Terrible poorly maintained sandy road with multiple large potholes that tossed and tumbled vehicles traveling to the entry point. While the bad road condition can damage your car, all that tumbling leads to a $10 parking sign with a man inside the booth. Basically they charge beach goers $10 for parking without fixing the road. And they are desperate for the income when a human sits in to collect on a weekend. Road is so bad it makes you wonder where the parking money goes? That's why I prefer smaller government and the one that is held accountable. State park you failed us. Of course we left. read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This may be my new go to Half Moon Beach. It is absolutely beautiful with minimal traffic. I hate that parking is $10. However, the attendant was fantastic and is certainly influencing me to get a California State Park pass. I appreciate that there are picnic table, clean bathrooms, and a shower. The shower was a treat compared to other beaches where I have to lug a pail of water to rinse off by the car. My kiddos had an absolute ball playing in the sand & waves despite it being end October. I wish the waves were calmer so we could bring out our boogie boards. read more

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The beach is very long and beautiful. The blue greenish ocean is fabulous. The sand is soft and there is a stream like area that is pretty fun for kids. The bathrooms are not clean and there is no water to wash hands. With $10 entrance fee the hygiene conditions are not acceptable. read more

A beach is a beach , right. Well some do stand out and this one in Half Moon Bay is a great place for a single walk or a day with the family. Parking at the main lot is limited and 10 dollars when we visited in March , but it was a little cool so we got lucky and plenty of spots. Walk along the ledge and see some great plants and flower or head down to the water. Well kept bathroom facility which is nice. Enjoy ! read more

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$10 parking for the spacious parking lot, the restrooms are right there next to the stairs leading down to the beach. There's a trench of water for kids to play in. The beach has a nice stretch of sand and the crowd gets thinner as you walk toward the right. I went on a cloudy day (62 degrees) ~2:30 pm and didn't need a jacket. It start to get a little more chilly after a couple hours but was overall very relaxing. Note: this beach only has broken shell pieces so there's not much to collect read more

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This beach is quite lovely and the trail next to beautiful flowers and wildlife. If you keep walking past Venice Beach on the trail you will come to a spot with wildflowers and a fence which is perfect for a mini photo session. Also, there's a ginormous old tree that is so magnificent to look at. I was awe struck by its majesty. read more

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We planned a family beach day so this ended up being our destination for the day. In the past, we've gone to Montara since you don't have to pay for parking but we wanted to be closer to Half Moon Bay so we could spend more time on the beach and less time driving. Out of the three beaches I looked at (Venice, Dunes, and Francis), this seemed to be the best option. People say that Francis is the most beautiful but busiest. There are also campgrounds there and wanting to avoid people as much as possible, that ruled Francis out. And Dunes seemed not as busy but the actual beach part (sand to water) seemed narrow which ruled that out since the main goal for our kiddo was to play on the sand. Parking here is $10/day for your car and you can go in and out and to any of the beaches in the same day. Parking was plentiful on our October Sunday afternoon- the main lot wasn't even 1/3 full and there literally was not a single car in the overflow lot. The other issue in the reviews is the difficulty of beach access. The main access point (by the bathrooms) was fine on our visit because the creek was pretty dried up. But I've heard that sometimes you need to cross the creek to get to the beach, which wouldn't have been a good thing. The only other access I saw was south of the bathrooms by a picnic table- an informal "trail" that has been blazed down to the beach that is pretty narrow and not great for little kids or folks with mobility issues. The beach itself is good. Lots of space to spread out, lots of sandy area, and you can venture out reasonably far without it getting too deep, at least compared to Montara. The sand is definitely more fine here as well, so that makes for a more pleasant experience. Bonus was the proximity to downtown- I was able to pick up lunch and be back to the beach in 5-10 minutes while the rest of the family got to play! read more

Place is always clean. We never really use the restroom located by the parking lot. But before and after hitting the beach, we go to the McDonald's five minutes away. $10 cash parking fee. read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

After a long time indoors, my family and I decided to take the day to go to the beach after we heard a day before that beaches have finally opened in Half Moon Bay! However, keep in mind the pandemic is still happening, so I suggest you continue to wear a mask even while walking around. In order to access the beach and parking lot, you must pay a $10 fee. Veterans get a discount if you apply for it online. As of 6/7/20, no umbrellas or chairs are allowed and the beach hours are 8am til sunset. Food and blankets are a go though! Getting into the actual beach is quite scary, so taking off your slippers would be a move. I wouldn't go alone while descending the (kinda) steep "pathway" provided because I had to literally grab on to my dad. Other than that, the beach is gorgeous and it wasn't super crowded. People were definitely well distanced, but not everyone was wearing masks. read more

