Local before arrival
It’s not the Côte d’Azur, but on a summer day, Baker Beach does have a Mediterranean spirit: tipsy picnickers, dramatic cliffs, and even nude sunbathers (at the north end). When it’s crowded, the beach feels like one big party; fitting, since it was the site of the original Burning Man festivals. Ironically, Baker Beach was once a military base—the historic “disappearing guns” are still mounted above the shore. Just north is a great hideaway cove, with occasional sea lions.
