Sunset Dunes Background & Timeline

History of the Coast Long before the arrival of European settlers, the Yelamu people, a local tribe of Ramaytush Ohlone, were the stewards of the land. With arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1769, the Yelamu people were displaced and colonized. Prior to the development of San Francisco, the western areas were largely sand dunes, vegetated by native dune grasses, and rocky outcroppings. As the city grew westward, the sand dunes have been replaced with housing and infrastructure, and native habitat has largely disappeared. The sand dunes along Ocean Beach and at Sunset Dunes are some of the last native dune habitat remaining in San Francisco.

Covid-19 and the Great Highway Pilot Closure In April 2020, the stretch of Great Highway from Lincoln to Sloat was closed to vehicles to provide recreational opportunities and social distancing space during the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2021, the Great Highway reopened to vehicular traffic on weekdays while retaining the weekend park usage. In December 2022, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation establishing the Great Highway Pilot, a hybrid usage plan that closed the road to vehicles on holidays and weekends and, during which, traffic and visitor data was collected on the Great Highway’s use as both a roadway and park. In November 2024, San Francisco voters approved the passage of Proposition K, which transforms the Upper Great Highway to a permanent 24/7 recreational public park for walking, biking, rolling and more.

Prop K. and the Opening of Sunset Dunes Following the passage of Prop K in November 2024 , SF Rec and Park began the transformation of the former highway into a full-time park.

Between Fall 2024 and February 2025, our partners City Agencies completed several infrastructure projects necessary to begin this project:

• Lincoln and Sloat Quick-Build Connections Project | SFMTA
• Preparing for Great Highway Changes: New Traffic Signals and Safety Improvements in Place | SFMTA
• Sunset Boulevard Pavement Renovation | Public Works
• Ocean_Beach_Sand_Backpass_2025.pdf

In March 2025, the Upper Great Highway was permanently closed to private vehicular traffic. SF Rec and Park worked quickly to install new park amenities such as water fountains and wildlife friendly trashcans, vista points, gathering spaces, public art, new signage, fitness equipment, a bike pump track and more. These interim projects support the recreational use of the new park to ensure that Sunset Dunes can be enjoyed by everyone.

At the same time, SF Rec and Park undertook a community process to select the new name for the park, which included 2 surveys and a community meeting, to gather community feedback and review naming ideas and criteria.

On Wednesday April 9, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission approved the name Sunset Dunes. On April 12, 2025 the park officially opened with a ribbon cutting and community celebration.