Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a strip of eroded sandstone sea cliffs on the Point Loma peninsula, running south from Ocean Beach for about a mile along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. The cliffs drop directly to the Pacific at heights between twenty and sixty feet, with rocky outcroppings, tide pools, and wave-carved caves at their base. The name is a statement of fact: the westward exposure means the cliffs catch the last light of the day, and the sunsets here are among the best in the city.
The upper path along the cliff edge is unpaved and informal. There are no barriers; the cliff edges are real. The tide pools at the base of the cliffs — accessible via informal trails down the rock faces — have significant marine life at low tide, including anemones, hermit crabs, and urchins. Surfers use the point breaks at the southern end.
The view from the cliffs is open ocean with no land between here and Hawaii. On clear evenings, whale spouts are visible during the grey whale migration from November through March. The park has no facilities, no parking fees, and no organised access — you park on the street and walk.