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Venice Beach is in the middle of the five beaches that Half moon bay has to offer to its visitors, it is personally my favorite. They have a huge parking area right as you come off of HWY 1, I find this so convenient. This parking area & beach gives you the freedom to walk around town & check everything out & not have to move your vehicle. I took my beach cruiser down with me & rode around town it truly was a blast! read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Venice Beach has a very personal and deep connection for me so I come here often. I love the weather which is a little on the colder side and there are great views of the ocean and coastline. Nothing like a morning here before the crowds arrive and taking in the sounds of the ocean and watching the birds and some of the ocean life if you are lucky. read more

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Venice Beach has its own private parking lot (pay to park, though if you're in & out quickly during a non-peak time you should be ok!) and a large span of sandy beach to relax and enjoy the Pacific Ocean. The water is freezing as per usual in HMB but you can see far in either direction for a great view when it's not foggy. The sand seemed clean and there's no excess of seaweed or bugs. A lovely getaway! read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Warning: no beach access anymore! This place used to be my go-to beach however we went here today, paid the $10 fee to park in the lot and now discovered that there is no beach access from either side because the pool of water is too large to cross and it's gotten deeper now probably due to all the rain we had recently. The employee at the entrance didn't even warn us that the beach access isn't available anymore. Don't come here expecting to be able to go to the beach. We ended up driving a little farther down to another beach! read more

This beach provides gorgeous sunset views and is vast enough for families to safely have a quality time without worrying about social-distancing. Also, it's worth calling out that there's ample parking space and public restrooms that seem to be cleanly maintained. I was able to find free parking on a Friday evening though not too sure about weekends. read more

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Great public beach for anybody that wants to hang out. Water is pretty chilly though most times. -1 star for no dogs allowed and $10 parking is pretty steep. They do have bathrooms gender neutral once you walk out of the parking lot. Garbage cans are here in this area. None on the beach. Mostly families with little ones playing. What I didn't like is that for someone with lots of things you have to walk down a steep stair case to get to the beach and there is no ramp or wheel chair accesible area -1 star again. You have to lug all yo stuff up and down. So bring the necessities only. My older mother in law would have trouble getting down there or going back up so think that through. Another point they ONLY accept cash so be ready for that too. read more

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It's a great view if you can make it down here. I've been to this location several times. When planning your trip here, make sure to check the weather before hand and not only look for sun and temperature, but also look for wind speed and direction as well. (Twice now we've come down here and been whipped around a bit much.) read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

We ended up here because the GPS took us...we were expecting a different beach that we know and love. This beach is domainated by seagulls and birds that constantly hover over and around you. Sand is covered in feathers. We had at least 50 birds flying over us. We won't be returning to this beach again. read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Love the ocean air. Good for the lungs and great to escape the Sacramento heat. Very peaceful in a powerful waves kinda way. 71 ° here at the beach, and 106° in Sacramento... very little crowds at this time as well. Traffic wasn't too bad. read more

Venice Beach - Beautiful natural sand art. And the local flying residents.. Just hanging out on the beach enjoying the wonderful ocean air. - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Just a warning: this beach is inaccessible for the time being. Our first hint should have been when there was no attendant to take the $10 parking fee. There's easy access to get down to the water, but because of the recent storms and rainy season, there is now a river that flows parallel to the beach which is now over knee deep and a local told us that it's full of animal feces. We spent 15 minutes walking all around the cliff area trying to find another way to get down, but to no avail. The area is beautiful if you want to stay on the upper level and view the incredible wildflowers. read more

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The site of my brothers beach wedding on September 30, 2017. The park requires you to self pay parking of 10$ when attendant is not present which we promptly did. There is ample parking and restrooms are also good. The beach is a little wider than El Granada to the north. There are a couple of entry points for the Beach and you might need to cross a small stream before you get to the beach which isn't a problem given someone put up a flat piece of wood to cross. Signs are posted not to get in touch with the waters from the stream as the bacterial levels are high. Duly noted. Past the stream a decent section of soft stand that stretches out before you to the north and south for as far as you can see. The crashing sounds of the Pacific on the shore. It's a good surfer spot if the waves are good. We had very good weather for our wedding. The wedding took place about a quarter mile south of the main parking. There seemed to be additional parking to the south but it was roped off. Perhaps it is possible to use it for larger parking venues but you'll have to discuss this with State Park officials when present. The Beach was also home to several dozen seagulls that were happily located in a coupe of spots on the beach that we shared. Thankfully they decided to keep to themselves as the wedding ceremonies progressed otherwise it might have been poop-megedon. The wedding went as planned and was truly moving and a better venue could not have been chosen with perfect weather. read more

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Great beach, $10 for parking, which allows good parking spaces. I surprisingly got parking at 2pm when the temperature was 97+ -easy walking distance ~100 feet -restrooms at the 2 parking lots read more

