Hang a left from Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35) into the unassuming Fort Funston parking lot, and you might not think much of it. That's the way that local dog lovers would love to have it. If you do park and let your four-legged pal out, watch out, 'cause your pup will never smell the ocean again without starting to squirm excitedly in the backseat. Officially, the park now requires dogs to be on a leash at all times; the huge number of dogs frisking about unfettered puts the lie to that.
First-timers should probably head north from the parking lot and explore the trails on top of the bluffs before heading down to the beach. If the tide is out, you may be able to walk south along the beach, scrambling over a storm drainage system, to a set of stairs back to the parking lot. A few warnings: cliffs a hundred or so feet high are between the upper area and the beach, and dogs have been known to take the plunge, so you need to be able to control your dog off-leash. Furthermore, there will be a hundred or more dogs present on a nice day, so you need to be sure that your dog is able to socialize properly. Finally, Fort Funston can be quite cold and windy in the summer, so bring a coat so Fido can stay as long as he likes.