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This is the place to go to if you'd like some me-time while breathing ocean salted fresh air. When I arrived here, there was only a couple, then a family of 4 came... a total of 7 people in a whole beach... we got our own spots! You can walk a mile at the Arroyo DeLos Frijoles trail to the other saide of the beach which is more sandy and where people are usually are.
My sweet hubby stopped here so I could roll down my window and listen to the waves crash over the ocean while he took a nap. Honestly there's nothing more soothing than listening to this and what a beautiful view! I just love the smell and feel of the fresh sea air, don't you!? This NorCal beach is one of most popular walking beaches in this small town with steps that walk directly down to the beach! There's also picnic benches to sit at and a bonus parking is free! If you're looking for the perfect road-trip, Pescadero is 1 hour south of San Francisco, 1 hour north of Santa Cruz and just 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean! And for those wandering, the Spanish word Pescadero translated in English means fishmonger, which is a shopkeeper who sells fish! I would recommend this beautiful beach and we're looking forward to exploring more our next visit, especially the geological stone formation called, "tafoni" I read about!
It's a wonderful little beach along one of my favorite seasides stretches of the 1. If you've never driven south from San Francisco to Monterey along the 1, you're really missing out on things in life. Have you stopped to consider that? It's not really a beach-day beach; it's more of a windswept-picnic beach, if that makes sense. There's plenty to explore, including all kinds of crazy sea creatures and remains of sea creatures and rocks and pebbles and sand--yes! even the sand is interesting. If you have little ones, be sure to keep an eye on them, as there are plenty of ways to get injured here. Normally, I'm all for children learning about danger through personal experience rather than parental coddling, but the jagged rocks and crazy tides here could turn a minor fall into a major tragedy. Speaking of bad parenting, there are signs all over the place about which objects and creatures it is illegal to remove from the beach. Disgustingly, the first time I came here, a father was eagerly showing his four or five children how to capture some prohibited-to-take creatures in buckets. At first, we thought the family was going to release what they had caught before leaving, but nope, they just scurried up the rocks with buckets in hand and piled into their Suburban. It can get pretty crowded if it's a sunny weekend, but don't be afraid to come when it's cloudy or overcast. That's when I've enjoyed myself the most here.
Bean Hollow State Beach is one of my favorite beaches on the San Mateo County Coast. Located near Pescadero there are two areas of parking, one for Pebble Beach and one for the sandy Bean Hollow. The access to both areas is easily reached. At low tide on Pebble Beach explore the tide pools and the tufa. The sandy beach is popular for anglers. Parking can be difficult on weekends.
Another stop on our adventure in the Bay Area and PCH. This nice little beach area had picnic tables with beautiful views.
Yes, we all know the Pacific side of the peninsula is gorgeous, an embarrassment of geological riches with rising cliffs, craggy rocks, and crashing waves. The problem becomes which beaches to visit, and the one side benefit of this pandemic was the opportunity I found in discovering several of them for the first time. Bean Hollow was a new find about three miles south of the Pescadero turnout. Keep your eye out for the sign. It's pretty quick and the two available parking lots are tiny and probably packed on weekends. I didn't even bother on a Friday afternoon and parked precariously on the shoulder off Hwy 1. The main draw for most visitors is the narrow and winding 1-1/2-mile trail that connects Bean Hollow Beach with nearby Pebble Beach. Coupled with the crashing waves below, it's quite a stunning sensory experience with the vibrant flora taking over and spilling over the steep cliffs. It's a bit tricky to start the trail as it requires a steep walk-up from the quicksand texture of the beach. But trust me, it was worth the effort. RELATED - Going to the beach? Here's a collection of beaches I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3rMOJ7b
Beautiful beach, clean and well kept. The bathrooms are closed but there were clean portables. The tide was too far in to get to a lot of the rocks, but still really fun to look at everything.
