San Simeon State Beach Photos
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Such a fun place to explore the beach. Check the tide charts to see when low tide is if you want to go tide pooling. It was cold on our last visit, so dress accordingly. If you take the little road to the right of the parking lot, you can park by the beach. Found 12 pieces of sea glass on our last visit!!
Great beach area close to the Hearst Castle. After we took the Hearst Castle tour, we left and came on to this beach area and pier and it was beautiful. The pier was closed at that time, but there were plenty of areas to walk along the beach and enjoy the scenery. It was pretty windy and a little chilly when we were there, so be prepared. There is also a grassy area with benches, a parking area and bathrooms. It's a very nice way to spend and afternoon.
The pier is closed today (which we already knew about thanks to google maps). This is a dog friendly place with the perfect ocean breeze.
Perfect location for Social Distancing! This little beach is far from the madding crowd, and a very serene site for regaining your sanity! The campground down the road is closed right now, but you can park near the pier and walk down to this usually deserted stretch of pristine beach. There are tide pools at the far end, and smooth sand for a long walk. There are also flat rocks up near the cliffs to sit on or even take a nice nap on a sunny day! There were also people walking dogs (on leashes). There is nothing like the sound of the ocean rolling in and the birds circling and calling. On the day we visited, there were no boats to be seen on the distant horizon, and only one airplane high above winging its way North. This is a peaceful respite from the worries of the world.
I'm a sucker for a nice beach. I peeped this little beauty while driving down highway 1 to Hearst Castle and knew that I had to make a pit stop there after the tour. Just seeing how beautiful the clear water and blusterous waves were while riding down the highway was a beauty in itself. The main entrance is right across the street from the Hearst Castle visitor center. However, there are many vista point stop offs along highway 1 where you can park and enjoy the views. The water is so clear here with lots of beautiful crashing waves. The sand is clean and there weren't too many people when I was there. I was able to watch part of the sunset while I was here, and it was absolutely stunning! It's so quiet and super peaceful. I didn't get in the water, but I did see a few people getting their feet wet. It was a little chilly out, but not freezing like the Bay Area beaches that I'm used to. Beaches like these really make me appreciate the true beauty of California and all that it has to offer. If you're driving down highway 1 in San Simeon, make a pit stop at San Simeon Beach and take in the beauty of the ocean. You won't regret it.
I'm torn about this one, On one hand you have access to the beach that seems private since there weren't too many people in the water. You have a long pier that does need some work maybe cosmetic and foundational, and it is just across the way from Hearst Castle. There were some people there fishing... Seemed very peaceful and quiet
Every time I'm in the area I have to stop at this beach. The entrance is directly across the street from the Hearst Castle entrance and has free entry. There's a guard shack but it's never manned. This beach is truly a hidden gem. Even though the entrance is in plain site nobody is ever here. There maybe one or two other people and that's it for the 14 plus years I've been visiting. It's within the boundaries of Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve and San Simeon Natural Preserve which includes coastal wetlands and riparian forests. I'm reading online there's a 3.3 mile trail that encircles the nature preserve, I must look for that next time! If you want to play in the sand and ocean you'll pretty much have the whole place to yourself. This beach has one of the longest piers I've seen and the view is breathtaking at the end of it. Since this beach is in a cove with a forest on one side it feels like you're in a movie. It has that picturesque pirate movie feel to it. I'm just waiting to see a giant Galleon sail into the cove. Almost every time we visit we see tons of pelicans diving for fish, sea otters floating on their backs, and occasionally dolphins. You're allowed to fish off the pier and the beach itself has picnic tables, public restroom, and a small visitors center.
It's so beautiful here. I keep coming back and never get tired of bringing my guests here to visit.
A couple was here taking their engagement photographs by the bluff. Despite the wind, the sand was warm. Hearst Road crosses over the lagoon. I enjoyed my visit here. It was a good walk over smooth stones. My friend and I walked to the lagoon, away from the kite surfers. People also brought their children to play on the rocks. A couple of kids climbed to the top the big ones. The view north of the lagoon is dramatic. There are also bleached trees on the beach.
Pretty amazing stretch of beach....not too crowded when I had stopped by. Plenty of parking on the side of the highway. Weekends like anywhere in California will see big crowds and it's no different here. If possible, I highly recommend you visit on a weekday.
