Skateboarding Finds New Home at Sunset Dunes in San Francisco

Skaters flock to purpose-built park at the western edge of the city

Apr. 11, 2026 at 6:25am by

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A new skate park at Sunset Dunes in San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood has become a hub for the city's skateboarding community. The park, which opened about a year ago, offers a rare purpose-built space for skaters after decades of using the city's streets, hills, and architecture as an informal playground.

Why it matters

The opening of the Sunset Dunes skate park reflects a broader shift in how San Francisco is adapting public spaces for recreational use, particularly along the Great Highway. It also highlights the enduring appeal of skateboarding as a sport that cuts across cultural divides and brings people together.

The details

The Sunset Dunes skate park features a variety of ramps, rails, and other features designed specifically for skateboarding. Longtime skater Ted Barrow, who has been featured in Thrasher Magazine, says the park offers a unique opportunity for skaters at the very edge of the city before hitting the Pacific Ocean.

  • The Sunset Dunes skate park opened about a year ago.
  • The park comes as the city continues to reimagine portions of the Great Highway for recreational use.

The players

Ted Barrow

A prominent voice in skate culture who has been skating in San Francisco for decades and hosts a series with Thrasher Magazine exploring skate spots around the world.

Thrasher Magazine

A prominent skateboarding publication that Barrow says is like the "bible" of the sport in San Francisco.

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What they’re saying

“San Francisco has always been the site of the most intense, and in some ways, iconic images of skateboarding. It's this incredibly beautiful, picturesque city with really steep hills and really rigid concrete and asphalt.”

— Ted Barrow, Skater

“This isn't the end-all of skateboarding in San Francisco. But it's pretty epic that there is a skate park and skateable space in the last few feet of the city at the edge of the Outer Sunset here before we hit the Pacific Ocean. I think that's awesome.”

— Ted Barrow, Skater

“You know, if San Francisco is our Rome, then Thrasher is our bible. My connection happened organically because I've been skating forever.”

— Ted Barrow, Skater

“Skateboarding is a great way to connect with people. It cuts across generations, it cuts across nationality, it cuts across any sort of cultural divisions that most people get hung up on.”

— Ted Barrow, Skater

The takeaway

The opening of the Sunset Dunes skate park in San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood highlights the enduring appeal of skateboarding as a sport that brings people together across cultural divides. It also reflects the city's efforts to adapt public spaces for recreational use, particularly along the Great Highway.