This is one of the few local beaches that allows DOGS, who must be controlled with a leash of no more than six feet at all times. For the record, Ella & Ziggy, the two small dogs my friends brought, LOVED scrambling up and down the rock like the strongest rock climbers. They were Adam PAWndra and Sasha DOGoulian. But, if you don't notice leashes on them in the pictures that's because, er, I, um, photoshopped them out or something like that. Since it has free parking, it's a no-brainer stop on the Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz PCH trip. Like Pescadero State Beach it is a great place for licensed fishing, a picnic, or exploring tidepools (anemones, crab, urchins), but this stop has some unique rock formations that remind me of the lava tubes of Maui. Bean Hollow State Beach includes two sheltered coves, separated by a rocky point. A mile-long nature trail connects to Pebble Beach. Not THEE Pebble Beach but it is a beach and there are pebbles. But do not collect pebbles. Or shells, Or driftwood. It's all prohibited. Only take with you your photos and memories, your trash, and whatever is stuck in your shoes. You will not want to spend much time in the bathroom, and will likely get a good workout by squatting and hovering, but at least it was well-stocked with toilet paper. Looking at basically a poop bucket, I now why the beach was once known as Arroyo de Los Frijoles or Channel of the Beans. This area was part of Rancho Butano, granted to Ramona Sanchez in 1838. Coburn, an eccentric and confrontational businessman from Vermont, bought the land in 1860. The 1906 earthquake closed the large hotel he was constructing on the bluff above Pebble Beach. Less than a year after his death in 1918, his second wife Sarah (sister of his first wife Mary) was struck with firewood in her sleep and killed. Nobody was ever charged. Some say her ghost still comes to the beach to explosively poop in the bucket.
Went at afternoon low tide (2.5 ft) and there were so many tide pools to explore. We had a group of kids staying at Costanoa and made the 10 minute drive up the highway to explore. Parking lot is tiny and dead ends but plenty of parking on the shoulder of the highway before and after parking lot entrance. The north side of the highway (heading south) is good and has paths that are actually closer to tide pools. The beach is also very calm with barely any waves in a nice little cove.
Bean Hollow State Beach stretches several miles along the San Mateo County coast, about 20 minutes south of Half Moon Bay. It's kind of off the beaten path, and it was almost empty even on Mother's Day. Though the parking lot with the bathrooms is tiny, there's plenty parking on Hwy 1 all along the length of the park. You can hop on the trail from any point. The walking trail along the bluff has foot bridges and benches, along with interpretive signs for flora, fauna, and geology. The infrastructure is in decent shape. The beach is easily accessed by footpaths down about twenty feet to the beach. It's not exactly wheel chair accessable, but anyone wearing boots or athletic shoes should have no problem. The shoreline alternates between sandy beach and rugged rocks with waves crashing over them. You wouldn't want to swim here anyways. The water's a little rough, and it's full of kelp. And probably seal poop too. There are lots of interesting rock formations you can scramble on to get salt spray on your face at waters edge. The tide pools here are ok, but not as much diversity as perhaps Moss Beach. Further out there are dozens of seals. We saw some swim sort of close. They looked weary of us and kept their distance, but they definitely came up to check us out.
The only dog friendly beach in the area so we ended up here with our fur children. The beach is beautiful, people were fishing, and there were also some sun tide pools. Seems to be right on the line of either foggy and overcast or sunny. We lucked out and got a sunny day! Beach is easy to get to with not a lot of climbing or walking.
Terrible dirty restroom, parking easily gets full, and not a lot of picnic tables. This place is also windy and cold. Go here for sightseeing but not a good site for picnics.
One of my favorite beaches that's on that stretch between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. This stretch of Highway 1 is one of my favorite day drives. So relaxing and chill. This small beach is about a couple miles south of Pescadero. But this isn't your conventional beach, where the masses congregate, plop down a beach camp lugging a ton of gear. And I'm sure that's why I'm highly fond of it. It is not as trampled, and is more tranquil, lots of areas where you can find solitude. A lot has to do with the parking here. There are only 2 small lots each about a mile apart. Each can only hold maybe 15 cars each. So in that alone, will prevent the masses from coming here. There are spots on the highway where you can park, but now you'll have to hike a bit to reach the beach. It's an easy hike, but people who want to camp out usually don't want to lug their gear for very long. So they'll choose another beach. This also isn't a swim friendly beach. Yes the ocean is right there in all it's glory. Crashing waves, intoxicating briny aroma of the sea, sea breeze whirling around with a firm presence. But it is not recommended to enter that water for very far. As this is not a shallow and sheltered calm beach. So you don't see a lot of water activity. Again, something that is more of an asset to my outings than a negative. The south end of this state beach is where the sandy beach is. So if you do want to plop a beach blanket down, this is where it'll have to happen. This is also where you'll see most of the people. The north end has a beach also but instead of sand, it is all small pebbles now. So not really ideal to lay on. Here most people are just on foot walking around, exploring and taking pics. This side also has more tidepools (if the high tide isn't there). And this area has a really unique geographical feature. The sandstone here with the many years of erosion from the sea and wind have created this spectacular pattern on the rocks. Lots of holes and pockets were created but in a smooth and flowing pattern. And when paired with the colorful pebbles that reside here, just makes for a spectacle you just don't see anywhere else. They actually call these rock formations "Tafoni". I find it very aesthetically soothing to be around it, just gazing and hearing the Pacific right next to it. For me much better than hearing 100+ people frolicking densely on a beach, playing music and throwing balls around. But to each their own, and this is just where I'll prefer to hang. Even better on the weekdays, even better either near dawn or towards sunset. A true NorCal gem.