We saw some dolphins swimming by pretty close to the coast line. It was a neat sight. It's a pretty beach , not too crowded. When we went on October 27, the color of the water was turquoise color but changes all the time depending on the time, weather , seasons. I like this laid back beach not crazy crowded like Santa Monica , Manhattan Beach, or Santa Cruz. Plenty of parking, pull outs and nice scenery. Went to some of the secluded beaches along the way off hwy 1 like Arroyo de la Cruz beach. Even the locals don't know about this beach. Really nice sandy beach, we had the beach all to ourselves. A long walk to the beach but well worth it. :)
This was our first time to stop at this location, having driven by it many years and not knowing this little gem was here. You park where you see the restrooms off of the main road and the trail starts there. There is a wooden boardwalk to follow which if you go in one direction takes you out to the beach. We happened to be there at high tide and therefore could not really walk the beach, but the surf was very beautiful. Taking the boardwalk the opposite direction from the restrooms connects you to other trails which take you to a campground. I'm sure it is beautiful up there in the different seasons. We loved the rock formations at the beach and the old dead wood laying around. Someone graciously made a trail with many of the old wood pieces from the boardwalk out to the beach.
Final lovely beach before hitting scenic highway 1 cliffs and elephant seal beaches to the north, so if you want a beach walk, pier, or hike to a headland, stop here. Portable toilets replace the bathrooms, but there are signs about the area located off the large parking lot. You can see the historic Hearst buildings from halfway down the pier. We saw sea otter and comorants,and had a great view of Hearst Ranch. read more
I was a little confused why the rating is so high here having lived in California all my life and seen some amazing beaches. It appears that a lot of the reviews on this listing are actually for Hearst Memorial State Beach, which is, imo, much better but has a completely separate yelp page. I hope people aren't getting them confused because they will be disappointed if they are. San Simeon State beach is ok but the sand is a but rough and there are many spots that don't allow dogs. We have parked here a few times to enjoy the views and use the restroom. There are also some boardwalks/paths you can meander but the beach itself is just ok. I would head over to Hearst Beach since you're already in the area or really any of the other awesome beaches in the state for any genuine beach activities but that's just me. read more
2 years ago
Such a fun place to explore the beach. Check the tide charts to see when low tide is if you want to go tide pooling. It was cold on our last visit, so dress accordingly. If you take the little road to the right of the parking lot, you can park by the beach. Found 12 pieces of sea glass on our last visit!! read more
Great beach area close to the Hearst Castle. After we took the Hearst Castle tour, we left and came on to this beach area and pier and it was beautiful. The pier was closed at that time, but there were plenty of areas to walk along the beach and enjoy the scenery. It was pretty windy and a little chilly when we were there, so be prepared. There is also a grassy area with benches, a parking area and bathrooms. It's a very nice way to spend and afternoon. read more
9 months ago
6 years ago
Perfect location for Social Distancing! This little beach is far from the madding crowd, and a very serene site for regaining your sanity! The campground down the road is closed right now, but you can park near the pier and walk down to this usually deserted stretch of pristine beach. There are tide pools at the far end, and smooth sand for a long walk. There are also flat rocks up near the cliffs to sit on or even take a nice nap on a sunny day! There were also people walking dogs (on leashes). There is nothing like the sound of the ocean rolling in and the birds circling and calling. On the day we visited, there were no boats to be seen on the distant horizon, and only one airplane high above winging its way North. This is a peaceful respite from the worries of the world. read more
I'm a sucker for a nice beach. I peeped this little beauty while driving down highway 1 to Hearst Castle and knew that I had to make a pit stop there after the tour. Just seeing how beautiful the clear water and blusterous waves were while riding down the highway was a beauty in itself. The main entrance is right across the street from the Hearst Castle visitor center. However, there are many vista point stop offs along highway 1 where you can park and enjoy the views. The water is so clear here with lots of beautiful crashing waves. The sand is clean and there weren't too many people when I was there. I was able to watch part of the sunset while I was here, and it was absolutely stunning! It's so quiet and super peaceful. I didn't get in the water, but I did see a few people getting their feet wet. It was a little chilly out, but not freezing like the Bay Area beaches that I'm used to. Beaches like these really make me appreciate the true beauty of California and all that it has to offer. If you're driving down highway 1 in San Simeon, make a pit stop at San Simeon Beach and take in the beauty of the ocean. You won't regret it. read more
