LAND'S END BEACH

Tucked away among craggy cliffs, patches of sand, and some of the Bay Area's best scenery, a nude beach is the last thing you'd expect to find within a short walk of the end of Geary Boulevard. But on warm days, Land's End usually draws dozens of visitors.

Legal status: Clothing-optional use is allowed within this part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), provided you don't touch anybody and nobody complains. Rangers patrol the area on foot and horseback.

How to find it: Go to the end of Geary. Then park in the dirt lot up the road from the Cliff House. Take the trail at the far end of the lot. A hundred yards past a bench and some trash cans, the path narrows and bends, rises and falls, and eventually becomes the width of a road. Don't take the road on the right, which leads to a golf course. Just past another bench, as the trail turns right, go left toward a group of dead trees, where there's a stairway with a “Dogs Must Be Leashed” sign. Descend and head left to another stairway, which leads to a 100-foot walk to the cove. Alternately, follow the service road below the El Camino del Mar parking lot a quarter-mile until you reach a bench, then take the trail there. It's rough in spots, and at the end you'll scramble over rocks.

The beach:"It's an area of rocks and little, watery grottoes," says frequent visitor Joseph Friday, of the Presidio area. Look for some good, sandy areas away from the beach's entrance. For the best sunbathing spots, from the bottom of the trail, walk west (left). Some visitors build little rock windbreaks that provide protection from blowing sand.

The crowd: The quarter-mile long cove gets up to 30 visitors on the warmest days, with up to 80 percent gay male usage being fairly standard. One visitor counted six or so nudes, all men, during a May visit.

Problems: Long walk; random "sex patrols" by rangers; reports of drug use; public sex on trails and nearby; fog and wind; quite rocky; swimming not allowed; trails other than main one are unsafe, may be closed, and/or have poison oak.

Rating: A.

NORTH BAKER BEACH

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Visitors to North Baker, just north of popular Baker Beach, are getting a rare treat: groups of 2-12 dolphins are showing up as close as 10 fee offshore almost every day. "They are usually coming around 11:30 a.m. or noon and then stay until sunset, with 2-5 p.m. being the best time to see them," says San Francisco's Paul Jung, a plasma TV installer who's been visiting Baker this month. One afternoon, Jung spotted a 12-foot long dolphin that was "just a few steps offshore. If they don't show up, it's unusual." Friday agrees, "It's amazing."

Visitors will find a mellow scene awaiting them. "People just hang out there," says Friday. Described by user Michael Joseph McMahon as an awesome spot for people-watching that's "like the cantina in the original Star Wars," the shoreline seems nearly devoid of the boom boxes, garbage, and gawkers that once disturbed regulars.

Tips: Watch out for some huge boulders on the shore that Mother Nature's been slow to cover with sand this year, pack flip-flops, provide shade and water for dogs, and on nice weekends arrive before noon to grab parking in the beach lot (otherwise, look for space on the street). Note: public sexual activity (sometimes a problem by the stairs near the middle of the beach) could result in Baker being shut down as a nude beach by the otherwise tolerant GGNRA. Do not indulge.

Legal status: Part of the GGNRA. See Land's End entry for policy.

How to find it: Take the 29 Sunset bus or go north on 25th Avenue to Lincoln Boulevard. Turn right and take the second left onto Bowley Street. Follow Bowley to Gibson Road, turn right, and follow Gibson to the east parking lot. Head right on the beach to the nude area, which starts at the brown and yellow “Hazardous Surf, Undertow, Swim at Your Own Risk” sign. Note: Some motorcycles in the lot have been vandalized. Instead of parking a motorbike in a car space (which is legal but angers car owners), "park in the motorcycle and bicycle area near the lot's fence," a regular suggests. Look for motorcycles parked next to a “No Parking” sign, which actually refers to car parking.

The beach: Long and narrow, with several tide pools at the north end (a wind-protected nook, accessible only during low tide, is located around the big rocks at the northern tip).

The crowd: "Young people, older types, men, women, Bay Area residents, tourists, gays, and straights all go there," says San Francisco's Ray Borkowski. "There should be nude beaches like it everywhere." On a June weekday, Jung counted 80 visitors. Depending on the weather, visitation ranges from dozens of people to hundreds, with more men, especially on weekdays, than women.

Problems: Because the parking lots tend to fill up quickly, police have been cracking down on illegally parked and unregistered vehicles; expect fog, wind, a few remaining gawkers (usually in the afternoon on the rocks above the beach), large crowds on hot days, hot sand; if you plan on playing volleyball, please bring a bucket of water to help keep the court cool and wet; swimming is allowed, but signs warn of hazardous waves; readers have also complained about public sex acts.