While camping nearby we wanted to spend an afternoon at the beach. We chose this particular beach after reading reviews. After parking (which can fill up quickly) it was a short easy walk to beach. It was a bit windy yet we found a cove that was somewhat protected. The sand is pretty, almost white in color & soft to walk on. I took a stroll to the tidal pool areas which was fabulous. I discovered quite a bit of tidal life including a few varieties of crabs. I was even treated to watching a crab fight! The color of the water was also beautiful- almost aqua. The beach was clean which is always appreciated. read more
A smaller beach, but pleasant. There's a small parking lot. Plenty of restrooms. I actually prefer going there when there is a storm, to watch the waves crash on the rocks. It's a nice beach and I recommend visiting all the state beaches along the coast. read more
A hidden California beauty. However, #1 rule, especially here, is leave the beach as you found it! It is illegal to remove pebbles from the beach, leave them be so that others can enjoy this special place along the California coast. Please also remember to keep our beaches clean and leave no trace of your visit, litter or otherwise. I remember visiting this beach as a child and I made it my post New Years 2025 goal to rediscover its beauty as an adult. These photos were taken in January of '25, for reference. Nestled in Pescadero, CA, Bean Hollow State Beach offers a vast expanse of different terrain along the coastline. There are technically two beaches here: one is south, but the northern beach is what locals refer to as "pebble beach." (This is NOT the same as the official Pebble Beach residential area near Monterey and Carmel.) The beach is downhill on the right side from the northern parking lot. There is also a beautiful hiking area from the north to south beaches if you are up for the trek. If you are careful, you can go down to the sandstone/rock formation area to the left of the actual pebble beach past the parking lot. It's a beautiful view to watch the waves crash against the rocks, but always keep away from the wet areas and don't turn your back to the ocean. Stay safe by wearing good shoes and only walk along the dry areas on the rocks. These waves are very unpredictable and you have to be aware of the tides as well. Most of this state beach has no cell reception, so either don't go alone or let people know your plans. Absolutely one of my favorite places on the coast off of Highway 1, it is about 25 minutes south of Half Moon Bay. Bean Hollow State Beach also boasts collections of Tafoni sandstone cavities/holes, a special geological formation that is native to California coasts. Well worth a visit in any season, as long as you're dressed for the weather. If you're lucky, you might even see some aquatic life, too: we saw a few seals bobbing in the water. read more
2 years ago
This is the place to go to if you'd like some me-time while breathing ocean salted fresh air. When I arrived here, there was only a couple, then a family of 4 came... a total of 7 people in a whole beach... we got our own spots! You can walk a mile at the Arroyo DeLos Frijoles trail to the other saide of the beach which is more sandy and where people are usually are. read more
4 years ago
My sweet hubby stopped here so I could roll down my window and listen to the waves crash over the ocean while he took a nap. Honestly there's nothing more soothing than listening to this and what a beautiful view! I just love the smell and feel of the fresh sea air, don't you!? This NorCal beach is one of most popular walking beaches in this small town with steps that walk directly down to the beach! There's also picnic benches to sit at and a bonus parking is free! If you're looking for the perfect road-trip, Pescadero is 1 hour south of San Francisco, 1 hour north of Santa Cruz and just 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean! And for those wandering, the Spanish word Pescadero translated in English means fishmonger, which is a shopkeeper who sells fish! I would recommend this beautiful beach and we're looking forward to exploring more our next visit, especially the geological stone formation called, "tafoni" I read about! read more
3 years ago
It's a wonderful little beach along one of my favorite seasides stretches of the 1. If you've never driven south from San Francisco to Monterey along the 1, you're really missing out on things in life. Have you stopped to consider that? It's not really a beach-day beach; it's more of a windswept-picnic beach, if that makes sense. There's plenty to explore, including all kinds of crazy sea creatures and remains of sea creatures and rocks and pebbles and sand--yes! even the sand is interesting. If you have little ones, be sure to keep an eye on them, as there are plenty of ways to get injured here. Normally, I'm all for children learning about danger through personal experience rather than parental coddling, but the jagged rocks and crazy tides here could turn a minor fall into a major tragedy. Speaking of bad parenting, there are signs all over the place about which objects and creatures it is illegal to remove from the beach. Disgustingly, the first time I came here, a father was eagerly showing his four or five children how to capture some prohibited-to-take creatures in buckets. At first, we thought the family was going to release what they had caught before leaving, but nope, they just scurried up the rocks with buckets in hand and piled into their Suburban. It can get pretty crowded if it's a sunny weekend, but don't be afraid to come when it's cloudy or overcast. That's when I've enjoyed myself the most here. read more
