Half Moon Bay State Beach

Four miles of pale sand backed by dunes, with a paved coastal trail running the length

The state beach is the town's defining outdoor space — four miles of pale sand running south from the harbour at Pillar Point, divided into four named sections (Roosevelt, Dunes, Venice, and Francis Beach). It is reached by a paved coastal trail that is one of the best easy walks in the Bay Area, with views north to Pillar Point and south along the bluffs toward Poplar Beach. Lifeguards operate at Francis Beach in summer; elsewhere the surf is strong and the rip currents are dangerous, and swimming is generally not advised.

The weather is the famous problem. Coastal fog rolls in most summer mornings and often does not lift, and even on warm inland days Half Moon Bay can be ten degrees colder with a steady wind. Bring layers and a windbreaker. The best months for sunshine are September and October, when the inland heat pulls the fog offshore and the beach is at its best. Francis Beach has the only paid parking and a small campground; the other entrances are free but limited.

things to do beach sight
A story
The beach is named for the crescent shape of the bay, which Spanish mariners called Bahía de la Media Luna in the late 1700s. The sand here is unusually pale because much of it is decomposed granite washed down from the Santa Cruz Mountains rather than the darker volcanic sand common further south on the California coast.