Half Moon Bay
State Beach Trails

Here is an overview of the best coastal trails near Half Moon Bay State beach along with tips and highlights you will not want to miss. These gorgeous and surprisingly accessible trails are usually segments of the California Coastal trail. They are the most visible result of saving the California coast for public use as envisioned by the Coastal Zone Conservation Act (Proposition 20, 1972).

It is most fun to take your time and explore them -- by foot, bike, & car -- over several visits and many wonderful days. Our tips will help you to quickly get started and to make the most of your time. Before your trip, you may want to also check

• Half Moon Bay things to see & do for more ideas.
• Google Maps for further directions.

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The list below is arranged, roughly, from north to south. In fact, except for Montara you can link all of them together into one long trail if you are willing to adapt a bit to the terrain. We've also found that sometimes there are up to three parallel routes which can make things even more interesting -- via a bluff trail, on a long beach, or walking a block or two inland on pleasing residential streets. Parking and access for bikes, dogs, and horses varies depending on exactly where you are so watch for signage.

Montara trails

Montara is a beautiful little coastal town to walk around. We typically will have a latte at Caffe Lucca on Hwy 1 then walk our dog up the hilly streets to enjoy this pleasant rustic neighborhood. Native landscaping is common and many streets have an ocean view peeking through. We have a friend who lives here and says the quality of living is as quiet and fantastic as it looks.

One of the best short hikes along the coast is Grey Whale Cove trail, especially in spring time when wildflowers are blooming. And, as you can see, the ocean views are fabulous on a clear day. It is an easy 1 mile hike (2 miles round trip) between Grey Whale Cove Parking lot (inland side of Hwy 1 about 1.4 miles north of Montara Beach) and Martini Creek Gate (inland side of Hwy 1 about .5 miles north of 2d St, Montara).

If you wish to extend your walk then check out the beaches at either end of the Grey Whale Cove trail. Grey Whale Cove Beach at the trail's north end is interesting. One hundred yards north of the parking lot behind the yellow gate you can climb down long steep stairs to the 300 yard beach which is bounded by two hills. This is considered to be one of the best nude beaches (called Edun, or nude spelled backwards) near San Francisco though we've never run across any such sunbathers. Montara State Beach at the southern end of the trail is a more traditional long sandy beach and usually fairly empty as well. Both are beautiful and excellent for beach walking.

Moss Beach trails

We find a good place to start and end two nice little round trip walks, one north & one south, is at the Moss Beach Distillery (140 Beach Way). This famous old restaurant which was a hopping speakeasy during prohibition days has an informal outside view deck where dogs are allowed and you can get some tasty fish, chips, and beer. Since Moss Beach area is often foggy they also provide blankets and a fire pit if needed.

By the way, don't forget to bring warm coat along in the car just in case it is needed for the walk. This Moss Beach area can sometimes be cold, foggy, and breezy.
Starting at Moss Beach Distillery head north on Beach Way until it turns inland at Cypress Ave. Here you will find the Bluff Trail heading north. (Or, you can take the steep Seal Cove Trail from this point down to the beach and walk north along the beach if the tide is out. Or, head inland one block and take the Coastal Trail which allows dogs.) The Bluff Trail gives you a scenic sea views as you walk along in a beautiful old forest of cypress and eucalyptus trees.



In about a half mile you will get to a walking bridge (at California Ave/N Lake St.) which is the Bluff Trail's northerly trailhead. Walk seaward on N Lake Street past the parking lot of the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve (200 Nevada Ave/N Lake St.). Keep walking to see the truly amazing tide pools which can be seen only when the tides are low. Otherwise, it will just look like a normal beach. After you have explored the tide pools turn around and head back to the Distillery the way you came or along the coastal trail a block inland.

Pillar Point Bluff trails

Starting at Moss Beach Distillery head south on Ocean Blvd. You'll see that the road is closed for a block to car traffic because it is starting to crack up and tilt towards the ocean ... but you can still walk on it. Continue walking, and enjoying the ocean overlooks, until you reach the Ocean Blvd/Bernal Ave intersection at the end. Here you can find more parking and the trailhead to Pillar Point Bluff.

This is a dog friendly area partially owned and preserved by San Mateo County Parks. There are two or three roughly parallel trails heading south from the northern trailhead for over half a mile. As you will see it is a beautiful natural area with bluffs up to 170 feet high that overlook more Fitzgerald Marine Preserve beaches.



