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48 reviews for Half Moon Bay State Beach
One of the best, and cleanest Bay Area Beaches that I have been to! It was $10 for parking but well worth it in that, there were numerous, CLEAN bathrooms and the beach itself was clean and beautiful!
Planning on our group of friends trying out their camping facilities in the near future so I will have more to report on.
But, this beach is absolutely beautiful and expansive... you can walk for what looks like miles!
Having lots of free time nowadays, I decided to go to the beach for the hell of it. I've been to Capitola, Santa Cruz, Monterey: all of which are freezing and hard to find parking.
Coming here on a Wednesday, I had the entire lot to myself. Having my dog with me, there were two surprises. First, that parking was $10. I had forgotten to check on the site how much the parking would be. Being a state park, I figured there to be a parking fee. Next, no dogs allowed on the beach.
This area is huge though, with trails for running, trails for horses, grassy areas, camping spots and picnic tables. There is no shortage of places to go. There are also small animals all along the trails, so keep that in mind when you hear movement in the bushes.
Everything was kept clean, the area was not crowded at all, and it was nice and quiet. Perfect way to spend a lazy mid week afternoon
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Soft sand, as clean as public beaches get, and ice cold Pacific ocean water. Close to anywhere from the Bay Area.
I would give this beach 4 stars, but the $10 parking fee is a bit silly in my opinion.
A-OK Beach!
One could say it's a typical norcal beach front view. Well, these days it's becoming harder to find such spot. This is a very quiet spot that gives you a great view into the pacific ocean.
There are so many great reviews on Yelp about Half Moon Bay State Beach. And "Yes" it is an awesome beach. But, it is an equally phenomenal camping spot!
I lucked up and got last minute camping reservations here in the middle of June. (That was a fluke. I haven't been able to grab another weekend here since and I have been trying...believe me I've been trying) We arrived to camping spot #10 as assigned. My son was a little pissy because he prefers those camping locales that are secluded. But, at HMBSB you are right next to your neighbors. It even freaked me out a little bit. But, that feeling passed very quickly.
It was so great to camp right at the beach without having to be on the sand! The campground is small. So, your neighbors are right up on you. But, it is not overwhelming. However, in the future, I will reserve two or three spots right next to one another just to give us more room.
It was obvious that the staff at the park truly enjoy working there. They were ALL friendly and helpful. But, as I observed one of the employees cleaning the bathrooms; I knew it was true. For starters; the bathrooms and showers are immaculate!!! I can't say that about most other public restrooms (except Nordstrom of course). But, I certainly can't say that about ANY other campground restrooms! And as I watched this guy cleaning; I could see why they were so clean. He was cleaning that public bathroom like it was the bathroom at his home and the president was coming over to sit on the toilet....seriously! I was so impressed; I sat there and watched him...on my vacation.
The showers cost a quarter. But, you get quite a long amount of time for a quarter and they are clean as hell!
Ahhhhhh....the beach! This is an amazing series of beaches (four in total). There are trails along the beach. There is horseback riding along the trails. And for those who don't exactly want to rough it; there are liquor stores and fast food places nearby. I like to rough it. But, the people I was with kept going to the store for Popeye's chicken and black and milds. That was by far the most annoying part of the trip.
I have been trying to luck up on another spot at HMBSB since I returned from my last three-day excursion. But, I have been completely unsuccessful. Unfortunately, this campground is on the STUPID governor's list of closures. I hope that doesn't happen. As soon as reservations for next year open up; I'll be on-line reserving space here again!!!
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Helloooo Half Moon Bay State Beach. You'll be seeing more of me every weekend.
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I love the beach. I wrote my college admission essay about a day at the beach. (Really. And yes I got in.) The point is that I love the beach.
Half Moon Bay has all of the critical elements you need in a beach. Namely:
1. Ocean
2. Sand
It also has several nice-to-haves, such as:
1. Relatively convenient parking
2. Lots of BBQ pits
But it's got some meaningful downsides as a "playtime" beach like:
1. Narrow strip of sand, especially at high tide, so gets very crowded
2. Seems foggier on average than others (though I can't prove this)
3. Coming over 92 is a nightmare on a hot Peninsula day
4. Rough waves might be great for surfing, but not little kids
5. Sand mixes with dirt at top of beach, so fairly dusty
6. Bathrooms are very limited and single sex
In all I do like HMB because I love just about any beach that's safe and reasonably clean. And I had a fabulous time there with my little guys and some friends yesterday. However, if you've got some flexibility and are choosing a beach, I'd say: it falls short compared to its South Bay neighbors like like San Gregorio, Santa Cruz, Capitola or its North Bay cousins epitomized by Stinson.
