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Take the stairs! The lands end trail has a small sign with a turnoff to Mile Rock...do it. The beach is lovely a tad wild and a great place to spend 10 minutes or an hour with a lunch. Awesome views.
Great little beach and good exercise getting back up to the car. Maybe not the best for sunbathing on a crowded weekend as not much room
This beach is amazing. Can see the sunset and pelicans fly as well as the big rock cormorants perch on. Trail with many stairs but it's worth the walk.
Automatic five star rating! With pictures I've convinced my sister who isn't really into trails to come along the next time I go out here. Luckily, the steps are low and going back up them isn't too bad. The trail itself is tempting. Looking at all those steps I just needed to see the beach it led to. It's a rather quick trail - maybe like 5 minutes once you get to the steps with the name of the beach at the start point. But before the trail it's beautiful as well. It takes about twenty minutes or so. It was pretty busy around 11am, but there was a lot of space available to sit, chill, and have lunch (or breakfast) at a distance. If you wanna explore the beach first, don't forget to make a left on your way out. That's where the real view is! Just a little more climbing and you're there. You won't regret it :) Be careful of those waves on the rock. My friends got wet, but luckily the wave didn't take them with it.
Beaches like this remind me of how beautiful San Francisco truly is. As if Land's End isn't stunning enough; it has to bless us with gorgeous little beaches like this. Mile Rock Beach is located a little over a mile into Land's End's Trail. Although it's located within Land's End, it's not nearly as crowded as nearby Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, or China Beach. It's off the main path, and you'll arrive there by walking down a short flight of stairs. The waves are extremely peaceful and of course, the views are pretty numbing. On a clear day, you can actually spot the Golden Gate Bridge across the way. One of the best elements about this beach is is' access to the labyrinth. There's a short pathway that will take you up to a labyrinth and a beautiful coastal viewpoint of the beach. The views of the coast are so insane. These kinds of views are what I like to call priceless. It gets pretty chilly and windy up there though, so make sure to bundle up and dress in layers if you're planning on making a visit. This is one of those beaches that you could spend your entire day admiring. A gem of a place and I hope that it stays this way forever.
Great place to bring your dog- it's right off of legion of honor, so the museum is also pretty accessible. I would not recommend for ADA or anyone with trouble with stairs, since the stairs down/up are pretty steep and it's quite a journey to get to the beach. When I went, there was no one else so my dog was able to run around off-leash. Great views, scenic, and quiet. Worth the trek.
Wonderful hike from Land's End Lookout to Mile Rock Beach. We went out in late afternoon and it was a beautiful walk to the beach. The views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sunset were spectacular! Notes on the hike: there was a lot of wind coming off the cool bay so bring something warm and there are 144 stairs up from the beach. Not a big deal if you pace yourself.
Hiking the California Coastal Trail, you can see the edge a lot. These little beaches including Mile Rock Beach was such a treat! It was quite tucked away but I managed to get down there and enjoy the views and the sounds of the waves crashing. Mile Rock had these stacks of rocks which I thought were cool!
Sooooooo, I'm a big girl and for all the plus size readers out there, I'm gonna let you know right now that you will get that little feeling in the pit of your gorgeously round tummy when you see all the steps to get down to this beach, BUT... I am 300+ and I made it, so you can too! Let's be honest, getting down is not the hard part. I did have to stop 3 times on the way back up to take a breather, but let me just reassure you again by saying that because the steps are somewhat staggered, it's not too tough to step off to the side to take a moment (heck, you can even pretend that you're just stopping to enjoy the view if you want and it wouldn't be a stretch :) The beach is small, like a little cove and it's quite rocky so there are lots of people stone stacking and some of them are pretty good. Most importantly to us ,it is a dog friendly beach but our pup was the only dog there. There were kids and people of all ages and we sat for an hour or so and just enjoyed the scenery. Between the steps, and a bad experience I had with an individual on the beach, I will say this wasn't my favorite place, but it wouldn't be impartial to rate it on just my one mediocre experience. Overall, I think it's worth a visit and I would definitely come back.
Parts of California should still be considered the Last Frontier. Beautiful sceneries of nature along with its Glorious Hills, and Magnificent Ocean, this last is awesome indeed! We parked, and hiked for about twenty minutes around nature on a beautiful clear Sunday afternoon. It was a perfect day to be outdoors. Not much of a sea breeze, so it was not cold. The hike (sort of) was about twenty minutes from the parking area to the beach. Very easy hike as it wasn't too crowded. Plenty of man-made stairs to make the journey alot easier to accommodate its visitors. Lovely trees everywhere, and birds chirping, along with the ocean sounds in the background made the adventure more exciting. You probably will not get as tired here compared to an actual mountaineous hike on a natural dirt trail. But it will still be a great workout doing this regularly. I really like this place! I didn't break a sweat doing this hike because of the trees creating shade. It wasn't hot at all. Probably around 70° which I thought was the perfect weather. Very enjoyable recreational hike with friends. There was plenty of logs to sit on if you needed to rest. There was also a fire pit area down the hill at the beach! I will definitely be back again!