At the south end of the Bluff Trail is Pillar Point itself. The Point is 175 feet tall and home of the Pillar Point Air Force tracking station with its 80 foot dish-type radar antenna. Below Pillar Point, 1/2 mile due west beyond the rocky reefs, is where the world-famous Mavericks surfing competition is held. The biggest waves at Mavericks can get 20-50 feet high and in 1970 a 100 foot wave was observed. However, you probably won't see these monster waves because they occur only a few times each year when far off-shore weather conditions are just right.

At the southerly end of the Bluff Trail, near the Air Force tracking station, you can look out east over the Pillar Point Harbor. You can also take a fire trail heading down to the Pillar Point Parking Lot (at the end of West Point Ave which provides access to the tracking station). Or, head back to Moss Beach the way you came.

Princeton-By-The-Sea trails

From the Pillar Point Parking Lot, at the north end of Princeton-by-the-Sea, take a pleasant 1/2 mile round trip walk on the beach back under Pillar Point itself. If there is a low tide you may even make it around the Point for a much longer beach walk under the bluffs to the north.

Next head easterly along the beach which fronts Pillar Point Marsh , the protected home of more than 150 species of birds, to Pillar Point Harbor in Princeton-By-The-Sea. If the tide is not too high you can go the entire way by beach. Otherwise you'll have to head inland a few hundred yards and work your way south via Princeton Ave through the industrial part of town.
You should wander around Johnson Pier at Pillar Point harbor and check for freshly caught fish and Dungeness crabs for sale (fishfone 650-726-8724 will tell you which fishing boats recently came in). Also, there are a few local shops and restaurants, such as Queen of Hearts Sport Fishing, Barbara's Fish Trap, and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, to see. Around the harbor you can also find considerable parking should you decide to start your walk here.

Then continue east along the beach on the trail that runs under Sam's Chowder House. You'll end up at Hwy 1 under the Pillar Point RV Park and the adjacent Surfer's Beach across from El Granada.

Surfer's Beach

Hwy 1/Coronado St., El Granada Surfer's Beach heading south is another pleasant beach to walk when the tide is low. If the tide is too high for beach walking you can take the recently paved Mirada Surf West Walk which parallels the beach about 100 yards inland. After a half mile walk south on Surfer's beach we usually clamber up the rocks at Mirada Rd/Magellan Ave and continue our walk on the bluff above Miramar Beach.

Miramar Beach

Start at west end of Magellan Ave off Hwy 1, Miramar -- We often like to begin our walk near Magellan Ave/Miramar Rd where Miramar Beach Restaurant is located (follow the signs off Hwy 1). Here our local headquarters is usually the nearby Ebb Tide Cafe, 311 Mirada Rd, Miramar, which serves coffee and has a comfortable outside deck overlooking the ocean.

About 4 blocks further south on Miramar Rd you will cross a foot bridge. This is where the official Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail begins. Walking along the dunes here gives a pleasant, relaxed feeling. And, the beach here is never crowded because it has only walking access. Normally we stop walking before Roosevelt Beach and turn back. On the way back we may cut back inland to Alameda Ave and enjoy checking out the local homes and their landscaping.

Half Moon Bay State Beach trails

The official Half Moon Bay State Park has four beaches with three continuous miles of sandy shoreline and a paved Half Moon Bay Coastal trail. To the north the trail continues on to Miramar Beach, Pillar Point Harbor, and Moss Beach as discussed above. To the south it continues on as the Bluff Top Trail at Poplar Beach and then turns into a dirt trail at Seymour Bridge headed to the Ritz-Carlton golf course as discussed below.

These four beaches do not have the spectacular high bluffs, rocks, and pounding surf seen to the north and south so we don't visit them as often. However, they are popular and family friendly. E.g., they feature:

• Good access, restrooms, and parking ($10/day as of Jan 2010).
• Safer swimming. Though not as rough as elsewhere the water is still very cold & has potential dangers such as rip tides.
• Long broad sand beaches for sun bathing and walking (no dogs allowed).
• A long paved coastal trail for family biking or walking (leashed dogs allowed on the trail but not on the beaches) between beaches.

The official Half Moon Bay coastal trail runs along what used to be Ocean Side Railroad tracks (San Francisco toTunitas Creek, 1908-1920). It is not that exciting to walk but certainly provides a smooth, pleasant bicycle ride. Riding quickly on a mountain bike it took me thirty minutes to get from Poplar Beach to Pillar Point Marsh (estimated 5 miles). Give yourself more time if you are not familiar with the area or are sightseeing. The length of the official HMB Beach segment from Francis Beach to Roosevelt Beach is 3 miles.