Rating: A. On a scale of 1-10, Jung gives it a "10 or more because it's been fantastic this year," Friday says "I'd rate maybe an 8.5 because it's the cleanest beach in San Francisco," and Borkowski, who would like more shade "from maybe a palm tree" and some bathrooms added to the beach, awards it an 8.0.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE BEACH

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Improved directions!

Overrun by fans who are undeterred by its slippery and often dangerous trails, Golden Gate Bridge Beach usually turns into a mob scene on summer weekends. "Scenery-wise, it's a very cool beach," says Friday. "And the waves don't break as hard as at Baker, so, on the nicest days in low tide, you can go out up to 50 yards. It's really nice to walk in the water there." A favorite activity: watching the sunset while staring toward the site's namesake, the Golden Gate Bridge. But don't visit if you're looking for privacy and solitude. "I had to stop going there because it's such a pick-up scene," explains Friday. "On weekends, you feel like a piece of meat on display."

Also known as Nasty Boy Beach and Marshall's Beach, the shoreline here features a trio of adjacent coves. In the spring, check for beautiful flowers on the bluffs. "Minuses" include some poison oak on the path (often trimmed back by volunteers), which is otherwise un-maintained and often turns into a muddy bluish goo after rainstorms. GGNRA rangers strongly recommend that visitors stay away from the trails and avoid swimming.

Legal status: Part of the GGNRA.

How to find it: Go to North Baker Beach, park in the main lot, and walk north along Lincoln Boulevard, passing the sand ladder that leads to North Baker. Just north of the ladder trail, look for a dirt road with a gate, leading to Battery Crosby. Follow it, then hike up the trail immediately on the left (south) side of the old fort to the top of the bluff. Rangers recently added some rails that make it a little easier to follow. Take the trail straight west as it goes downhill toward the ocean (wear long sleeves and pants to protect against poison oak; says Friday: "there can be a lot of it"). At a small, crumbling concrete bulkhead, the trailheads north along the bluffs and eventually down a shorter, steep section with small steps cut into the gully. The main path ends at the south end of Golden Gate Bridge Beach.

The beach: Three small, rocky beaches located below Fort Winfield Scott. The main beach trail tends to be slippery, heavily eroded, and dangerous. "In spring and winter, you'll probably be following a cascade of muddy prints," says Friday.

The crowd: During the week, Golden Gate Bridge Beach attracts dozens of users. On weekends usage, mostly but not all nude, soars to between 100 and 300 visitors on the hottest days.

Problems: Slippery, crumbling, sometimes muddy, and poison oak-edged trails; trash; rocks; wind; fog; unsafe swimming conditions; sex on the beach; too many people often jammed into too little space.

Rating: A. "On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 10 for scenery but only a 5 for the crowd," says Friday.

FORT FUNSTON BEACH

Seldom thought of as a nude beach, Fort Funston attracts throngs of dog lovers, hang gliding enthusiasts, hikers, and, on the warmest weekdays, a few diehard au naturel sun worshippers on the shoreline's sand dunes. Weather and rangers permitting, it's one of the few places where you and your canine can cavort unclad. Another good place: Marin County's Red Rock Beach.

No wonder regular visitors call it "Fort Fun." As you exit your vehicle in the huge parking lot, you'll probably spot a virtual "dog show in motion" on the nearby trails. The four-footed parade includes big, small, purebred, and designer dogs, along with a smattering of mutts and their human companions.

Speaking of humans, have you ever witnessed one coming in for a landing at a hang glider port? Right on the edge of the parking lot is a little field where you can see all the amazing action. Feel like going horseback riding? A nearby stable lets you do that too. Did we mention the dogs? You'll see more of them as you make your way from the parking lot to the privacy-offering sand dunes, which draw occasional topless and naked sunbathers. GGNRA rangers have been trying to root out the naturists by acting on the one or two complaints they usually receive every year. But so far the hikers, hang gliders, horseback riders, hound-walkers, and hiding half-naked humans keep coming back for more.

Legal status: Part of the GGNRA, which will issue citations if rangers see you nude or receive complaints.

How to find it: From Ocean Beach, drive south on the Great Highway. After Sloat Boulevard the road goes uphill. From there, curve right onto Skyline Boulevard, go past one stoplight, and look for signs for Funston on the right. Turn into the public lot and find a space as close as possible to the west side. At the southwest end, take the sandy steps to the beach, turn right, and walk to the dunes. Find a spot as far away from the parking lot as possible. Do not go nude here on the weekends, and if you don't like dogs, go elsewhere.

The beach: Soft, sandy dunes that allow for your own private, semi-secluded nude beach.

The crowd: Families use the beach on weekends and holidays, so nude use often dries up then.

Problems: Lack of tolerance by rangers; privacy problems on weekends; crowded parking lot on warm days; rough water; may be seen from overhead by hang gliders; roaming, sand-kicking dogs.

Rating: C.

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