National Recreation

Lands End is a park in San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is a rocky and windswept shoreline at the mouth of the Golden Gate, situated between the Sutro District and Lincoln Park and abutting Fort Miley Military Reservation. A memorial to USS San Francisco stands in the park. Numerous hiking trails follow the former railbeds of the Ferries and Cliff House Railway along the cliffs and also down to the shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirby Cove Camp</span> Campground in California, United States

Kirby Cove Camp is a campground and scenic area managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) in the Marin Headlands, California. It is located at sea level below Conzelman Road, which leads from the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge up and along the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate strait that leads into San Francisco Bay. A road behind a locked gate leads to Kirby Cove from just beyond Battery Spencer, the first set of bunkers encountered from Highway 101 at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea Cliff, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood of San Francisco

Sea Cliff is a neighborhood in northwestern San Francisco, California. It is known for its large houses and ocean views. Sea Cliff is one of eight master–planned residence parks in San Francisco; its master plan was developed by landscape architect Mark Daniels. Sea Cliff has become one of San Francisco's most elite residential areas.

Many ships have wrecked in and around San Francisco Bay. For centuries San Francisco Bay, with its strong currents, rocky reefs, and low fog conditions has experienced more than a hundred shipwrecks. Ever since San Francisco Bay was encountered during the land expedition of Gaspar de Portolà in 1769, it has been one of the most popular harbors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Valley, California</span> Valley in California, United States of America

The Tennessee Valley is a small, undeveloped part of Marin County, near Mill Valley. Historically home to ranches and threatened with the development of a new city, the valley was incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972, with additional sections added to the park in 1974. The park contains horse stables, a native-plant nursery, and numerous trails for hiking, biking, and horse riding, including a 1.7-mile, handicap-accessible trail that leads to Tennessee Cove and its beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Chalet</span> Historic building in San Francisco

The Beach Chalet is a historic two-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style building, located at the far western end of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The building is owned by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department; and the tenants are the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant, and the Park Chalet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pillar Point Bluff</span> Public park in Moss Beach, California, United States

Pillar Point Bluff is a 220-acre park (89 ha) in San Mateo County, California. It is part of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, owned by the U.S. state of California, and managed by San Mateo County as a county park and nature preserve. The park is located between Princeton-by-the-Sea and Moss Beach, just north of the Pillar Point peninsula, Pillar Point Harbor, and Half Moon Bay. The area was inhabited by coastal indigenous peoples for thousands of years, and in recent centuries, was used for livestock grazing by Spanish Missions and Mexican ranchos. Pillar Point Bluff was once part of the Rancho Corral de Tierra Mexican land grant before California became a state.

References

  1. "Fort Funston". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "China Beach | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy". Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Retrieved January 14, 2024.