Love this little beach! Be prepared for a long hike down a million stairs, and an even longer hike back up. You can access the beach stairs by parking at either Sutro Baths or Legion of Honor and walking over. The beach itself is naturally beautiful, set into to coast side with rugged rocks scattered throughout. It's so peaceful and gorgeous down there! A great place for a workout, sipping your toes in the water, taking photos, or enjoying the sunset.
This beach is very scenic and beautiful. The hike down is barely a mile, but it is very steep. If you have weak knees or troubles walking at a steep slope then take caution while going up and down the hill to get there. It is a nice spot to bring kids too, but just be aware of the steep walk down. The water is definitely too cold to actually go into, especially during this time of year (November). When I went the weather was very sunny and the sky was clear so it was beautiful. You can also see a lot of starfish on the rocks if you look close enough - careful of the rocks there are a lot of mussels on them and they are kind of sharp if you hit them. Overall, this beach is very scenic and located at a great spot - land's end is nearby and there is a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge!
We were hiking the Land's End coastal trail and saw a sign for this beach so we had to do it. Lots of steps but definitely worth it. More than likely you'll get the whole beach to yourself. Fog shrouded the beach giving it a mystical and ethereal feel, just how I would imagine ancient Scotland or England in the time of Arthur. Bring a jacket, it could get chilly quick!
1 year ago
Mile Rock Beach kind of has the aura of a secret hidden place. It is tucked in a cove that is surrounded by rocks and lofty hills. It requires a lot of steps just to get here which includes going down 3 long flights of stairs and might be why few people make it this far. The beach is filled with driftwood and rocks scattered all over the place. There must be something special about these rocks that makes people just want to stack them. Maybe it's the smooth round shapes that makes them easy to balance on top of each other or that there is an abundance of rocks to work with. Swimming is not recommended in these waters as there are a lot of large boulders and strong waves. The shipwrecks that can be seen at low tide are a reminder of how powerful the waves can become. There is a lighthouse out in the distance but it is oddly shaped like the top has been chopped off. The best part about Mile Rock Beach are the sights and sounds. I love breathing the real fresh air, hearing the waves crash on the rocks, hearing the seagulls chirping and feeling the cold breeze hit my face. It's so calm and peaceful that it's a shame to have to leave and go back to city life. read more
The labyrinth is gone and will not return. Apparently some miscreant vandalized it and threw the stones in the water. Never mind the people who came from all points on the planet to walk the maze against the backdrop of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Just as long as the uncaught mentally disturbed criminal got his rocks off. Someone else thoughtfully put a heart in its place, but the labyrinth is sorely missed (photo: https://bit.ly/3JO8PH9). It's probably a good thing you can't steal a beach because that's still there...I think. It's just 243 steps down from the California Coastal Trail. Oh c'mon you can do it. It's a small cove with a lot of rocks to maneuver around and dramatic crashing waves on the surf. So well worth the detour, and so are China, Baker, and Marshall Beaches, all of which are just up the coast in relative succession. You can make it a full-on beach day, bitch. RELATED - Looking for a beach? Here's a collection of beaches I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3rMOJ7b read more
Pretty chill and easy hike if you can handle stairs. If my grandma can do it, so can you! Brought the three dogs here too. Very beautiful scenery and a nice beach to just relax and play with the dogs. The trails can get confusing but keep an eye out on the sign that says Mile Rock Beach. Before you take the stairs by the wavy tree trunk, don't forget to go up that little hill on the right to see a full view of the Golden Gate Bridge! You can also see the full bridge from Lands End as well. read more
3 years ago
Great little beach and good exercise getting back up to the car. Maybe not the best for sunbathing on a crowded weekend as not much room read more
Automatic five star rating! With pictures I've convinced my sister who isn't really into trails to come along the next time I go out here. Luckily, the steps are low and going back up them isn't too bad. The trail itself is tempting. Looking at all those steps I just needed to see the beach it led to. It's a rather quick trail - maybe like 5 minutes once you get to the steps with the name of the beach at the start point. But before the trail it's beautiful as well. It takes about twenty minutes or so. It was pretty busy around 11am, but there was a lot of space available to sit, chill, and have lunch (or breakfast) at a distance. If you wanna explore the beach first, don't forget to make a left on your way out. That's where the real view is! Just a little more climbing and you're there. You won't regret it :) Be careful of those waves on the rock. My friends got wet, but luckily the wave didn't take them with it. read more