2 years ago
Bean Hollow State Beach is one of my favorite beaches on the San Mateo County Coast. Located near Pescadero there are two areas of parking, one for Pebble Beach and one for the sandy Bean Hollow. The access to both areas is easily reached. At low tide on Pebble Beach explore the tide pools and the tufa. The sandy beach is popular for anglers. Parking can be difficult on weekends. read more
2 years ago
Another stop on our adventure in the Bay Area and PCH. This nice little beach area had picnic tables with beautiful views. read more
Yes, we all know the Pacific side of the peninsula is gorgeous, an embarrassment of geological riches with rising cliffs, craggy rocks, and crashing waves. The problem becomes which beaches to visit, and the one side benefit of this pandemic was the opportunity I found in discovering several of them for the first time. Bean Hollow was a new find about three miles south of the Pescadero turnout. Keep your eye out for the sign. It's pretty quick and the two available parking lots are tiny and probably packed on weekends. I didn't even bother on a Friday afternoon and parked precariously on the shoulder off Hwy 1. The main draw for most visitors is the narrow and winding 1-1/2-mile trail that connects Bean Hollow Beach with nearby Pebble Beach. Coupled with the crashing waves below, it's quite a stunning sensory experience with the vibrant flora taking over and spilling over the steep cliffs. It's a bit tricky to start the trail as it requires a steep walk-up from the quicksand texture of the beach. But trust me, it was worth the effort. RELATED - Going to the beach? Here's a collection of beaches I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3rMOJ7b read more
2 years ago
Beautiful beach, clean and well kept. The bathrooms are closed but there were clean portables. The tide was too far in to get to a lot of the rocks, but still really fun to look at everything. read more
This is one of the few local beaches that allows DOGS, who must be controlled with a leash of no more than six feet at all times. For the record, Ella & Ziggy, the two small dogs my friends brought, LOVED scrambling up and down the rock like the strongest rock climbers. They were Adam PAWndra and Sasha DOGoulian. But, if you don't notice leashes on them in the pictures that's because, er, I, um, photoshopped them out or something like that. Since it has free parking, it's a no-brainer stop on the Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz PCH trip. Like Pescadero State Beach it is a great place for licensed fishing, a picnic, or exploring tidepools (anemones, crab, urchins), but this stop has some unique rock formations that remind me of the lava tubes of Maui. Bean Hollow State Beach includes two sheltered coves, separated by a rocky point. A mile-long nature trail connects to Pebble Beach. Not THEE Pebble Beach but it is a beach and there are pebbles. But do not collect pebbles. Or shells, Or driftwood. It's all prohibited. Only take with you your photos and memories, your trash, and whatever is stuck in your shoes. You will not want to spend much time in the bathroom, and will likely get a good workout by squatting and hovering, but at least it was well-stocked with toilet paper. Looking at basically a poop bucket, I now why the beach was once known as Arroyo de Los Frijoles or Channel of the Beans. This area was part of Rancho Butano, granted to Ramona Sanchez in 1838. Coburn, an eccentric and confrontational businessman from Vermont, bought the land in 1860. The 1906 earthquake closed the large hotel he was constructing on the bluff above Pebble Beach. Less than a year after his death in 1918, his second wife Sarah (sister of his first wife Mary) was struck with firewood in her sleep and killed. Nobody was ever charged. Some say her ghost still comes to the beach to explosively poop in the bucket. read more
2 years ago
Went at afternoon low tide (2.5 ft) and there were so many tide pools to explore. We had a group of kids staying at Costanoa and made the 10 minute drive up the highway to explore. Parking lot is tiny and dead ends but plenty of parking on the shoulder of the highway before and after parking lot entrance. The north side of the highway (heading south) is good and has paths that are actually closer to tide pools. The beach is also very calm with barely any waves in a nice little cove. read more
5 years ago
