Baker Beach West

San Francisco, California

When you donate to Swim Guide, you're helping people like you find clean places to go swimming.

This beach is popular among San Franciscans and offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, and the Pacific Ocean. Baker Beach is a 1 mile or 1.6 km saltwater beach just south of the Golden Gate Point which is where the Golden Gate Bridge connects with the peninsula. This historic site is part of Presidio which was a military base formed due to the founding of San Francisco by the Spanish in 1812. Although this beach was acquired by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1977, the Battery Chamberlin (disappearing gun installations built in 1904) are still intact. Baker Beach is suggested to be unsafe for swimming due to large waves, undertow and rip currents of the Pacific Ocean, but does offer wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Serpentine cliffs. Serpentine produces low-calcium and high-magnesium soil thus allowing for rare species of plants to develop in the area. Visitors are allowed to fish and there is a picnic area with tables, grills and restroom facilities. The northernmost end of Baker Beach is frequented by those sunbathers who would like the clothing-optional choice. Just a 10 minute drive across the Golden Gate Bridge is Fort Baker, a wonderful historic district which was an army post until the mid- 1990s. Fort Baker is a great place to spend the day viewing historic structures and landscapes.

Get directions to this beach

COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is essential right now. Follow the advice of the health experts. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Heading to the beach should only be considered an option if social distancing practices can be followed. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter the efforts to curb the virus’ spread.

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization public resource on COVID-19.

Water Quality

Meets water quality standards
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on February 22nd, 2021. The Swim Guide updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on February 25th, 2021 at 11:38 AM.

For water quality icon legend, click:

Current Weather

6°C

Clear

Report Pollution

Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

San Francisco Shoreline Beach Monitoring Program is a cooperative effort between Public Health Utilities Commission and the SanFrancisco Department of Public Health. Samples are collected year round, on a weekly basis and tested for 3 different bacterial indicators. Levels of total coliform, E.coli and enterococcus are analyzed by the quanti-tray method. Results are posted 18 - 24 hours after the samples are received by the laboratory. Health officials proactively notify the public and post and de-post beaches based upon preliminary results. Signs are posted at the beach in accordance with California standards and when a Combined Sewer System discharge occurs. Daily testing will occur and postings will remain until the discharge ceases and all bacteria levels drop below the following standards.

The standards for indicator bacteria are as follows:
Total Coliform > 10,000 MPN (Most Probable Number) / 100 ml of water
E.coli > 400 MPN / 100 ml
Enterocococcus > 104 MPN / 100 ml

A beach is marked Green when the levels of 2 or more types of indicator bacteria are less than state standards.

A beach is marked Red when the levels of more than one type of indicator bacteria at a single station are above state standards or when one or more indicator bacteria levels exceed at each of two linked stations. If one or more of the indicator bacteria levels are above the state standard in a repeat sample the beach will remain posted until all 3 indicators are below state standards.

A beach is marked Grey when there is no current or reliable monitoring information available.

Swim Guide checks daily for the latest results. Swimmers are encouraged to stay out of the water during heavy rainfall and up to 48 hours after.

Water Quality Graph