SUNDAY DRIVE

What you see: The black sand, magnetite, is magnetic. The hang gliders are sensational. Beach walks go on forever. Along Ocean Beach to Fort Funston, about 750,000 people visit this stretch of San Francisco coast each year, according to national park statistics. Most are inspired by the expansive natural beauty and recreation. Ocean Beach and Funston are outstanding destinations for jogging, walking, dogs, fishing, hang gliding and surfing.

Location: Ocean Beach is along the northwestern San Francisco coast, north to the Cliff House and Land’s End, south to Funston and beyond past Thornton.

Beach walks: Ocean Beach spans 2½ miles. In the distance, the Golden Gate Bridge towers loom as spires to the north, and beyond, there is a beautiful silhouette of Mount Tamalpais. During low tides, this is a great beach to jog on the hard sand that is unveiled with low water. It is also one of the best beaches anywhere to find sand dollars. To the south, the beach extends for miles past Funston to remote Center Hole and beyond to Mussel Rock off Pacifica.

Black sand: At the southern end of the beach, the black sand is magnetite, a derivative of iron ore (not the residue of an oil spill). If you bring a strong magnet to the beach, the particles will stick to it. The magnetite is from the iron of the rust-colored cliff walls. The lighter granules of sand, on the other hand, come from the flow of silt from rivers being washed out to the bay and eventually placed onto the beach with the tides.

Sabertooth past: In the cliff walls, you can find a white, chalky substance, about a foot thick. This is a vein of volcanic ash, created from an ancient eruption, deposited by the flow of rivers. Rangers once found sabertooth tiger teeth in a vein here.

Hang gliders: A staging area for hang gliders at Fort Funston attracts more than 50,000 takeoffs and landings per year. It is an ideal site for the sport because of the cliffs and onshore winds, which create a natural updraft that provides the lift needed to stay aloft.

Surfing: When the waves are right, Ocean Beach is a favorite destination for surfing. The inshore ocean floor changes its contours, which adds to the unpredictability of currents.

Rip tides: Do not attempt to wade out, body surf or swim without a board (which will keep you on the surface, above the rip). Rip tides are dangerous here. They are created by inshore underwater troughs. Wade out a bit, step in one and it can be goodbye. Stairwell 21 can be a treacherous area.

Cost: Parking, access free.

Dogs: Dogs permitted, check for leash rules, which can vary according to site, with some areas closed at Ocean Beach and Fort Funston.

Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Funston, 415-561-4700, www.nps.gov/ goga.

HOW TO GET THERE

From San Francisco: Take Geary Boulevard west. As you approach the coast, it becomes Point Lobos Avenue, and at the Cliff House, curves left and descends to the Great Highway, with Ocean Beach on the right.

From the Peninsula: Take Interstate 280 north to Exit 47 signed for Highway 1/Pacifica. Take that exit and drive 1.1 miles up the hill to the exit for Skyline Boulevard/Highway 35N. Take that exit, merge onto Skyline Boulevard and continue north 4.3 miles to a stop sign (Lake Merced on right, Fort Funston on left). Turn left on Great Highway and continue north, Ocean Beach on the left.

GPS location: 5 Great Highway, San Francisco

Tom Stienstra / The Chronicle A hang glider sails along the San Francisco coastline at Fort Funston, south of Ocean Beach along the Great Highway.