Bean Hollow State Beach stretches several miles along the San Mateo County coast, about 20 minutes south of Half Moon Bay. It's kind of off the beaten path, and it was almost empty even on Mother's Day. Though the parking lot with the bathrooms is tiny, there's plenty parking on Hwy 1 all along the length of the park. You can hop on the trail from any point. The walking trail along the bluff has foot bridges and benches, along with interpretive signs for flora, fauna, and geology. The infrastructure is in decent shape. The beach is easily accessed by footpaths down about twenty feet to the beach. It's not exactly wheel chair accessable, but anyone wearing boots or athletic shoes should have no problem. The shoreline alternates between sandy beach and rugged rocks with waves crashing over them. You wouldn't want to swim here anyways. The water's a little rough, and it's full of kelp. And probably seal poop too. There are lots of interesting rock formations you can scramble on to get salt spray on your face at waters edge. The tide pools here are ok, but not as much diversity as perhaps Moss Beach. Further out there are dozens of seals. We saw some swim sort of close. They looked weary of us and kept their distance, but they definitely came up to check us out. read more
The only dog friendly beach in the area so we ended up here with our fur children. The beach is beautiful, people were fishing, and there were also some sun tide pools. Seems to be right on the line of either foggy and overcast or sunny. We lucked out and got a sunny day! Beach is easy to get to with not a lot of climbing or walking. read more
2 years ago
Terrible dirty restroom, parking easily gets full, and not a lot of picnic tables. This place is also windy and cold. Go here for sightseeing but not a good site for picnics. read more
1 year ago
5 years ago
One of my favorite beaches that's on that stretch between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. This stretch of Highway 1 is one of my favorite day drives. So relaxing and chill. This small beach is about a couple miles south of Pescadero. But this isn't your conventional beach, where the masses congregate, plop down a beach camp lugging a ton of gear. And I'm sure that's why I'm highly fond of it. It is not as trampled, and is more tranquil, lots of areas where you can find solitude. A lot has to do with the parking here. There are only 2 small lots each about a mile apart. Each can only hold maybe 15 cars each. So in that alone, will prevent the masses from coming here. There are spots on the highway where you can park, but now you'll have to hike a bit to reach the beach. It's an easy hike, but people who want to camp out usually don't want to lug their gear for very long. So they'll choose another beach. This also isn't a swim friendly beach. Yes the ocean is right there in all it's glory. Crashing waves, intoxicating briny aroma of the sea, sea breeze whirling around with a firm presence. But it is not recommended to enter that water for very far. As this is not a shallow and sheltered calm beach. So you don't see a lot of water activity. Again, something that is more of an asset to my outings than a negative. The south end of this state beach is where the sandy beach is. So if you do want to plop a beach blanket down, this is where it'll have to happen. This is also where you'll see most of the people. The north end has a beach also but instead of sand, it is all small pebbles now. So not really ideal to lay on. Here most people are just on foot walking around, exploring and taking pics. This side also has more tidepools (if the high tide isn't there). And this area has a really unique geographical feature. The sandstone here with the many years of erosion from the sea and wind have created this spectacular pattern on the rocks. Lots of holes and pockets were created but in a smooth and flowing pattern. And when paired with the colorful pebbles that reside here, just makes for a spectacle you just don't see anywhere else. They actually call these rock formations "Tafoni". I find it very aesthetically soothing to be around it, just gazing and hearing the Pacific right next to it. For me much better than hearing 100+ people frolicking densely on a beach, playing music and throwing balls around. But to each their own, and this is just where I'll prefer to hang. Even better on the weekdays, even better either near dawn or towards sunset. A true NorCal gem. read more
Lovely stroll on the sand, pebbles and rocks. You get everything here. The views are amazing. There are some benches where family bring a grill to BBQ. This was a perfect place to hangout. The pebble beach has very nice looking pebbles that have been tumbled naturally over time. I hope people don't remove them so that we can all enjoy the beauty for many generations. read more
5 years ago
We had such a wonderful time here. The parking lot is smallish, but it's just steps from the beach. This beach has a beautiful shoreline, and also rocks to climb with tide pools to explore. This is one of the few state beaches that welcomes dogs, and we love that all of the dog owners were courteous. No poop to step in and most dogs were on leash. read more
We pulled off Cabrillo Highway at this random state beach to check out the water, and were pleasantly surprised at the sand, though there are limited facilities here, you can walk out onto the rocks and check out the tide pools that form between the rocks and the water. A few fishermen along the beach and a pleasant smell of the sea as you explore. It was windy, though - grab a jacket as you walk around. read more
