Ocean Beach staircase 21

Staircase twenty-one serves as a vital navigational marker along the three and a half miles of Ocean Beach. While the numbered stairwells dotting the shoreline may appear strictly functional, this specific location marks a significant transition point for the area’s regulations. Heading north from this spot, you enter a zone where dogs are permitted off-leash year-round. South of this staircase, the beach becomes a protected habitat for the western snowy plover, a small threatened bird that requires strictly enforced leashes for much of the year to survive.