Such a peaceful place to go to watch the sea lions, otters, rabbits, birds.... Lovely wildlife all…read morearound. Some people go fishing here too. There is a little bit of trash that people leave behind that can get super irritating. Free parking. Access to nice beaches.

Smells fishy. Lots of dead fish along the shore. Lots of boaters and kayakers when we stopped for…read morelunch nearby. Busy, busy road here. Hwy 1 was almost bumper to bumper along this stretch. Patience, please!

I love this area. The wildlife spotting is amazing, and the views are spectacular. The beach is…read morenice, but really, it is all about the wildlife here. On one side, you've got sea otters playing in the water, on the other side, you've got deer wandering through the neighbors front yard. It's currently warm, and it's just such a cool spot. Definitely one of my favorite spots of all time. I love coming back here.

Beautiful place to walk or watch the sunset, it's dog-friendly & there's tide pools at low tide. We…read moreeven saw deers nearby.

Secluded beach that you access by driving through the mostly agricultural area of…read moreWatsonville/Pajaro. Near Pajaro dunes resort. The park may be good for a quiet and semi private picnic but amenities are limited. From the parks website: FEES - There is a $10 vehicle day-use fee. [Regular Sized Auto: $10 (Senior $9, age 62 or older); OCEAN SAFETY - dangerous rip currents, frigid water and deep offshore dropoffs make surfing and swimming hazardous for any but the most experienced surfers. ALCOHOL is not permitted on the beach or in the day-use area.

I went here to check out the surf fishing with my sister. It was super cold and foggy. I'm not into…read morefishing much, but went for moral support for her hobby. It's a clean beach and a few anglers fishing nearby.

Hidden gem tucked away unexpectedly!…read more Parking situation is small but then again, no one knows about it so a win-win for all. Came here horseback riding and only saw a few guys out fishing. Unsure why ppl keep saying it's a dog beach when the parks department says otherwise. "DOGS are not permitted on the beach or dunes." Maybe take another look - https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=572.

Free beach! It's a California State Parks Beach but there is no entry fee. Very small parking area…read more Very rough road to get in. But very few people there, mostly people fishing. It's a wide open, sandy beach. You can see south to Monterey and north to Santa Cruz.

This place sucks dangerous to climb down and dangerous parking someone died here very recently…read moretrying to climb down. Also the high tide comes up to the cliffs and can trap you, no way out for a mile or two, don't go!

Hidden Beach -- at least that's the name I know it by -- can be found by (carefully) parking along…read morethe side of Highway 1 about a mile south of Pomponio State Beach. After parking your car, walk about a quarter of a mile down a chasm, crossing a sometimes treacherous log, and then scaling down about a 15 foot sandstone wall face. Once descended, you will discover yourself to be on one of the area's most pristine beaches. The rip currents and aggressive tides ensure that nothing stray stays on the beach -- no seaweed, no shells, no nothing. So the beach is always clean and raw. The coastline here for about 3 miles long has a 100 foot cliff wall at the back of the beach, which means that this access point is the only one for at least a mile in either direction. People go here to get away from it all, and sometimes you may see some discreet nudists, but I don't think it's known to be a nudist beach. A great place for dogs and people to get close to the elements, listen to the pounding surf, feel sand between you toes, and wonder about how you can feel so far away, yet be so close to the hustle and bustle of the 408, 650 and 415. Please don't tell everyone about this place. Oops, I guess I just did.

$10 entrance fee to relax on the beach with a clean bathroom. Bring blankets, chairs, and cooler to…read morespread out, this beach is not crowded. We listened to the quiet of the ocean waves and enjoyed lunch and drinks.

Really great beach. Fee is $10 per car and dogs are allowed, on leash and please pick up poop! It's…read morea nice long stretch of beach that has a lifeguard tower, but wasn't managed while we visited during the week. We were able to see whales and dolphins on our visit. The parking lot sits on top of cliff with stairs that walk down to the beach. Depending on your physical abilities this can be deficient for some, however not impossible. There are also bathrooms in the parking area. Great views from parking lot!

River Function Nice…read morebeach located at the confluence of the Salinas River and the Pacific Ocean and is part of the 99 miles of protected Monterey Coastline. The Good: *Fishing *It's a beach?! *My favorite price: free *Three parking lots *Port-o-potties in each parking lot *Sandholt Trail that takes you along the estuary and River The Meh: *No dogs on beach but OK on the aforementioned trail. *No camping The Ugly: *Rip currents 0_o Conclusion: Life's a beach, and then you die.

This was a long beach with clean sand. We spent a lot of time playing on the sand, watching the…read morewaves, with sea lions frolicking, dolphins surfing, and a gorgeous winter sunset. There is a porta-potty on the north end of the beach (closer to the harbor), but not really any facilities otherwise.

One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to! Located on highway 1 very close to the Kirk…read morecreek campground on the south end of Big Sur! When I tell you the walk down to this beach is breathtaking... my god! It's a ton of stairs so be mindful of what you want to carry because you start on a path from the parking lot and then it turns into stairs.. a lot of stairs! To park in the beach parking lot it's $10! This beach is simply beautiful! My yellow Labrador loved it! They also have this cut out area called jade cove! On the far north side they have a small cave! So cool! Please pick up your trash and be a good human!

I found sand dollars!!! Whole ones!! I love sand dollars!…read more Water is freezing! So many cool things to see that nature makes! Most definitely will go back! 10$ day use fee Cash only Concrete bathrooms, bring wipes and hand sanitizer

I came here to start my drive down West Cliff Drive. I was interested in just covering it and not…read moregoing too deep so it worked out perfectly that there is a free 20 minute parking lot. From there, the view is good of the water, but you need to walk down to the beach into the sand to get a good view of the natural bridge. I was able to do that and get back to the car in 20 minutes (wink wink). But seriously, it can be done and it is not monitored that closely. Or you can just pay to park inside, but for me just wanted to snap a pic, it wasn't worth it to pay. The beach is large and there were families hanging out and there is also a bathroom inside the park just back from the sand.

Do not hesitate to bring the whole family! Wheel chair friendly too! The trail to the Monarch…read moreviewing is easy... and there are trails going right down to the beach where you can see an arch in the water still standing. The gift shop is full of interesting fair trade items. And the museum display is well done and informative. Parking is on the street free or in the lot for $10.00. Facilities are available.

Spent an amazing day in May at sunset beach. The weather was breezy and warm and surprisingly very…read morelittle traffic at this beautiful beach. There is plenty of space to spread out for bbqing, fire pit, sunning, frolicking in the sand with no disturbance. Super clean beach, and clean restrooms. Parking day pass for a $10. If you enjoy Northern California state parks, an annual pass is $125.

This is my go to beach for a reason. The beach is always never crowded and if it is, there is…read moreenough space for everyone. Sunset is beautiful as well.