California is known for her beaches and sunshine, but unfortunately the beaches in Northern California are not as recognized as the ones in Southern California. Northern California, and more specifically the Bay Area beaches, are excellent and in fact, do not pale in comparison to other beaches. They glow with their own warmth and personality. One of these beaches in NorCal is Aquatic Park Beach, which stretches around miles of San Francisco's beautiful northern shore. It is perfect for those visiting, being located between Hyde Street Pier and Fort Mason. And also being across from Ghirardelli Square near to the famous cable cars makes it extremely easy to get to. Its proximity to other famous parts of San Fransisco makes it not only easy to, but also is a perfect place to rest from the lively inner city. It has a long sidewalk away from the water and it is used to get to the beach and the various San Fransisco attractions the area has to offer.
Aquatic Beach is popular not only to the locals but visitors as well, and has a peaceful vibe when not crowded. This beach has lots of parking in the area, but be sure and get there early for the best spots. It is a great place to swim or wade with friends or children, play beach volleyball, take your pets for a walk, go for a nice stroll, or even just to sunbathe. Its coarse sand is excellent for building sand castles, and that combined with the other activities makes it perfect for families who want to spend the day in San Fransisco. Also, on a sunny day the view from the beach is spectacular; with the beautiful views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, the Oakland Hills and the meandering ferries powering across the bay.
To get to this spectacular beach from the Bay Area get on the I-580 W freeway toward San Francisco. Then merge onto I-80 W via the exit on the left toward San Fransisco (there will be a Portions toll, which for the typical automobile a 5 dollar fee is collected). Take the Fremont Street / Folsom Street exit and then take the Folsom St ramp. Next turn left onto Folsom St., and take another left onto The Embarcadero/Herb Caen Way. Continue to follow Embarcadero, and turn a slight left onto North Point St. Then turn right onto Polk St. and enjoy your time at the famous Aquatic Beach Park in San Francisco.