This public beach is one of my favorite in the Peninsula. Pro: - You will need to pay parking of $10. However, that $10 will take care of private lot parking, clean bathrooms, and clean beach. - For parking lots, they actually have two different site of lots. The first one is the one that close to the restrooms. The second one is the one that over the lawn, there's a spacious parking lots. The down side, you have to walk about 3-5 minutes to the beach. It will be troublesome if you have lots of children, and stuff to cary on. My advice is to come early during weekends and summer time, as the beach will get crowded around noon - 4 pm. Cons: - I've seen there's a sign of NO DOG allowed, however, people are still bringing dogs to this beach (why??) There are other beaches that are pet friendly. I just don't understand why people still breaking the rule. - During summer, the beach gets crowded, as they bring their own bbq, portable griller, and yes, it's just too much with the smell, and everything else. However, if you think you can tolerate all those, you will be fine. This beach is very kid friendly as the have small river across the shore. Will come back for sure. read more

Parking Fee: $10 Bathrooms: unisex available, but dirty...outdoor shower/sink We went to Half Moon Bay State Beach at 12 pm on a Saturday, but the parking lot was full with cars all the way down the street...this beach entrance is a mile away and it's beach is connected to Half Moon Bay state beach and there was a lot of parking available with a very short walk to the beach. This beach is great for little ones because it has a small creek that curves its way to the ocean (only a few inches deep) so kids can play in the sand and water with nots as hands on supervision. Beautiful beach read more

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The quieter side of Half moon bay state beaches. Much easier to find parking here close to the beach (especially helpful when you have chairs and equipment to carry with you to the beach). Parking is expensive at $10 and you have to self pay and write your vehicle number in a drop box when there's no ranger around. Be careful of the entry to the beach, there is a very steep entrance with slippery sand that is best avoided. I would suggest going through the wide entrance which is better. Restrooms are an outright disgrace (stink and are dirty) and best to avoid them read more

Only reason it's not a 5 is I'm from Rhode Island, the Ocean State, where are any number of beaches that provide ample soft sand, sun, and swimming. With that said, stumbled upon this beach on yelp and I'm glad I chose it over the more popularized beaches! You take a turn down a random road and think you're lost before being led to the gate ($10 entry fee). Bathrooms (they're typical park beach bathrooms, but a bathroom none the less!) located by the parking before a short path walk down to the beach. I walked 2 minutes to the left, seems like all the families crowd right around the path entrance, and enjoyed a day to myself without overcrowding! Now that I know, I will definitely be back!!! read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This was one of the easier beaches to park at Memorial Day weekend, because it's not well advertised. Just a small gravel road off Hwy. 1. It's $10 to park, and there are 8 flush toilets and an outdoor shower/sink area to wash hands and feet afterwards. The bathrooms aren't particularly clean, and some of the door locks don't work, but it's better than no toilets at all. There are no paper towels, so bring something if you want to dry off. The beach is nice here, once you get past the little swamp at the bottom of the stairs. You can walk all the way down to the state beach and all the way north to El Granada if you want. It also has easy access to the Coastal Trail. read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This is a great beach! We tried to go the the one closer to where 92 spits you out, but since the parking lot was full we got diverted here. There was plenty of parking, and the restroom facilities were clean and easy to access. It's not too long of a walk to the beach. We visited in August, and although it was too far off for my son to see, my husband and I saw whales in the distance. My son enjoyed the sand a ton. It was too cold for my son to want to swim, but part of my appreciates the overcast weather here since I'm not fond of too much heat. This beach is definitely on our list to go back to. read more

When we came here there was a sign that says no swimming allowed because of toxic materials. I'm not sure if it's like that all the time but who cares. We didn't come here to do that anyways. We went here to let the kids play. Watching them play, watching him taking pictures of them while they're playing....It was my last beach scene with him... http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Pf3xGcjtvCew4CB8ZOIXDA&userid=BDHDu2gEcRS6d4qz8yf7zg Venice is one of the beaches in Half Moon Bay. Beautiful, captivating, and quiet. No picnic tables like HMB State Beach and with smaller parking area (free parking, HMB State beach is charging). A beautiful place to come and sit and stare and just be lost in your own thoughts....in your own world....aaaaahhh....Life indeed is a beach! KTnxBai :) read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Path to beach is very rough and tumble. Be warned. I would recommend trying a different spot.

