This is my favorite beach in Northern California. I've been coming here throughout my life and it…read morehas remained the same stunningly beautiful place over the years. There's a medium sized parking lot and a couple of out houses, but not much more. So bring water and hand sanitizer, and plan on packing your trash and carrying it out with you. This is a very clean beach because people tend to be respectful of the minimal amenities, and considerate of the natural beauty. There is a river that forms and flows almost magically from underneath the nearby bridge and extends to the ocean. Depending on the time of year, this river will change in trajectory and flow. When my daughter was a toddler I loved to bring her here to play in the shallow waters between the bridge and the beach where she loved to collect sand dollars, crab shells, and rocks. It's safe and fun for all ages. There is a very strong undertow at this beach, so be cautious about getting into the ocean, if at all. The sand and cliffs are breathtaking and they provide a gorgeous backdrop for photos. Whether you're looking for a place to chill, a place for a scenic stroll, or a place to bring your family for a leisurely day out in nature, it's impossible to be disappointed with San Gregorio Beach. I have always left here feeling rejuvenated, decompressed, and more centered. The sound, smell, and visual qualities of this beach are indeed enchanting.

Gorgeous beach with lots of driftwood. Very cool when you enter and see structures built by…read moreprevious visitors. Or you can make your own. Lifeguards were there during the hours when it's busy with families enjoying a nice day. Bathrooms are portolets so they're gross but at least they have facilities. Bring your own toilet paper just in case they run out. Bring your own hand sanitizer as there are no hand washing stations. If you walk to the right side after the cave, it becomes a "clothing-optional" beach. I did not know this but it's all cool. That side is very quiet and chill. No driftwood. No families. Nice calm beach for a stroll. Leaving from here on a holiday weekend is atrocious! 92 will be a parking lot. You can take Hwy 1 but be prepared for a longer ride home.

Such a lovely beach!! Nice, clean sand. Easy to get to. Lots of parking! The water for cleaning off…read moreyour hands/feed was broken by the bathroom though, but that's okay! We saw a whale while we were here!! That was awesome!!

I love the beaches in Half Moon Bay especially in the summer when the rest of the Bay is sweltering…read moreHMB is nice and cool. I love spending the day here listening to the waves and taking walks along the water.

Such a beautiful place to exist. Miramar Beach is so spacious and vast, when I settled on a rock on…read moreseparate occasions I felt like I was the only one. No one else was around me even with the presence of others in the distance. During the evening, a pair passed me. Other than that, I existed solely. The sound of waves as the water cascades on shore, the song of the birds squawking at another, the dance of the wind on the ears drowns out all else. This was true during my early morning, midday and evening walks across the beach's shore. The sand of Miramar Beach was pristine. With the number of people visiting and enjoying, there was no litter or dog poop to be seen. I found solitude, serenity, peace here. People seem to stick to themselves, not much pleasantries were exchanged. In this space, I was satisfied with such. Here I only existed in the moment, there was nowhere else I wanted to

We came to beat the heat in the east bay, so we headed to Half Moon Bay. First we had lunch at…read moreMiramar and then went across to the beach. Originally our plan was to take a nice relaxing stroll after lunch. However we could tell this seal was in distress. At the time we first arrived there was only 1 volunteer from the Mammal center there to keep an eye on the seal and do crowd control. This area is an off leash dog area. However, this does not apply when it comes to safety. It was amazing how many people weren't paying attention at all, or who wanted to get right up in the seals face for selfies. We stayed the whole time to watch the rescue. It took awhile since there wasn't a place on this beach for the rescue truck to get down to the sand. Parking can be hard if you come later in the day or on the weekends. Lovely place to walk and enjoy nature

This place is a hidden gem. I have passed by this area hundred of times, but never stopped to check…read moreit out. Always ending up at one of my usual beach spots along this stretch of PCH. The place of course has entry restrictions (No thank you Mr. Vinod Khosla) - but there is adequate space to park outside the barrier. What that also means is that the beach is not very crowded. Amazing views, and at low tide you can catch some interesting sea life swimming in the tide pools. Catch a beautiful sunset - relax and enjoy the beauty of northern California coast line.

After reading the reviews on here it seems like this beach is a little controversial. My sister…read morebrought me to this inconspicuous dirt parking lot and told me this is the beach we drove all the way to HMB for. I was confused but trusted her and we walked around a locked gate along a paved road about half a mile down to a serene and unique beachside area. Yes, there are dilapidated beach houses that are no longer in use along the beach. However, this adds to the character of this beach. It seems like only the locals really know of this beach no crowds or tourists. The walk down a steep path and back up is worth it for this view!

We loved our visit to Moss Beach! We enjoy Sunday drives to different beaches and this was an…read moreexcellent choice. Within this area, we also checked out the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. There's a small free parking lot here as well. If you have to use the bathroom, it's well maintained and clean. We enjoy the coastal beaches. It's beautiful and serene. It's even more relaxing to hear the waves with a sunset or sunrise. I still enjoy a foggy morning with a good cup of coffee. It's a nice walk to enjoy mother nature. If you enjoy animals, the seals are fun to watch! Lots of birds flying around, too.