4 years ago
I'm torn about this one, On one hand you have access to the beach that seems private since there weren't too many people in the water. You have a long pier that does need some work maybe cosmetic and foundational, and it is just across the way from Hearst Castle. There were some people there fishing... Seemed very peaceful and quiet read more
Every time I'm in the area I have to stop at this beach. The entrance is directly across the street from the Hearst Castle entrance and has free entry. There's a guard shack but it's never manned. This beach is truly a hidden gem. Even though the entrance is in plain site nobody is ever here. There maybe one or two other people and that's it for the 14 plus years I've been visiting. It's within the boundaries of Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve and San Simeon Natural Preserve which includes coastal wetlands and riparian forests. I'm reading online there's a 3.3 mile trail that encircles the nature preserve, I must look for that next time! If you want to play in the sand and ocean you'll pretty much have the whole place to yourself. This beach has one of the longest piers I've seen and the view is breathtaking at the end of it. Since this beach is in a cove with a forest on one side it feels like you're in a movie. It has that picturesque pirate movie feel to it. I'm just waiting to see a giant Galleon sail into the cove. Almost every time we visit we see tons of pelicans diving for fish, sea otters floating on their backs, and occasionally dolphins. You're allowed to fish off the pier and the beach itself has picnic tables, public restroom, and a small visitors center. read more
A couple was here taking their engagement photographs by the bluff. Despite the wind, the sand was warm. Hearst Road crosses over the lagoon. I enjoyed my visit here. It was a good walk over smooth stones. My friend and I walked to the lagoon, away from the kite surfers. People also brought their children to play on the rocks. A couple of kids climbed to the top the big ones. The view north of the lagoon is dramatic. There are also bleached trees on the beach. read more
Pretty amazing stretch of beach....not too crowded when I had stopped by. Plenty of parking on the side of the highway. Weekends like anywhere in California will see big crowds and it's no different here. If possible, I highly recommend you visit on a weekday. read more
8 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
We saw some dolphins swimming by pretty close to the coast line. It was a neat sight. It's a pretty beach , not too crowded. When we went on October 27, the color of the water was turquoise color but changes all the time depending on the time, weather , seasons. I like this laid back beach not crazy crowded like Santa Monica , Manhattan Beach, or Santa Cruz. Plenty of parking, pull outs and nice scenery. Went to some of the secluded beaches along the way off hwy 1 like Arroyo de la Cruz beach. Even the locals don't know about this beach. Really nice sandy beach, we had the beach all to ourselves. A long walk to the beach but well worth it. :) read more
7 years ago
This was our first time to stop at this location, having driven by it many years and not knowing this little gem was here. You park where you see the restrooms off of the main road and the trail starts there. There is a wooden boardwalk to follow which if you go in one direction takes you out to the beach. We happened to be there at high tide and therefore could not really walk the beach, but the surf was very beautiful. Taking the boardwalk the opposite direction from the restrooms connects you to other trails which take you to a campground. I'm sure it is beautiful up there in the different seasons. We loved the rock formations at the beach and the old dead wood laying around. Someone graciously made a trail with many of the old wood pieces from the boardwalk out to the beach. read more
17 years ago
Moon Stone is the name of this beach. We stop by in a rainy day, yet we could go down and walk close to the water between rocks and stones. This beach is known for having gems like Jade. Also, according to mi Bebe there are some stone that you can compare with the moon, that's why its name. She taught me about this particular stone and gave some. In addition, I got some jade too. In our way back home we stopped againg to get more jade, but it was high tide and we couldn't go down to the sand. well, well next time. read more
17 years ago
6 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
THIS SPOT IS SO AWESOME. It was very quiet and serene, and we were there at sunset which was beautiful. Since there weren't a lot of heads, we let our little cute dog off her leash and she had an excellent time frolicking in the sand and rolling in a seal carcass. Definitely would recommend this beach after a Hearst Castle tour, it's beautiful and clean. read more
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More info about San Simeon State Beach
San Simeon, CA 93452
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