Beaches like this remind me of how beautiful San Francisco truly is. As if Land's End isn't stunning enough; it has to bless us with gorgeous little beaches like this. Mile Rock Beach is located a little over a mile into Land's End's Trail. Although it's located within Land's End, it's not nearly as crowded as nearby Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, or China Beach. It's off the main path, and you'll arrive there by walking down a short flight of stairs. The waves are extremely peaceful and of course, the views are pretty numbing. On a clear day, you can actually spot the Golden Gate Bridge across the way. One of the best elements about this beach is is' access to the labyrinth. There's a short pathway that will take you up to a labyrinth and a beautiful coastal viewpoint of the beach. The views of the coast are so insane. These kinds of views are what I like to call priceless. It gets pretty chilly and windy up there though, so make sure to bundle up and dress in layers if you're planning on making a visit. This is one of those beaches that you could spend your entire day admiring. A gem of a place and I hope that it stays this way forever. read more
Great place to bring your dog- it's right off of legion of honor, so the museum is also pretty accessible. I would not recommend for ADA or anyone with trouble with stairs, since the stairs down/up are pretty steep and it's quite a journey to get to the beach. When I went, there was no one else so my dog was able to run around off-leash. Great views, scenic, and quiet. Worth the trek. read more
Wonderful hike from Land's End Lookout to Mile Rock Beach. We went out in late afternoon and it was a beautiful walk to the beach. The views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sunset were spectacular! Notes on the hike: there was a lot of wind coming off the cool bay so bring something warm and there are 144 stairs up from the beach. Not a big deal if you pace yourself. read more
5 years ago
Hiking the California Coastal Trail, you can see the edge a lot. These little beaches including Mile Rock Beach was such a treat! It was quite tucked away but I managed to get down there and enjoy the views and the sounds of the waves crashing. Mile Rock had these stacks of rocks which I thought were cool! read more
Sooooooo, I'm a big girl and for all the plus size readers out there, I'm gonna let you know right now that you will get that little feeling in the pit of your gorgeously round tummy when you see all the steps to get down to this beach, BUT... I am 300+ and I made it, so you can too! Let's be honest, getting down is not the hard part. I did have to stop 3 times on the way back up to take a breather, but let me just reassure you again by saying that because the steps are somewhat staggered, it's not too tough to step off to the side to take a moment (heck, you can even pretend that you're just stopping to enjoy the view if you want and it wouldn't be a stretch :) The beach is small, like a little cove and it's quite rocky so there are lots of people stone stacking and some of them are pretty good. Most importantly to us ,it is a dog friendly beach but our pup was the only dog there. There were kids and people of all ages and we sat for an hour or so and just enjoyed the scenery. Between the steps, and a bad experience I had with an individual on the beach, I will say this wasn't my favorite place, but it wouldn't be impartial to rate it on just my one mediocre experience. Overall, I think it's worth a visit and I would definitely come back. read more
Parts of California should still be considered the Last Frontier. Beautiful sceneries of nature along with its Glorious Hills, and Magnificent Ocean, this last is awesome indeed! We parked, and hiked for about twenty minutes around nature on a beautiful clear Sunday afternoon. It was a perfect day to be outdoors. Not much of a sea breeze, so it was not cold. The hike (sort of) was about twenty minutes from the parking area to the beach. Very easy hike as it wasn't too crowded. Plenty of man-made stairs to make the journey alot easier to accommodate its visitors. Lovely trees everywhere, and birds chirping, along with the ocean sounds in the background made the adventure more exciting. You probably will not get as tired here compared to an actual mountaineous hike on a natural dirt trail. But it will still be a great workout doing this regularly. I really like this place! I didn't break a sweat doing this hike because of the trees creating shade. It wasn't hot at all. Probably around 70° which I thought was the perfect weather. Very enjoyable recreational hike with friends. There was plenty of logs to sit on if you needed to rest. There was also a fire pit area down the hill at the beach! I will definitely be back again! read more
6 years ago
Love this little beach! Be prepared for a long hike down a million stairs, and an even longer hike back up. You can access the beach stairs by parking at either Sutro Baths or Legion of Honor and walking over. The beach itself is naturally beautiful, set into to coast side with rugged rocks scattered throughout. It's so peaceful and gorgeous down there! A great place for a workout, sipping your toes in the water, taking photos, or enjoying the sunset. read more
9 years ago
This beach is very scenic and beautiful. The hike down is barely a mile, but it is very steep. If you have weak knees or troubles walking at a steep slope then take caution while going up and down the hill to get there. It is a nice spot to bring kids too, but just be aware of the steep walk down. The water is definitely too cold to actually go into, especially during this time of year (November). When I went the weather was very sunny and the sky was clear so it was beautiful. You can also see a lot of starfish on the rocks if you look close enough - careful of the rocks there are a lot of mussels on them and they are kind of sharp if you hit them. Overall, this beach is very scenic and located at a great spot - land's end is nearby and there is a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge! read more