Moss Prevention A…read morethree-mile stretch of beach located in the eponymous census-designated place of Moss Beach that features typical amazing California coastal views and clifftops. The Good: * Free to visit. * Small parking lot. * Restrooms in the parking lot. * The main reason people come here is for the amazing tidepooling at the J.V. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, which is a tidal reef ecosystem that one can explore during low tide. * The Cypress Grove at the top is a fun place for photos. The Meh: * A fairly tall staircase is required to access the beach area, and if you cannot handle a few flights, then it is best to skip this place; it is definitely not ADA compliant. * As far as beaches go, if it were not for the tidepooling, I doubt I would ever come here for the beach itself. It is small and not really noteworthy, especially since you have to schlep your stuff down that huge flight of stairs. The Ugly: * The parking lot is not that large and fills up very quickly, especially during the summer months. There is neighborhood street parking available, but I would personally prefer not to bother the neighbors. Conclusion: Come for the exploration and not much else.

This is my beach! Well I can't keep anyone out but I don't have to because it's rarely crowded…read moreeven during the summer months. It's easy to miss because the entrance is adjacent to a much more crowded beach and easy to drive by. I don't swim in the nor cal waters but I've seen plenty of folks splashing around here. Be warned though there is no lifeguard and the shore slopes away a little more steeply than at some other beaches. There are two picnic tables in the lot so you can pull up your car and set up your grill for lunch! No ash dump so leave time for the cool down. Fly a kite. Lay on the sand. Take in the view of pillar point and the great blue pacific. Only problem is the facilities. No running water, just a pit toilet. This kind of blue water is admittedly not so pristine but hey I'm willing to look the other way on this one since it's my beach and all.

This beach is the closest to our hotel. It's beautiful. It's so tranquil. The weather was perfect…read more The beach was extremely clean. There are trails all over the upper part of the beach. If you haven't check out this beach you must.

Shark Fin Cove really is a hidden gem. I saw it online and have had it saved for a while, but I was…read morenot too far from there adventuring the coast and decided to finally come check it out. Looking into it, I had seen a few reviews focusing on litter and people there taking photos(?), so I wasn't sure what to expect, but maybe we caught it on a good day. When we went, it felt peaceful and absolutely beautiful. It's a short but steep hike down, so be ready for that. Once you're at the bottom though, it's completely worth it. The way the cove is shaped makes the sound of the crashing waves feel amplified, it's dramatic and so calming at the same time. There's a small cave to the right when you first get down into the cove, we looked inside but didn't go all the way in. Closer to the water, there's another cave that opens out toward the ocean, which was really neat to see. Such a cool natural spot to explore and take in nature. I did notice a piece or two of trash, but instead of complaining and leaving it there, I just picked it up. My fiancé always brings a bag with us on hikes, beaches, or nature walks in case of any forgotten scraps. It's too beautiful of a place not to take a second to care for it. Definitely recommend checking it out :)

Visited Shark Fin Cove Beach and it was absolutely stunning! The dramatic cliffs, hidden cave, and…read morecrashing waves made it feel like a little slice of paradise. Such a peaceful spot to unwind, take in the ocean views, and soak up nature's beauty. Definitely one of the most breathtaking coastal gems along Highway 1! Trail down to the beach is a short but steep, rugged walk across abandoned railway tracks and down a cliffside trail.

This is a hidden and secluded beach at Pillar Point, not easily accessible. In fact google maps…read morewill lead you to a cliff if you input walking directions, since there's no easy way to get there. There are two ways to access the trails leading here, either from the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve side, or from the Pillar Point Parking Lot which is where I hiked from this past weekend during my recent visit. It's easy to mistakenly take the coastal access trail from this lot, which actually leads to Mavericks Beach. To find Ross Cove, you'll have to walk toward the Pillar Point Airforce Station (golf ball looking structure) as the beach is right underneath this. I hiked a bit along the trail toward Pillar Point Bluff, and discovered a steep and rocky dirt path leading to the sandy oasis below (it reminded me of Davenport Beach, but without the safety rope). It was gratifying and I enjoyed exploring the area, with scenic views and crashing waves on this cool spring day with the clouds making way for some sunshine by the afternoon. FYI, parking is extremely limited on this side and they appear to be strict about not parking on the road, so that's one downside. There are porta potties available at this parking lot though, so that's a plus.

Daaaayum! I think I've just hit the jackpot. This beach right here is truly breathtaking. The most…read morebeautiful beach that I've been to in the HMB area and one of my new favorites! Stunning, stunning, stunning! What I initially thought wasn't accessible was actually just hiding beneath the bluffs. You want secluded?! Oooh, you'll get that here! I really think that most people don't know that this beach even exists. And even after I post this review, I'm pretty sure that it's gonna stay this way for a long time. This beach is accessible by way of the Pillar Point Bluffs Trail. The parking lot is tiny and there isn't street parking for almost a mile out, so this is probably another reason why it isn't crowded. There's a dirt trail and a paved road that both lead to the stairs down to this beach. The problem is, you won't even see the stairs leading down unless you're really looking for it. From the trailhead, it looks like the beach is far away and inaccessible, but it actually is. There's a steep downhill and then some steep stairs to get down here. But once you make it down there, it is so damn magical. When I first made it down here, there was absolutely no one else there. Not a damn soul. I was shocked but happy. Blinded by the beauty of the white waves and the coastal views of the land's end. The perfect friggin' beach and all mine in that very moment. It was so serene. Picture perfect. I didn't wanna leave but I did anyways, knowing that I'd be back. When I came back the second time, there were a few other groups there but that was it. That was all. Since this beach is tucked between Ross Cove, it feels so much warmer and keeps the heavier winds at bay. But, you still get that nice ocean breeze. Ended up staying for the sunset and it was everything that I imagined it to be. Peaceful. Calming. Beautiful. Just everything. The perfect beach, ladies and gents! I have nothing to complain about. Fell in love instantly and have been dreaming about coming back. And I'll get back there again real soon.