Aquatic Park Beach(Aquatic Park Cove Beach, Aquatic Park Lagoon Beach)

Located in the city of San Francisco, Aquatic Park Cove - also known as Aquatic Park Lagoon - is a popular artificial cove with a narrow beach that has light brown sand.  This beach is named Aquatic Park Cove Beach and it is also known as Aquatic Park Lagoon Beach.  Aquatic Park Cove is located within the Aquatic Park Historic District – this district is a part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The area near Aquatic Park Cove has a grassy park.  In addition, a municipal pier named the Aquatic Park Pier is also located near the beach - this pier has an interestingly curved shape and it protects Aquatic Park Cove from waves of the open ocean.  Aquatic Park Cove does not have lifeguards.  However, the area around the beach has a few amenities including walking and biking paths, nearby grassy areas, and benches.  

Aquatic Park Cove offers many fun activities, including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, biking, picnicking, fishing, tidepooling, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, boating, stand-up paddleboarding, and wildlife watching.  The generally calm water near the beach in Aquatic Park Cove is ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, canoers, and stand-up paddleboarders. In addition, many local swimming and boating clubs also operate around Aquatic Park Cove.  However, if you are planning to swim, kayak, or paddleboard near Aquatic Park Cove, we recommend being careful because the water here can be cold.  You can see seals and sea lions in the water in Aquatic Park Cove.  Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and harming them can result in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment.  However, if you encounter any seal or sea lion while on the beach or while swimming, we recommend being extremely careful - cases of seals and sea lions attacking swimmers have been recently reported from Aquatic Park Cove.  We strongly recommend that you avoid any interaction with seals and sea lions here and simply watch these creatures from a distance.  

Interesting tide pools are also located near the western end of the beach - these tide pools are home to many wonderful creatures including crabs, snails, clams, and barnacles.  Boat anchoring spots are also available in Aquatic Park Cove.  If you are planning to anchor your boat in Aquatic Park Cove, you can visit Aquatic Park Cove’s webpage on the National Park Service’s website for more useful information about anchoring rules and charges.  The Aquatic Park Pier on the beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of San Francisco city, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge.  In addition, the pier is also a great fishing site. This pier was also voted as “Best Place to Fish” by the SFWeekly newspaper in 2009.  If you are planning to fish from Aquatic Park Pier, please follow the local fishing regulations that can be found on the website of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Biking paths are also located near the beach in Aquatic Park Cove and offer a fun oceanfront biking session along the San Francisco coastline.

The Aquatic Park Historic District - the area within which Aquatic Park Cove is located - has been designated as a United States National Historic Landmark District and it is also a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places.  The Maritime Museum is housed in a former bathhouse building that was built in the Streamline Moderne architectural style in the 1930s.  The museum has interesting artistic exhibitions and murals.  Another interesting landmark near the beach in Aquatic Park Cove is the Hyde Street Pier.  Many historical ships are anchored around this pier including the Balclutha, the Eureka, and theAlma, which makes it ideal for maritime history enthusiasts.

Getting to Aquatic Park Cove is easy - the cove is easily accessible from the northern ends of Hyde Street and Van Ness Avenue.  Metered parking spaces are located near the northern ends of both these roads. 

There are many attractions near Aquatic Park Cove.  Alcatraz Island is a small and famous island in San Francisco Bay - while many civilian and military installations have been constructed in this island over the years, it is most popularly known for being home to a notorious federal prison between 1934 and 1963.  Famous prisoners incarcerated here include notorious gangsters Al Capone and George Kelly Barnes (also known as “Machine Gun” Kelly) - while you can explore the island premises through self guided tours during the daytime, many interesting demonstrations, guided tours, and activities are conducted on the island during evenings between Thursday and Saturday.  You can visit Alcatraz Island’s webpage on the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding these evening tours.  The Walt Disney Family Museum offers interesting exhibits dedicated to the life and works of eminent animator and film-maker Walt Disney.  Francisco Park is a large public recreational park that has many amenities including large grassy areas, picnic tables, a playground, a restroom, a community garden, and sitting areas and it also has an interesting heart-shaped sculpture – this park also has many trees including live oak and cypress trees and it is also home local species of insects and birds.  As an interesting fact, the park was previously the location of a large reservoir and you can also see some remnants of the reservoir while visiting it.  If you are looking for another attraction near Aquatic Park Cove, The Legion of Honor is a part of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco and it features an extensive collection of interesting artworks and historical artifacts including a 4,000 year-old Ancient Egyptian sculpture and a collection of sculptures created by eminent sculptor Auguste Rodin. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Aquatic Park Cove.  Fog Harbor Fish House offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience.  In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent seafood.  The restaurant has also been awarded TripAdvisor’s Traveler's’ Choice Best of the Best award.  Sotto Mare Oysteria & Seafood is famous for serving delicious cioppino stew.  In addition, the restaurant also offers amazing Italian and seafood dishes including seafood pastas, seafood risotto, and clam chowder.  Blue Mermaid is a popular waterfront restaurant that is known for serving excellent seafoodand it serves delicious seafood.  In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent tacos, sandwiches, breakfast dishes, salads, steaks, and desserts.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Aquatic Park Cove, Tommy’s Joynt offers amazing comfort food including sandwiches, pastas, roast meat platters, and salads. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Aquatic Park Cove, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a lounge where afternoon tea is served, a spa, a perfume shop, a courtyard, and a fitness center (which is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week).  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Argonaut Hotel that offers many amenities including an exercise room, a restaurant with a terrace, a lounge, board games, bike rental facilities, an xbox console in he lobby, complimentary coffee, and complimentary wine reception.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hotel Del Sol that offers many amenities including a saltwater pool, a movie library, a courtyard with hammocks, laundry/dry cleaning service, complimentary cookies, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Aquatic Park Cove, the 2-Star Cow HollowInn (also called Cow Hollow Motor Inn) is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in San Francisco.