San Francisco
Ocean Beach Dune Corridor
Restoring 86 acres of dune grass between Sloat and Fulton, ahead of the Great Highway's conversion to parkland.
Phase 2 of 3 · native planting continues through spring 2027
Field report · Sonoma to Santa Cruz
62 miles of Bay Area coastline. Still open to everyone.
Open Shorelines is a field organization, not a fundraising letter. We monitor easements, restore dune habitat, and show up at Coastal Commission hearings so the public shoreline from Bodega Head to Natural Bridges stays walkable.
62 mi
coastline kept open
14
easements secured
5
counties, Sonoma to Santa Cruz
Why we exist
The coast is public. Keeping it that way is a job.
California’s Coastal Act guarantees public access to the shoreline. It does not enforce itself. Every year, a handful of new fences, disputed rights of way, and eroding bluffs threaten to quietly close a beach that was never supposed to close. Open Shorelines is the group that notices, does the paperwork, and shows up.
We work the coast between Bodega Head and Natural Bridges: Ocean Beach and Fort Funston in San Francisco, the Marin Headlands from Slide Ranch to Muir Beach, the bluffs at Pacifica, and the tide pools at Half Moon Bay and Pillar Point. Most of what we do is unglamorous: title research, docent training, and a folding table at the county fair.
“We’re the reason the gate at Rancho Corral de Tierra is still unlocked.”
2026 field report
The season, in numbers.
62 mi
of coastline kept open to the public, monitored quarterly
14
public access easements secured since 2019
1,240
volunteers trained as coastal stewards this year
38,600 lbs
of debris removed from Ocean Beach and Fort Funston last season
86 acres
of dune habitat under active restoration
5
Coastal Commission hearings we testified at in 2026
Current campaigns
Three places we’re working right now.
Marin Headlands
Slide Ranch to Muir Beach Trail Easement
Securing a public trail easement across a private parcel that has blocked the coastal route for eleven years.
Easement signed · trail construction begins fall 2026
San Mateo County
Half Moon Bay Tide Pool Watch
Training volunteer docents to monitor Poplar Beach and Pillar Point against over-collection, ahead of peak low-tide season.
32 docents certified · recruiting for spring cohort
Get involved
Show up, give, or say something at the hearing.
Volunteer
Join a dune-planting day at Ocean Beach or a trail crew in the headlands. No experience required, closed-toe shoes required.
Give
Monthly gifts fund the unglamorous stuff: title searches, mailers, and the gas money to get a docent to Half Moon Bay by low tide.
Advocate
We send an alert before every Coastal Commission hearing that touches our stretch of shore, with a two-minute version of what to say.
Partner
Local businesses and foundations fund specific easements and restoration seasons. We'll tell you exactly what your gift bought.
Tell us where you fit in.
We reply from a real inbox, usually within a couple of days.