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Nice sand. Great beach front. Lots of parking. Pretty high waves when there is a storm, great viewpoint for surfers.
Simple beauty.
And you know you've got a winner on your hands when someone says for a date to go pick up trash on a beach and you don't think twice. Why? Because I'm a fly-by-the-seat of my pants/skirt kind of gal and if it sounds interesting, why not? I'm all about trying things at least once, even if it means coming across a used prophylactic or remains of a seagull.
That's right. Of course, it helps that it was for a good cause and along a beach, early and prior to the crowds showing up. The stretch of this beach is long, both ends. But I confess, they sure have a great and well maintained grounds here. We picked up a lot of trash that washed up between the rocks, but overall, clean and pristine beach. Dogs are allowed on this beach but need to be on leash.
When I drive down here for my own little escape, I rarely hit the beach but usually walk the well paved path running parallel to the bluffs and walk with the pooch on leash. And reflect.
On to the next beach.
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Another great beach!!!
Great place to camp and when ou are looking at homelessness this would be a great home away from home...
$7 to park and trust me you want to spend the day here. Clean Sand ( is that odd?) I walked the length of it for an awesome workout but turned my back a shade of pink similar to steak being medium rare. Just enough sea breeze to make you think its cool.
Great place to camp and when ou are looking at homelessness this would be a great home away from home...
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I wrote a draft or this review. It states: "wind sucks."
Yes, Andrew. Wind does suck at the beach.
However, cutie-petuties in bathing suits does not. Nor does the company of friends suck.
My last visit (with the help of a little ZIPCAR 325i) was enjoyable enough to make me a fan. But I'm not blown away. I'll have to visit during the summer months when the heat picks up and the suits turn into speedos?... I can only dream.
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This review is for Poplar beach.
You come down the 92 fwy and at Hwy 1 turn left and go up two lights or so and look for a sign on your right that says Poplar beach.
When you park, you will see that you are perched on a bluff overlooking an ocean that is a gorgeous green blue. It's very windy yet tranquil.
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A nice beach.... not the nicest, and probably lower than 3 stars if you consider world-class beaches on a categorical scale, but about 40 mins from where I live, free, and the weather was nice today.
You'll find different textures? of sand here... the fine stuff is towards the top, a little further down towards the water is the coarse stuff.
There are some bugs and flies and critters in the sand, which makes digging a little bit interesting.
Not too crowded today when we went, but we got to the beach about 11:00, and left about 12:30, and when we were leaving, we say 92 backed up all the way past the 280 juncture, so that really sucks... get out there early.
There did happen to be a dead seagull about 30 yards from where we were, and I was trying to think what one would do about fixing that, but I'm not sure...
Enjoy the nice weather, the nice beaches, and the fact that this one is free. Definitely not a world class place to travel far and wide to visit, but it's not a pile of rocks(big ones at least) either.
Based on a Yelp review I read this morning before heading to Half Moon Bay, we stopped here with our dog and were surprised to see the "No Dogs" sign. Luckily, a friendly ranger in the booth gave us a brochure "Where Can I Take My Dog?"
So instead of paying $7 to park here, we ended up at a free, nearby on-leash, dog-friendly beach called Blufftop instead, located at the West End of Poplar Off Highway One. It was a steep grade to get to and from the beach, but nice that we didn't have to pay for parking and that our dog was allowed.
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It was a foggy and misty day this past weekend but sort of the perfect day for a bike ride. Not too hot and not too crowded. 9 of us, in an assortment of fancy road bikes, mountain bikes and fixies that we rented from some family on Grove street - peddled along the trails by the beach.
It was an afternoon well spent and if I had such a great time in sub par weather where I could hear and smell the ocean, but not really see it, I'm definitely coming back when it's blue skies.
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Wow!!! I went back to this beach for the first time since grade school and boy was it worth the $7 parking. Global warming provided a January afternoon with warm weather and not a cloud in the sky. Not too windy, just a breeze from time to time.. well, I suppose enough wind to fly a kite.
We spent enough time to just kick back, watch the surfers, kids making castles, and a half n@ked lil girl run to and fro (the nuddie beach is a few miles down, hun). Too bad for Fiddo, he's not allowed on the beach.