6 years ago
Review #137 - 2020 After our quick stop over at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, I wanted to give the kids some time to enjoy the beach--so we decided to stop at Bean Hollow. We showed up at around 4:15 PM on Saturday, July 11th, and there was actually a lot of people. Parking was very hard to find so we sat in the car & waited until someone else left so we got a really good parking spot. The kids were super excited to run around in the nice, warm sand. It was actually a lot less windy at the beach compared to while we were up at the lighthouse. Thank goodness! We still kept our sweaters on since it was still a little too chilly to sit comfortably for an hour while waiting for the kids to play. The sand is nice and fine here so the girls and I ran around barefooted just fine. The water was freezing cold so we avoided going in. There were a few people who brought their dogs, and there is a sign that says, "keep dogs on leash", but I guess not everyone adheres to the rules because most of them just let their dogs off the leash. The beach is beautiful and I could definitely sit around for hours, if it wasn't so cold; but we left exactly an hour after we showed up because my face started hurting. They do have plenty of port-o-potty, but I didn't use them since I'd already emptied my bladder at the disgusting restroom at the lighthouse. read more
4 years ago
10 years ago
Dogs aren't allowed just anywhere. Luckily, this dog friendly park is not only clean but easily accessible via highway 1. It's nice that even during the weekend, it doesn't ever feel crowded. Unlike Santa Cruz beaches, which are usually packed and unclean. I'm liberal with the five star ratings that I give out. And it's been a year since our initial visit. The first time that we were here, it was warmer and we spent more time hanging around. However, due to an incredibly irresponsible and rude dog owner, an off leash dog made a mad dash across the beach to maul our larger dog. He wouldn't let go of her and put a hole in her lip. The man didn't seem concerned that his dog had just attacked ours and said he wanted to play. The last time I checked, the definition of play doesn't include wounding another being. His white furred dog walked away with our dog's blood all over his neck and chest. Completely in a daze, my boyfriend and I walked back to our car. He was also covered in our dog's blood and some very nice beach goers called the police for us. I had no idea that you're supposed to call the park ranger when your dog is attacked by another at a state beach. But now I know. We were warning everyone that we saw, with their dog in tow, that there was a loose dog with a negligent owner. The good Samaritans were warning others as well. It turned out one of the people warned was part of the same group as the man whose dog had mauled ours. The worst part is that the man grabbed his dog and drove off once he heard that the park ranger was coming. Actually, that isn't the worst part. The worst part is that he never asked if our dog was ok. Nor did he apologize. I corresponded with the San Mateo county for a month and they found him. One of the good Samaritans unapologetically snapped pictures of his license plate as he drove past us and out of the parking lot that day. The lesson that I've taken from that day was to always be aware. You cannot control how someone else chooses to handle his or her dog. Even if that dog rips a hole in your dog. And you may be so angry that you want the person to suffer. But that there are still good people out there. Our day at the beach today was fun and free of dog attacks and bloodshed. Be respectful of others and remember that not all dogs are social because many have pasts that you can't see on the surface. And when in doubt, call the park ranger be used they will take action and help you. Be careful and have fun! read more
12 years ago
I visited here on a Saturday in early July and it's well worth the trek from the East Bay. If you are heading south on Highway 1, pull off in to the first small lot you see for Bean Hollow. This more northern lot is free, if you can snag a spot. Beautiful, dramatic rock formations as you clamor south on the beach, while the north end houses the wonderful "beans," the tiny gem-like rocks formed over the eons. Spend some time exploring the tide pools, wonder at the coastal rocky shore and dip your hands in to the pebbles that gave this beach it's name. Foggy and not crowded, this is a perfect place to unwind and explore. Wear sturdy shoes you don't mind getting dirty or a little damp for the tide pools, dress in layers and plan to spend at least an hour here! It's well maintained and run by California State Parks. A true gem on the San Mateo coast! read more
This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches just north of the central coast, it's about 35 miles or so north of Santa Cruz and there are 2 parking lots. On this trip I stopped at the northernmost lot so my pictures are from that side of the beach. Dogs are allowed on leash but as with most of California's beaches, rangers are not too common in the winter months so well trained dogs can usually play off leash (use discretion dog owners, you know who you are...) The winter months seem to be the best beach time in Cali as the fog stays away and you can enjoy the beautiful blue skies...! My pictures are from March 2014 read more
