San Francisco’s newest park, along what will shortly become the former Upper Great Highway, will officially open on April 12.
The opening of the park, which was created through the controversial Proposition K, approved by voters in November, will mark the permanent transition of the Upper Great Highway to a 2-mile long, 43-acre park fronting Ocean Beach.
The road had been closed during weekends and holidays since a pilot program in 2022 extended such closures after the COVID-19 pandemic. The last day for public vehicles to travel on the oceanfront roadway will be March 13.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced the opening date of the park at a press conference and in a press release on Saturday that also set forth a process for the public to help name the park. It has temporarily been called Ocean Beach Park as the effort progressed.
The park will include art installations, murals and seating for events like music and art performances, along with other lounge spaces with chairs and hammocks.
There will also be a space for skating, bike racks, outdoor fitness equipment and a nature exploration area, according to the Recreation and Park Department press release.
Proposition K passed by a margin of about 10 points, 55% to 45%, but drew controversy from residents on the west side of the city, including the Sunset and Richmond Districts, who largely opposed closing the road, according to data from electionmapsf.com.
The proposition’s co-author, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, faced an election challenger in November who railed against the highway’s closure. While her opponent, Matt Boschetto, was unsuccessful in his campaign to unseat her, another co-author, Supervisor Joel Engardio, is now facing a recall effort from residents in the Sunset District that he represents.
In a statement provided by the Recreation and Park Department, Engardio celebrated the park’s anticipated opening.
“Today is the start of something visionary that will open the coast to all and become an icon of San Francisco,” Engardio said.
The naming process will have a period to submit suggested names from Saturday through March 16. On March 18, a virtual community meeting will be held to review submissions. From March 20 to April 2, public feedback will be taken online to influence the final decision.
Name submissions can be made online.
“This park belongs to the people of San Francisco,” said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the Recreation and Park Department.
“It’s a place where the city meets the sea, where art and nature come together, and where San Franciscans will leave their mark — not just by enjoying the park, but by giving it its name,” he said.
Final touches underway
Preparations ahead of the April 12 opening of the park will include reinforcing sand and dunes on the oceanside lanes by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from March 17 to April 9, which it does annually.
During that time, the Recreation and Park Department will finalize design and begin to implement seating areas and other amenities, while a non-profit community group supporting the park’s creation, Friends of Ocean Beach Park, will begin temporary art installations.
Final touches on signage and amenities will take place from April 10 to April 12, ahead of the park’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
“We’re thrilled that San Francisco’s new oceanfront park will be available for everyone to use in just six weeks,” said Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Ocean Beach Park.
“From initial amenities like seating and recreation areas to beautiful art and useful wayfinding, this is going to be a transformed space that will be used by generations to come by San Franciscans of all ages and backgrounds,” Lux said.
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