It's a good place to picnic/BBQ and to just soak up the sun. I'll be sure to come back and visit again! :) :)
Seriously one of the most beautiful beaches in the area - the sand is clean! And stretches on forever in that gorgeous crescent. We took a long walk from Venice beach all the way down to Redondo pretty much (I think) and back. Spectacular views the whole way, the trail was extremely clean and well maintained, and there were nice places to rest the whole way down. Lots of birds, too. The parking lots around there cost $$, and there was a line waiting to get into the lot at Venice beach (we parked far away and walked down to the beach instead). The last time we were here it wasn't as nice of a day, but that time we walked down the beach and absolutely loved it.
Totally worth a visit - definitely the nicest beach I've been to in northern CA so far.
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POPLAR BEACH rocks ... but don't take my word for it ... in fact go to the crowded parking lot at the official state beach ... yeah forget this review ... go elsewhere ... and leave me & MY BEACH alone!
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Sometimes foggy. Always windy. Often Sunny. Peaceful.
My best memories of Half Moon Bay are from family barbeques and picnics on the beach with no one around except a few surfers, a slightly overcast sky, and windbreaker jackets. There are gorgeous views. A great way to get away from it all in the bay area. So close to San Francisco, yet it always seems untouched. I'll have to go there again soon.
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Ease of Parking: They charge. We parked along Kelly Rd and walked in.
Amenities: Didn't check, but public bathrooms, I'm sure. Biking/running trails up top and plenty of benches to relax.
Letting me forget I live in Si Valley: Great
We stopped here after hiking in Purisima Creek Rewood Open Space Preserve just in time to catch the sunset.
The beach was beautiful - lots of shoreline, clean and what looked like soft sand. Magnificent waves coming onto shore. Although it was foggy we were still thrilled to have found this on our way back home.
Definitely returning on a sunny day - we're already planning that sunset picnic. I hope we don't run into a crowded day.
This is one of the best beaches in Half Moon Bay. The sand is not full of seaweed, you can walk forever and get a great exercise workout. The views are wonderful so you can stop and rest while you look around at the running birds and laughing people. And people fill this up quick as it is THE MAIN BEACH in H.M.B.
Good luck finding parking though. It is small and ain't cheap. Plus there are a lot of people having picnics and cooking barbecues. Looks like fun to me but with all of the wind, it is a little too cold for me. Bring a coat or a sweater at least to make sure that you are warm enough for activities.
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Great place for running. I came here with Team in Training for one of my training runs, and managed a personal best of 8 miles here - woo hoo!
The park people can get really pissy if you come out without the required permits; apparently TNT secured a permit for the marina but forgot to get one for the park, and there was a big event starting at noon. As it was just ~40 runners and one stand offering water it didn't seem like a big deal to me (esp. since it was open to other runners anyways) but apparently that's a big big no-no.
If you want to run on the street. the trails we took went through residential areas, asphalt running surfaces, as well as unpaved trail. The variety was nice.
After the run, I highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat at one of the nearby restaurants (Ketch Joanne is awesome).
Today we sat as kings and queens, overlooking the vast ocean, awaiting the breathing of the waters.
maverick warriors will attempt to be one with these waves...
The sun glistened on the water, creating a sea of diamonds, delighting its royal audience.
What better way to spend the day before the eve of His birth?
A perfect morning with you--MIS QUERIDOS COMPADRES.
isang mahal.
g
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Poplar Beach is awesome and it's dog friendly! Any beach that is dog friendly automatically gets 5 stars. The down side is that this beach is also horse friendly, so beware of the giant horse poops! There isn't a charge for parking, but it is difficult to find a spot on the weekends. The only thing that I did not like so much was walking down the little slope to get to the beach, but luckily it is a short trek. My dog,partner and I definitely enjoyed a lazy Sunday here, and will come back soon.
As befits the largest town on the peninsula coast, Half Moon Bay State Beach is by far the longest, broadest beach you'll find out here, running 4 miles from the edge of Pillar Point Harbor down to the Ritz-Carlton. (About 2 miles of that is the official "State Beach", with the main entrance on Kelly Ave, off Highway 1 just a bit south of the 92.) Yet despite its size and proximity to the city, it seems to take a backseat to pumpkins and boutiques in the Half Moon Bay image. Probably a combination of the rough weather, rough water, and the fact that you can't really see it from Highway 1.
Those who do check it out will find a ton of facilities, from tent & RV camping to horse and bike trails, and of course plenty of picnic tables, restrooms, showers, even a visitor's center. The January wind chill kept me from exploring too much, but at least I still got to see a great sunset. I'll definitely be back in summer; I'm very curious to see how crowded it gets.
Oh, and regarding the parking fee: don't think of it as $6 to park. Think of it as $6 to *the* parks. Suddenly that sounds like a very affordable donation. And lord knows they need it.
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Awesome place for a wedding photo shoot!