I was flashing back to 6th grade science camp 25 years ago when I finally found this beach. I came here 25 years ago and thanks to google and yelp was able to locate this pebble beach. I had wanted to come down this way many times but could not remember what this place was called. I just happened to be exploring the coast with a friend when I decided to do a google search to see if I could find it. Not much has change here from my memory but I thought there was more pebbles before and I could be right. People probably take pebbles all the time. It is probably one of the coolest beaches to go to. Definitely bring your kids out here as they will remember it just like I did even 25 years later. Don't take the pebbles people eventually they are all gonna be gone if people keep taking them and there won't be anything to enjoy. read more
So, there are actually two State Beaches with the same (or similar?) name - this one was the one I was looking for, and the one further northwest on Route 1. There isn't a whole lot of parking, but what there is was free! I paused here because a local had mentioned to me over at Nuevo Ano that there was a beach nearby with rocks shaped like beans. That sounded fun to me, so I thought it would be nice to take a look. I wish I had more time to spend here, but it was cool just to walk down the steps and to check out the holey rocks stuffed with the smooth small pebbles. There was a class field trip going on during my brief visit, as well as two fellas over in the distance by the water, so it definitely wasn't a ghost town by any stretch of the imagination. PS - there's a sign posted that says "Do Not Remove Pebbles" so please resist taking home a souvenir. read more
Never gets old being at the edge of it all ... listening to the roaring wind.. crashing waves ... feeling the ocean mist on my skin ... smell of sea life and most importantly drowning the worries and stresses of life There are 2 parts to Bean Hollow which driving distance friendly ... North Bean Hollow is where you see the beautiful marbled bean stones at the bottom of a staircase leading to the ocean and rock formations with tiny swiss cheese looking holes Then south Bean Hollow where you enjoy tide pools and ... picnics.. bbq and beach access Beautiful oasis read more
Stopped in to view this gorgeous beach! Absolutely stunning at sunset in December! The sand was pristine. The beach was clean, no litter or anything unnatural anywhere. The waves were awesome. We explored the rocks and the beach. We saw another entrance but didn't stop by there. We were at the first entrance coming from the north on Highway 1, about 20 minutes south of Half Moon Bay. There's one of the lovely state park toilet stalls available. There are just a few parking spaces, and the cost is $8. The park closes just after sunset. read more
5 years ago
we came here and didn't expect a lot to see of from the tide pools. However it was nice to see so many living creatures in the ocean that get washed ashore. See my photos. Free parking. read more
Free parking but there's not much of it. You may get lucky finding parking off the highway. Could imagine being a nightmare on a busy day. I've only spotted one restroom and it looked terrible. On the other hand, the view is spectacular. I could just day dream and stare at the horizon for hours. read more
Bean Hollow is a tremendous little treasure along Highway 1. It is located just a short distance south of Pescadero (about 17 miles south of Half Moon Bay). If you're driving by at 55 mph along Highway 1, there doesn't seem to be much to distinguish Bean Hollow from the other beautiful beaches along this stretch of the coast. However, that is far from the truth! Bean Hollow is a state beach that stretches for approximately one mile. It has small parking lots on the south and north ends of the beach. What makes it unique is that the southern end has a couple of intimate sandy and pebble beaches while the bulk of Bean Hollow is filled with rocky terrain and rocky formations. Because of the terrain, low tide reveals numerous tide pools. Those pools reveal a fantastic ecosystem of sea life. The diversity of life found here -- easily accessible on foot -- is extraordinary and remarkable. One of the best parts of this beach is that you can truly "make the day of it" and experience traditional beaches, a relatively easy mile-long hike with breathtaking views and the biodiversity in the tide pools -- all at the same location! Bean Hollow can get crowded on the weekends. Since it is a state beach, parking permits are required (and are routinely monitored by state police). If you visit other state parks, beaches or reserves (like nearby Año Nuevo State Park), then your day permit is valid here too. However, there is plenty of parking spots along Highway 1 (just outside of the official parking lots) that are completely free. The earlier you arrive, the better your chances for great parking. Still, this place is best experienced on weekdays or non-holidays. I've stopped by on weekdays without a single car in either parking lot. You can walk along the beautiful and unique rock formations and take in the cold ocean breeze as you watch whales, sea lions, elephant seals or even sharks swim by. Tips: - Check the weather: It is often chilly -- even in the summer time. - Parking inside costs a nominal fee. Parking outside (along Highway 1) is free. - There is a bathroom on-site, but it is a porta-potty. - Make a day of it and visit some of the other local sites along Highway 1 (e.g., Pigeon Point Lighthouse is just a few miles south, Año Nuevo State Park is just ten miles south, etc.). - BRING A CAMERA! read more