• Roosevelt Beach, west end of Young Ave, then veer north right after the Ranger's kiosk. Nice and quiet beach -- Less busy than the other three yet still has automobile access & parking.
• Dunes Beach, west end of Young Ave off Highway 1.
• Venice Beach, west end of Venice Blvd off Highway 1 -- To the north of Venice Beach is Frenchmans Creek bridge and to the south is Pilarcitos Creek bridge. These two creek habitats provide bird watching and are also steelhead trout spawning routes.
  
  Sea Horse ranch horse rentals, located just south of Venice Blvd, uses the horse trails that run from Roosevelt Beach to Francis Beach. We don't ride horses but do notice a lot of horse droppings on the beach sand and dirt trails in the area.
• Francis Beach, west end of Kelly Ave off Highway 1 -- Also known as Half Moon Bay State Beach, this is the most well developed beach area. It has hot showers and 52 individual camp sites.
  
  We like the Oceanview Driving Range a couple of blocks inland at 201 Kelly Avenue. It is small, low key, and uncrowded. The neighbor's yard out front holds a big Llama who looks like he can take care of himself and you too. Tres Amigos, a decent tacqueria, is at the corner of Hwy 1/Kelly Ave.

Poplar Beach / Bluff Top Coastal Park trail

Start at west end of Poplar Ave off Hwy 1 -- This is also a Half Moon Bay City park but is less developed than the other four. It has free parking and is one of the few San Mateo beaches where dogs are allowed. Horses too.

The Seymour Bridge, at the southern end of Bluff Top Coastal Park, provides walking access to the next beach to the south, Wavecrest.

Wavecrest Beach trail

Start west of where Wavecrest Rd ends, off Hwy 1 -- The best way to get to the trail overlooking Wavecrest Beach is via Seymour Bridge at the south side of Bluff Top Coastal Park / Poplar Beach.

Another approach is from Hwy 1 where you can turn west at Wavecrest Rd (Cameron's British Pub, Restaurant & Inn) and park at the end near the Smith Field Little League Park and Coastside Dog Park. From there work your way via miscellaneous trails to the beach area.

This land was recently purchased by the Peninsula Open Space Trust for conservation and public use. This will help save some of the most important San Mateo County wintering grounds for raptors, meat eating birds that use their feet to catch prey such as hawks, eagles, falcons & owls.

Redondo Beach trail

Start at west end of Redondo Beach Rd off Hwy 1 -- This beach is quiet and little used but does have parking. The bluff views are nice. Access to the beach is steep with no stairs.

We often park here then walk on south to the Ritz-Carlton where free parking can get tight. The trail/road is on the bluff and works its way a block south then turns inland for a block before accessing Ritz-Carlton's grounds.

Ritz Carlton trail

Start at west end of Miramontes Point Rd -- The portion of the California Coastal Trail going through the Ritz Carlton is very nice though in a formal cultivated way. The awesome natural scenic beauty remains but you walk on paved golf cart paths within a world class golf course. This facility was approved before the California Coastal Act was passed in 1976 and shows the previous direction of coastal development which had less emphasis on natural conservation and public access.

Public access is was still preserved here, however, including 25 free public parking spaces in the covered garage. If these spaces are not full you can get a password at the guarded gate on Miramontes Point Rd.

Manhattan Beach below the bluffs is one of the nicest beaches in the Half Moon Bay area. You will need to walk about 3/4 mile south to the concrete stairs going down the bluff. However, the good news is that there are rarely more than a few people on this beautiful beach.


The Ritz-Carlton (& Half Moon Bay Country Club) facilities are also very nice as you would expect from a five star resort. We like the hotel's beautiful outside patio or formal bar area for drinks. Mullins Bar & Grill at the Golf Pro shop provides less formal food without the fabulous view. Championship-caliber golfing is available at the 18 hole Old Course, originally designed by Arnold Palmer, and the 18 Ocean Course, designed by famous golf architect Arthur Hills.

Cowell-Purissima trail

The coastal trail currently stops at the southern end of the Ritz Carlton property. Therefore, to get to Cowell Beach you will need to go back to Hwy 1 and drive about a mile south of Miramontes Point Rd. If you are watching closely you will see a yellow gate and a small parking lot. Park, then walk through the yellow gate about 1/2 mile to the beach.

A new segment of the California Coastal Trail is planned starting at Cowell Beach and going southward for about 3 miles towards Purissima. We haven't tried it yet but understand that it is still missing bridges across three streams. More details later.

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These Half Moon Bay State Beach trails provide some of the most beautiful and accessible coastal access in the U.S. Go to enjoy the truly great wonders of nature all within 30 minutes of most of the San Francisco Bay area.


Return from Half Moon State Beach trails to San Francisco walking tours
Return from Half Moon State Beach trails to San Francisco things to do

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