We were hiking the Land's End coastal trail and saw a sign for this beach so we had to do it. Lots of steps but definitely worth it. More than likely you'll get the whole beach to yourself. Fog shrouded the beach giving it a mystical and ethereal feel, just how I would imagine ancient Scotland or England in the time of Arthur. Bring a jacket, it could get chilly quick! read more
10 years ago
I can't believe this gem doesn't have more reviews here on Yelp! Mile Rock Beach (MRB) is a modest sized beach that not many people frequent and is a wonderful little escape from everyday city life. Getting there is easy enough if you can manage the trek; just follow the Coastal Trail at Lands End (see my pic of a map), and then traverse down a somewhat steep set of steps to get to the beach. There are signs along the way to direct you if you have trouble telling direction like me. Parking is chaotic, especially on the weekend. DON'T start by going to the parking lot by the Cliff House, off of Point Lobos Ave. Lands End doesn't quite have an exact address, but most GPS directions tell you to take Point Lobos which leads to this crowded lot. I don't know how I managed to escape that chaos the first time I entered that lot. Try to look for parking further north instead. Your shoes will definitely get dirty, so not only wear comfortable ones, but ones you don't mind getting stained. Once you get to the beach, you'll be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge and listen to the thuds of mean waves crashing into the boulders with authority. The beach is strewn with rocks of all sizes that you can play or stack with. Many of them have already been stacked up by others for you to admire. There's also some concrete ruins with some cool graffiti that are past a bed of rocks and right at the shoreline if you can get to them. The coast is very windy! Be prepared to have sand blow into your face! There are larger boulders close to the shoreline that people climb on top of to meditate, get a better view, or just to snag that album cover-like profile pic. Just be warned: it's easier to climb on top of them than to climb down from them! Don't be caught off guard and be exposing your butt crack to everybody! Since you're already in the area, take another trail from the beach to see the Labyrinth, the plateau with rocks on the ground that form a spiral and has great views of the GGB. I hope you'll enjoy MRB as much as I do! read more
10 years ago
This is another one of my favorite beaches to visit, yet one of the harder ones to get to, if you're up for the challenge! Surrounded by spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean on one side and serene forestry around it, this beach is in a great location for those hiking the Land's End Trail coming from the left near Sutro Baths or from behind the Legion of Honor. The trail is easy to manuever and has sign posts detailing how to get to the beach itself. While getting down here gets steep and crowded from all the sightseers, it is all worth it to be able to walk on this small and clean cove with plenty of great photo op places if you continue walking to the left. There are these great cement ruins similar to those in Sutro Baths or Albany Bulb, and while you do have to traverse some rocks to get to them, they are definitely worth checking out while you're already here! Don't be afraid to start the hike to get here, because the end result is magnificent. Just remember to bring sunscreen, a light jacket and good shoes! :) read more
12 years ago
This beach/hike to get there was lovely. I had my two small dogs with me and they did fine. Beautiful day- plenty of people but it was still worth it (Saturday with the sun out). However I have a concern. There is a section between where the forest ends where the sand begins that is covered with smooth large and small rocks. The area is roughly 20 yards. Here small weeds work their way through the rocks. Driftwood is strewn about. And it is here that I could smell the most potent of doses of round-up type chemical. There is no doubt in my mind that the area had been sprayed, excessively and recently. What I want to to know is why, and why there are no postings of the spray? Once you get past he rocks to the beach it is lovely and the smell subsides. Enjoy yourself! read more
7 years ago
I've been to Land's end and Sutro bath many times but somehow I've never knew this beach before. The hike was short and easy, and the view is stunning. I'll definitely come back here! read more
7 years ago
Love the view. 2 mile hike down character building stairs, 2 plus miles across rocks, driftwood and beautiful shoreline with mountains of rocks and a 2 mile hike back up! This was our 1st time here and will definitely be back. read more
12 years ago
Such a lovely little beach. Took a dog I was caring for here, and we sat on the rocks and watched the sunset. Love walking it and finding old pieces of tile from the Sutro Baths. It's a relic of a beach, making it all the more special. read more
8 years ago
Lovely place to walk around. The beach is usually pretty free as it's not the kind of beach to lay around. There is graffiti along some of the rocks if you walk along the shore. There's a really cool formation of rocks that you can walk up to. read more
11 years ago
16 years ago
16 years ago
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San Francisco, CA 94121
Sea Cliff
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Can you swim in Mile Rock beach?
No swimming! You should not swim in any of SF's beaches ESPECIALLY OCEAN BEACH due to rip tides. It's very dangerous and there's lots of drownings each year. Mile Rock beach looks really rocky & jagged. The tides are very powerful.
Review Highlights - Mile Rock Beach
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