7 years ago
6 years ago
This beach was a welcomed departure from the everyday city hustle and bustle. I had never been here and was looking for a beach to visit that was dog friendly but also closer than busy Santa Cruz. Did a little research online and this gem came up. Was also looking for somewhere that wasn't crowded during these unprecedented Covid times. We went up from San Jose at about 8 am and didn't take long to get here, maybe 40-45 mins? It's a beautiful spot just up past Half Moon Bay, and fairly secluded. We and just another pair of people had the area to ourselves and we spent about 3 hours there total. Granted we went on a weekday morning so may be a little busier if going on a weekend. All in all we loved it and will definitely be making this a more regular jaunt. read more
What: - Beach - 2 mile Arroyo de los Frijoles Trail - Tide pools - Shorebirds - Harbor seals - Beachcombing - Small pebbles formed over a million years ago More Info: - $8 car parking fee (applicable to all the state beaches along CA-1 S for that day) - Restrooms - Plenty of parking spaces Bean Hollow State Beach is perhaps one of our favorites amongst all the other beaches that we visited that day in the south of Half Moon Bay. This beach was originally called by the Spanish name "Arroyo de los Frijoles", which means "Creek of the Beans," and was later Americanized to Bean Hollow. To the right is a short stairway that lead us to the beach shore which has small pebbles that were formed more than a million years ago. The rock formation here looks very interesting and it is called Tafoni. They are formed by "cavernous weathering" process, which involves the interaction of winds and salt sprays in the rocks. Tafoni Rock Formation - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EyYVNxlPuTBXsLpLOZpxiQ?select=usovrvrv9LEOixWpOH6prw#A-LHcM0GJPnYhP9IMNy_FQ The beach also features a 2-mile trail along the ocean with a detour that takes you to the tide pools. Unlike the visitors center in Natural Bridges State Beach (http://www.yelp.com/biz/natural-bridges-state-beach-santa-cruz#hrid:RvCvLFRATiYzNhmDQWnOYQ) that displays the time of the high tides and low tides, there is no visitor center in this beach to provide information about the tides. A board at the beginning of the trail displayed pictures of the rich marine life that could be seen in these tide pools. As I am one of those folks who get excited by tide pools, I was looking forward to see them. Unfortunately, we could not walk down to the rocks to see the tidepools because the pathway was too quaggy. However, the trail itself was pretty nice; it was bedecked with wild flowers and the walk along the ocean was refreshing. Bean Hollow State Peach at sunset - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EyYVNxlPuTBXsLpLOZpxiQ?select=usovrvrv9LEOixWpOH6prw#usovrvrv9LEOixWpOH6prw There are reefs offshore where you might be able to spot harbor seals and shore birds. Though we did not catch sight of them, we still enjoyed the dramatic view of the ocean waves crashing against the reefs. read more
My dog had such a GREAT time at this beach. It was nice and sunny when we went this weekend, but had a refreshing breeze so it wasn't too hot for my furry little guy. He also LOVES to fetch his ball, and usually at other sandy beaches, he'd kick some into his face and it would get into his eyes (yowch!), so the fact that this place was pretty much sand-less, it was more enjoyable for him. Check out the tide pools when you go here! You'll have to climb some rocks, so shoes are recommended, but I managed to survive w/ wearing my flip flops. (I felt like any wrong step would leave me with a twisted ankle though!). It's worth the trek though. Just seeing the awesomeness of nature's beauty. And the beach was clean, I didn't step into any poop, and I always carry doggie bags with me in case mine happens to drop a deuce. YAY for responsible pet owners who come here! PROS: - not as crowded as the other beaches down the road - dog friendly - tide pools - free parking CONS: - bathroom/outhouse was filthy (do not use unless an absolute emergency) - a bit too windy at times (pack a lightweight hoody for when it gets too brisk) read more
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11000 Cabrillo Hwy
Pescadero, CA 94060
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(650) 879-2170
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http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=527
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