This beach is a wonderful hidden gem of a beach, just under an hour from San Jose. It's not too tourist-y, so it wasn't heavily populated in the slightest. My girlfriend and I camped out on the beach for the day and basically had this entire beach to ourselves in the middle of the day on a Wednesday. We had ample space to spread out our frisbee game across the sand; it was wonderful! There's not a large sign off the main road indicating where to turn, so keep an eye out. You'll need to go down a dirt road to get to the state park entrance booth. $10 to park gets you unlimited access to well-maintained public bathrooms, sinks and foot wash areas. There is also a trail you can walk along the coastline overlooking the beach and ocean, with benches to enjoy the panoramic view. This beach is relatively clean, though the sand is a little rough (lots of sea glass and shattered sea shells) on this beach, but for me, the privacy just can't be beat. We'll be back! read more

Venice Beach - Beach to ourselves! - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

One of the many Half Moon Bay beaches at your avail. I like this beach the most because it's the least crowded, even on a busy weekend. It has plenty of parking ($10), bathrooms, camping spots, wonderful cliff side views, and of course the sands and Pacific Ocean itself. Food and drinks are allowed, but of course you gotta clean everything up. No pets on this beach, though. This beach is a great place to go whale watching. Plenty of whales swimming around the area and jumping out of the waters. They came very close to the shore, too! read more

Venice Beach - Panorama of Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Perfect beach to visit in half moon bay if you have kids, especially toddlers. There is a little river flowing through the beach into the ocean that's perfect for little ones to play in. My son played in there with his truck and had a ball today. Less crowded than the main beach in half moon bay. Ten dollars parking. read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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One of my favorite beaches to go to, family friendly and great atmosphere! Parking is easy and if I remember correctly the fee is $10 but I could be off on that. read more

Easily one of my favorite beaches. Although sometimes it gets crowded and the bathrooms aren't the best. I would recommend going to a restroom near by the shopping area. read more

Beautiful beach, but poor beach access for some. My elderly parents didnot want to cross small creek at base of cliffs to access beach. Enjoyed walk on cliffs. read more

This is indescribably beautiful, we used to live near here in El Granada and frequented it several times over the years ... not a huge deal of foot traffic and relatively quiet. It's my nephew's often visited places to run and workout, rehab his knee and what not. While running and generally tooling around the other day, he found what my niece calls "the money from the beach": a sand dollar in pristine condition. Photo attached, which he snapchatted me of and asked if I wanted it? Do I look like a food? Ummm, dang yes, I freakin wanted it! I'm now hoarding it like a miser. The only downside of this beach is the weather--it's not SoCal, even in the summer, it's downright frigid with windchill that will not quit. This does not stop the surfers out there who go at it like there's no tomorrow ... of course, they don't do it without a wetsuit, lol :-) If you're in the area, stop by and experience the magic, take a picnic of fish n chips, go sand dollar hunting, and call it a gift of nature :-) read more

Venice Beach - Sand dollar in pristine condition ... lotus shape :-) - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

So beautiful! And one of the quieter beaches along the coast. Located north of Dunes Beach and south of Roosevelt, it can be a little harder to find. But that also means it's typically less crowded. Yay! You can see Pillar Point Harbor in the distance from here, and the pretty cliffs to the south. I recommend taking a bike out and cycling up the entire coast trail that stretches behind the beach....that way you can hit ALL the beaches and end up either at the Ritz down south, or Pillar Point up north! read more

Venice Beach - Beaches Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

My favorite place for a beach getaway. I'll bring the kids here to throw frisbees around, run along the shore and fly kites. I also come here on my own to relax and read by the beach. It's a quaint beach, clean and beautiful. The BEST part? In the last 3 weeks, humpback whales have been coming through and very close to the shore. Today, they gave everyone quite a show and people cheered. They jump out of the water to feed and pelicans are nearby to dive for the fish the whales drive to the surface. It's amazing to see nature at work like that. Amazing. Side note: Be sure to bring $10 cash or a check you can write out to park. It's worth it though. read more

******NOTE: IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF DOGS DO NOT GO TO A DOG-FRIENDLY BEACH.******* I absolutely love this beach. Dogs are allowed, which is perfect because there aren't any waves, so they can swim happily without you worrying about the tide or rocks. Plus the water is almost ALWAYS a perfect temperature for the weather. I'm here just about every week. However, while it is a dog beach, people seem to forget that it is. I've had too many issues with people coming to sit by my dogs and I on an empty beach and yelling at me for having them there, and that they're afraid of dogs. For one, my dogs have never hurt a soul, and they have no interest in people, and two, you are on a dog beach, friends. We only have so many dog-friendly beaches here, so please don't ruin this one, too. But the water is perfect, the sand is soft, the sea lions come close to shore and will taunt your dog. It's absolutely adorable, and is so much less stressful than other beaches I've gone to. Highly recommend :) read more

Boy is the beaches crowded this weekend. Took a chance with this one and it worked out. $10 parking fee and Plenty of people but still lots of space left. Found a spot put up the tent and umbrella, THREE hours later I'm buried under the sand. Love my days off and love living so close to the ocean. read more

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