Good setting just footsteps away from parking!
The locals don't look at your tux/gown funny, they actually cheer your accomplishment!
Very very clean beach! Nice colors everywhere!
Amazing cliffs and stretched coastline!
Some of my favorite photos of my life captured at this beach!
Highly recommended!
[see my pics of this place in the picture section]
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Next time I'm here I plan to re-create that scene in "From Here To Eternity". You know the one, where they're kissing romantically, bodies pressed together, writhing around passionately, on the beach.
I guess I need someone to do that with, huh? Cuz I'd look stupid doing it by myself.
Oh, and $6 to park? No... just no.
Please DO NOT chase after the black woman who snuck away speeding in the Honda Civic. I learned my best moves from The Dukes of Hazard and the General Lee (enter musical horn beep here).
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Beaches along Hwy 1 look similar to each other, until you get close enough to see and smell! Every beach is worth going to, atleast once.
That said, there is much more to recommend here. The trail along the cliff edge is pretty, and goes a long way. Bring a book or a newspaper to read, as there are plenty of well-placed benches (http://flickr.com/phot...)
Fog here is very unpredictable, and has no correlation whatsoever to conditions just a couple of miles inland. So be prepared to be disappointed (http://flickr.com/phot...), but a few tries and you will get plenty of sun.
Weekday visit highly recommended if you are the meditating type, enjoying the sound of silence.
For bird-watchers this place almost guarantees sightings of American Kestrel (http://flickr.com/phot..., http://flickr.com/phot...), Northern Harrier (http://flickr.com/phot...), While-tailed Kite, Blue Heron, and various gulls/pelicans (http://flickr.com/phot...).
The sunsets (http://flickr.com/phot...), and the accompanying colors (http://flickr.com/phot...), are brilliant. After the sunset, don't forget the moon (http://flickr.com/phot...).
Come here during the whale migration period, and you may see a pup too - I did see a mother/baby pair, but didn't have my camera with me then :-(
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I love beaches! And the ones here are beautiful. We came here during the summer heatwave this year, and wandering along the beaches on the trails, with the sea breeze was pure bliss.
Horseback riding also seems to be popular around here - there are a couple of trails specifically for horses here, and places to rent old horses and plod along the beach for a couple of hours.
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Half Moon Bay has many a campgrounds you can stay at, ranging from small to group campsites. I've only camped out at the Sweetwood Group Campsite so this review pertains only to that site.
I've held many outings with family and friends and we've always had fun over the years. Sizewise, Sweetwood is probably the size of a football field. You're not close to other parties so you're free to be somewhat roudy until late, unlike other sites I've been to. Sweetwood allows up to 50 people and 12 cars. I think we've passed capacity before but so long as you clean up the place properly, the rangers are pretty cool about it. The place has two locked bathrooms that is only accessible to your party. Its funny to see beach goers walk by and try to use it and run off in desperation looking for another. No number twos here buddy!
The campsite is within walking distance of the beach and when you camp out, you can hear the waves soothe you to sleep and also wake you up in the morning. It's a nice cool getaway in the summer when the weather in San Jose is 100 degrees.
Theres also a horse trail nearby as well that you can rent horses to go on with a guide. Beware though. I'm not sure if you guys have gone on horses but those things are pure muscle. I'm 6'3" 220lbs but I got tossed around like a ragdoll. Lesson learned. I try to steer clear of activities where the family jewels hurt for the next couple of days.
If you're a biker, bring your bike along since there is a little trail that goes parallel to the horse trail. Get some grippy tires though. Because last time, a father and daughter asked us if they could camp out with us also since all the other campsites were full. Initially I said no. But the nice guy in me kicked in and I chased them down on my brother's Costco mountain bike. Coming down the bridge, I ate the ground because the tires couldn't grab on the dirt. Both knees got bloodied up and I have war wounds til this day. When girls ask, I just tell them that it was remnants of my service in Nam. Chicks dig it.
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We used the "Kelly" beach access after I told husband, " This IS a beach access, can't you f-e-e-l it?".
MILES UPON MILES OF BEACH where you really do feel like you're alone ( with the occasional donkey and dog owners walking well, their dog). It was a weekday, but I suspect even on the week-ends or even in warmer weather, you would be able to find your own piece of private sand.
EXTRA PLUS: for those looking for romantic niches and corners and coves --- this beach will not disappoint.
We will be back.
- i'm obligated to say that it is not a SURFING beach. the waves are too close together. he said that not me.
World-class beach... and if you go on a weekday, even in the summer, you'll have it almost to yourself. 3 miles of clean sand, fresh clean surf, warm sun, and maybe 20 other people on the whole shore. Just pretend you paid $700 to jet to this beach on vacation--it would seem like a good deal. Then recall that you can drive here in 30 min. anytime and park for $6. Or park free on Kelly, walk in past the llama and the produce stand...
Occasionally you'll see a large inert animal lying on the sand. That will be either a dead seal, a live seal, or me.
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BEAUTIFUL!
Quiet and private on a weekday...lovely...
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Two words - DOG FRIENDLY!
I came here with a group of friends, and I was slightly apprehensive that dogs would not be welcome here. We ended up parking along Kelly Ave on the busy Labor Day and we walked up towards Francis Beach, which was jam packed with families and kiddies. But we found that if you hang a left down the walking path towards the sign reading Poplar Beach rather than heading straight to Francis beach, you will end up in a slightly more secluded area of the beach. There are several turn offs from the trail that will lead to the beach, and if you go down the walking path for about 5 to 10 minutes, you'll find nice quiet areas that are dog friendly, even though I did not see a sign that highlighted whether we were at Poplar Beach or not (Poplar Beach had been the dog friendly beach according to what I read online).
Nonetheless, Sake had a great time, and there were several other dog owners around there. Even if the rules claimed that your dog must be leashed, we were able to find enough space that we could off leash Sake and she could play in the waves without being too obtrusive to our other neighbors. I also imagine that the particular day I went would be considered busy (especially considering the car traffic leading there), so it's probably quieter on any other given day.
So even if Half Moon Bay is slightly chilly, you have to dress warm, but your dog sure will love the beach.
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I used to live near ocean beach and i hardly ever went, which now i look back and wonder why. I have a friend who lives outside of half moon bay and we stopped off for a bit on the way back to s.f. and the beaches are beautiful! especially with the waves crashing on a sunny day, i will definetly spend more time here when i return to san francisco and i bring a car to get me down to this beautiful place.
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I'm absolutely love Half Moon Bay. If actually thought about adding different reviews for different beaches, because some are definitely better than others. For instance, Poplar Beach is by far better than Francis and Venice Beach. Alas, I digress.
I'm rating HMB beach for it's running conditions. I start out at Poplar Beach and run all the way into the marina area before turning around and heading back. You'll want to check the tides and ascertain that they're low, otherwise your run will be cut short by about 20 minutes (10 minutes in one direction and 10 in the reverse). I normally can do the entire run in about 70 or 75 minutes.
What's great about this beach is that you can do interval running with the tides. If you run down by the surf on the hard-pack, you will need to run up the small dunes to avoid the surf with roughly every seventh wave, that is unless you want to be up to your knees or waist in water. As you start, the beach is steep right next to the waves for about 15 minutes until it starts to level out. By about that time, the beach flattens out and you get into the more popular area where many of the tourists hang out. I've found that many people get out of your way if you're running, but some kids are oblivious, and I have run over one or two by accident. *devilish grin*
What's really fun though, is if someone has brought their dog and their dog gets distracted by you instead of the toy. This guy threw his dog's ball and the dog couldn't find it. So, I ran up next to him and raced him to his ball. It was really fun and made for a change in pace.
I will say I don't recommend running here at night, even though I've done it. I will also say to wear sun screen because even if it is overcast--which is often--you will still burn.
Be sure to bring a towel to get all the sand off of you, and to bring shoes that you don't mind will be ruined by being soaked in salt water and sand.
When I drive home, I know I've had an excellent run here. It's great for your joints because it's softer and challenging because it's harder to run in the sand.
This is one of my favorite places to run and is equally tied to Nisene Marks for the two best places to run in the Bay that I've discovered thus far.
(Oh! For you Internet addicts out there, HMB State Beach offers AT&T WiFi service. The range extends to roughly 150-200 feet from the Visitor Center.)
Even in the winter, people come here. But it's cold!
Parking in the lot isn't free. There's free street parking on Kelly, on the way to the lot.
A campground is attached to the parking lot. There's also a picnic area with tables.
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The last Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival was pretty cool camping here because it is about a mile walk to the Pumpkin Festival's location.
The only negative drawback camping at this State Park is the campsites' strategic locations lack privacy due to gargantuan motorhomes parked 25 feet from your campsite. You really must check out the campground in advance before camping here and choose which campsite appeals to your needs.
By checking the campsites you like in advance, you can go to the State Park's URL: http://www.reserveamer... and reserve the specific campsite you like. When you camp here, you'll be a happy camper!
The positives: Sitting at the beach shoreline thinking that the Hawaiian Islands is only 5 hours away due West by jet!
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